---
title: "Provision of Tetra Air-To-Ground Radio Device Maintenance and Repair"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-066c85"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-066c85"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066c85.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066c85.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY (OR SUCH OTHER SUCCESSOR BODY, COMPANY, ORGANISATION WHO SHALL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY OF THE NATIONAL POLICE AIR SERVICE OR ANY PART OR PARTS THEREOF)"
published: "2026-03-17"
---

# Provision of Tetra Air-To-Ground Radio Device Maintenance and Repair

Buyer: WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY (OR SUCH OTHER SUCCESSOR BODY, COMPANY, ORGANISATION WHO SHALL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY OF THE NATIONAL POLICE AIR SERVICE OR ANY PART OR PARTS THEREOF)  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-066c85

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## Summary

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has awarded a contract titled "Provision of Tetra Air-To-Ground Radio Device Maintenance and Repair" to ensure the effective maintenance and repair of essential radio-communication equipment for the National Police Air Service. This contract, based on a direct award procurement method, leverages intellectual property rights and technical expertise unique to Chelton Limited, the sole designated supplier. The procurement process, overseen by BlueLight Commercial as the procuring entity, involves specialised services integral to air-to-ground telecommunications within the United Kingdom. The award phase, initiated on 17th March 2026, plans for the contract to commence on 31st March 2026, concluding on 31st December 2027.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in radio-communication equipment services, particularly those operating as SMEs. The technical and proprietary nature of the services required offers an avenue for companies with expertise in high-level communications technology and maintenance. Chelton Limited's selection exemplifies the business potential for companies with exclusive rights or specialised technical capabilities, underscoring the market demand for leveraging intellectual property and technical proficiency in public sector procurement. As existing services undergo transition to an ESN solution anticipated in 2027-2029, businesses adept in navigating complex technical landscapes may find lucrative opportunities in achieving continuity and innovation within such specialised fields.

## Notice

Contract for the provision of tetra air to ground radio device maintenance and repair The Contract Start Date refers to the Effective Date of the Agreement, which is the date that the last party signs the Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the Term of the Agreement shall be 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027.

### Procurement Information

This contract is being awarded under Section 41(1)(a) of the Procurement Act 2023, in reliance on the direct award justifications provided for in Paragraph 5 (intellectual property or exclusive rights) and Paragraph 6 (technical reasons) of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023. The contracting authority considers these direct award justifications apply for the following reasons: * The CDUs (control display unit) are an intrinsic part of the services required. In reliance on Paragraph 5, the supplier owns and controls the proprietary rights associated with the CDU, and no other supplier holds those rights or is licensed to exercise them in a manner that would enable them to provide the services. In reliance on Paragraph 6, the supplier holds the technical knowledge to ensure the complete and efficient repair and replacement of the CDUs. The supplier is therefore the only supplier who can provide the required services. * The current generation of radios are an intrinsic part of the services required. In reliance on Paragraph 5, the supplier controls the ultimate product solution, and no other supplier controls the required solution in a manner that would enable them to provide the services. In reliance on Paragraph 6, the supplier holds the technical knowledge to ensure the complete and efficient repair and replacement of the product. The supplier is therefore the only supplier who can provide the required services. * The TSMs (TETRA Security Module) are an intrinsic part of the services required. In reliance on Paragraph 5, the supplier owns the proprietary rights regarding the incorporation of the TSM within the TCS (TETRA Air-to-Ground Communication System), and no other supplier holds those rights or is licensed to exercise them in a manner that would enable them to provide the services. In reliance on Paragraph 6, the supplier has the technical knowledge and processes in place to support the TSM services. The supplier is therefore the only supplier who can provide the required services. * The software updates to the TSM, CDU and the current generation of radio solutions are an intrinsic part of the services. In reliance on Paragraphs 5 and 6, as the supplier controls the proprietary software that sits behind these solutions and holds the exclusive technical knowledge required to develop and deploy updates to it, they are the only supplier who can effectively and completely update the relevant software to ensure the proper functioning of the solutions with the Airwave network. The contracting authority considers there are no reasonable alternatives to the services for the following reasons: * The procurement of the new ESN solution and associated devices which will replace the Airwave network and associated devices is not within the control of the contracting authority, and this procurement has been subject to a number of delays. As a result, the contracting authority must continue to rely on the existing Airwave network and associated devices, and the services to support them, until such time as the new devices become available, and the contracting authority is able to start the process of transitioning to the new devices. * The operational transition to the new ESN solution and associated devices is anticipated to commence in March 2027, and to be completed by December 2029. In 2025, the contracting authority undertook a market analysis exercise to understand potential alternatives available for the required solution. To summarise, the exercise found that the supplier is currently the only supplier who is able to provide the required services, and if the contracting authority were to commence a procurement process to appoint an alternative supplier and a viable alternative solution was identified, a significant lead time would be required for any such supplier to develop the capabilities, expertise and solutions required, and to obtain necessary certifications. As a consequence, the cost, disruption and resource required to run a competitive procurement process and manage a transition to an alternative supplier would be disproportionate given the limited and diminishing duration of the requirement prior to the ESN transition. For these reasons, appointing an alternative supplier is not a reasonable alternative in the circumstances.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024183-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 17 Mar 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 17 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 30 Mar 2026 - 31 Dec 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| 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 | WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY (OR SUCH OTHER SUCCESSOR BODY, COMPANY, ORGANISATION WHO SHALL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY OF THE NATIONAL POLICE AIR SERVICE OR ANY PART OR PARTS THEREOF) |
| Additional buyers | BLUELIGHT COMMERCIAL |
| Locality | LEEDS |
| Post town | Leeds |
| Postcode | LS1 2DE |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CHELTON |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 50 - Repair and maintenance services
- 64 - Postal and telecommunications services

### Codes

- 50333000 - Maintenance services of radio-communications equipment
- 64225000 - Air-to-ground telecommunications services

## Release History

- 17 Mar 2026 at 15:23 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024183-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/024183-2026
  17th March 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-066c85. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066c85.json.