---
title: "Merlin Out Of Service Extension Programme Assessment Phase 2"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04b239"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04b239"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04b239.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04b239.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE"
published: "2024-10-29"
---

# Merlin Out Of Service Extension Programme Assessment Phase 2

Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04b239

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## Summary

The Ministry of Defence has completed the procurement process for the Merlin Out Of Service Extension Programme Assessment Phase 2, aiming to address obsolescence issues with Merlin Mk2 and Mk4/4a helicopters. The contract, valued at £50,000,000, has been awarded to Leonardo Helicopters, located in Yeovil, United Kingdom. This project, classified under "Repair and maintenance services of helicopters" (CPV code 50212000), falls within the services industry category. The procurement used a limited method, awarding the contract without a prior publication of a call for competition, based on specific regulatory exemptions. Key dates include the award date of October 29, 2024, signifying the completion of the tender stage.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses involved in defence and aerospace, particularly those specialising in helicopter maintenance and extension of service life. Companies with the necessary technical know-how, tools, and access to specialised equipment and data, like Leonardo Helicopters, are well-positioned to compete in such contracts. This project establishes a Joint Project Office to reduce co-ordination risks, potentially providing collaborative opportunities for businesses aiming to partner with primary contractors like Leonardo Helicopters and Lockheed Martin. The absence of a call for competition highlights the necessity for specialised knowledge and capabilities in this highly technical and regulated industry.

## Notice

Contract to undertake the Assessment Phase 2 of the OSDEP Programme

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Out of Service Extension Programme for Merlin Assessment Phase 2

### Procurement Information

The Secretary of State for Defence intends to enter into a Qualifying Defence Contract with Leonardo Helicopters to undertake a full review of and validation of the obsolescence issues anticipated to arise in with the airframes and equipment together with the associated training aids in the 2030+ timescale in order to extend the Out of Service date of the Merlin Mk2 and Mk4/4a aircraft. In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate. It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (in accordance with the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) because Leonardo Helicopters have the specific know-how, tools and equipment and access to the technical drawings, publications and manufacturing data pertaining to the relevant Merlin Mk4/4a aircraft to fulfil all the contractual requirements. The procurement strategy taken is one where parallel, mirrored Single Source Qualifying Defence Contracts are to be with Leonardo Helicopters and Lockheed Martin acting as CDOs. This aims to reduce the co-ordination risk seen in previous projects by establishing a Joint Project Office (JPO).

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035015-2024 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 29 Oct 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 29 Oct 2024 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £50,000,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | MINISTRY OF DEFENCE |
| Locality | YEOVIL |
| Post town | Not specified |
| Postcode | N/A |
| Country | Not specified |
| ITL 1 | Not specified |
| ITL 2 | Not specified |
| ITL 3 | Not specified |
| Local authority | Not specified |
| Electoral ward | Not specified |
| Westminster constituency | Not specified |
| Delivery location | TLK South West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | LEONARDO HELICOPTERS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 50 - Repair and maintenance services

### Codes

- 50212000 - Repair and maintenance services of helicopters

## Release History

- 29 Oct 2024 at 13:28 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035015-2024

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04b239. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04b239.json.