---
title: "Passenger Short Term Air Supply System (PSTASS)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-064b4c"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-064b4c"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064b4c.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064b4c.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT"
published: "2026-02-10"
---

# Passenger Short Term Air Supply System (PSTASS)

Buyer: DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-064b4c

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## Summary

The Ministry of Defence's Defence Equipment and Support organisation in Bristol has completed a procurement process titled "Passenger Short Term Air Supply System (PSTASS)" under the defence and security category. This process, which is in the award stage, entails a direct award contract granted to Apeks Marine Equipment Limited. The procurement is for the provision of spares and post-design services, crucial for the maintenance of safety systems in rotary wing helicopters. The contract is valued at £233,000 including VAT and spans from 31st March 2026 to 31st March 2028, with an option to extend for an additional six months. This procurement method was chosen due to technical reasons, as Apeks is the original equipment manufacturer and possesses the necessary expertise and intellectual property rights.

This procurement offers significant growth opportunities for businesses specialising in specialised equipment manufacturing and maintenance, particularly those with expertise in defence and aviation safety systems. SMEs engaged in the production or servicing of breathing apparatus and other critical elements for air supply systems may find expanding into contracts with Defence Equipment and Support advantageous. Given the direct award nature due to proprietary intellectual and technical knowledge, businesses with unique and highly specialised capabilities in producing or maintaining these systems are well-suited to participate in similar future opportunities. Establishing partnerships or collaborations with original equipment manufacturers might also offer a strategic advantage for related industries.

## Notice

Provision of spares and Post Design Services including ad hoc tasking, repairs and modifications for Passenger Short Term Air Supply System, to provide on going support to the current in-service capability.

### Procurement Information

The Air Enablers Delivery Team, part of the Ministry of Defence, intends to award a contract to Apex Marine Equipment Limited (Apex) for the provision of spare parts and post design services for the Passenger Short Term Air Supply System (the System), which is carried by passengers on rotary wing helicopters (Wildcat, Chinook, Merlin and Dauphin N2) and provides air the event of an emergency where the helicopter sinks under water. The contract will be for a term of 2 years plus one 6 month option and have an estimated value of PS233,000 including VAT. It is considered that this contract can be awarded under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 because the direct award justification specified in paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 (single supplier - technical reasons) applies. This is because Apex is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the System and has supported it since it was introduced into service in 2007. Only the OEM has the technical expertise, including designs, drawings and data packs, to maintain a vital piece of safety equipment and meet Military Aviation Authority (MAA) airworthiness requirements. There are no reasonable alternatives.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/011634-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 10 Feb 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 9 Feb 2026 |
| Contract period | 30 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £194,166 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS34 8JH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire |
| Local authority | South Gloucestershire |
| Electoral ward | Stoke Park & Cheswick |
| Westminster constituency | Filton and Bradley Stoke |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | APEKS MARINE EQUIPMENT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 44 - Construction structures and materials; auxiliary products to construction (except electric apparatus)

### Codes

- 44611200 - Breathing apparatus

## Release History

- 10 Feb 2026 at 09:12 - AwardUpdate - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/011634-2026
- 9 Feb 2026 at 14:27 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/011435-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/011634-2026
  10th February 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/011435-2026
  9th February 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-equipment-and-support
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-064b4c. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-064b4c.json.