---
title: "BAS Helicopter Charter"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-060136"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-060136"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060136.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060136.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION (UKRI)"
published: "2026-01-07"
---

# BAS Helicopter Charter

Buyer: UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION (UKRI)  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-060136

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060136.json)

## Summary

UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), a central government authority in Swindon, Wiltshire, is conducting a tender for the BAS Helicopter Charter, essential for scientific research along the Greenland coast. The procurement process, valued at £420,000 gross, is in the tender stage with an open procedure, allowing submissions until 2nd February 2026. The enquiry period ends on 19th January 2026, and the contract is set to commence on 23rd February 2026, concluding by 31st August 2026, with a potential one-month extension due to delays. The primary service location is Greenland, classified under the CPV code for the hire of helicopters with crew.

This tender presents substantial business opportunities, particularly for companies specialising in helicopter logistics and scientific research support services. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) may find this contract aligns well with their capabilities. With a significant emphasis on quality, comprising 70% of the award criteria alongside 30% for cost, businesses with strong service quality and competitive cost structures will be well-positioned to succeed in this procurement process. The open procedure facilitates broad participation, enhancing opportunities for diverse suppliers to engage with a high-profile public sector buyer like UKRI.

## Notice

The purpose of this contract is to charter a helicopter to be stationed aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough, in order to conduct scientific research along the coast of Greenland.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Extension of 1 month to allow for potential delays such as weather issues or mechanical issues.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001165-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 7 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 2 Feb 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 23 Feb 2026 - 31 Aug 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £350,000 |
| Lots value | £350,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION (UKRI) |
| Locality | SWINDON, WILTSHIRE |
| Post town | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60424120 - Hire of helicopters with crew

## Release History

- 7 Jan 2026 at 15:31 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001165-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001165-2026
  7th January 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://ukri2.my.salesforce-sites.com/ProSpend__CS_ContractPage?SearchType=Projects&uid=a1MTm000009T7AbMAK&searchStr=&sortStr=Recently+Published&page=1&filters=&County=
- https://ukri2.my.site.com
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.ukri.org/

## 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-060136. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-060136.json.