---
title: "Drone Training, Support & Maintenance"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-066e9a"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-066e9a"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066e9a.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066e9a.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "FORESTRY AND LAND SCOTLAND"
published: "2026-06-08"
---

# Drone Training, Support & Maintenance

Buyer: FORESTRY AND LAND SCOTLAND  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-066e9a

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-066e9a)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066e9a.json)

## Summary

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) completed a procurement process for Drone Training, Support & Maintenance services, awarding the contract to Professional Drone Training Ltd on 8th June 2026. The contracting authority, located in Inverness, UK, sought service providers to assist in managing their expanding drone operations in the Open Category, having determined that future operations present low risk and therefore do not require CAA operational authorisation. The contract, valued at £170,000, falls under the services industry category and involves providing standard operating procedures, flight skills testing, pilot meetings, and drone maintenance over a three-year period with the possibility of a two-year extension. The procurement method was open, indicating a transparent and competitive tender process which began as early as March 2026 and was awarded by June of the same year.

This tender presents significant commercial potential for businesses specialising in technical drone services, particularly those capable of offering comprehensive training, support, and maintenance packages. As FLS aims to increase its drone operations, businesses that possess expertise in aviation certification and GIS integration may find promising opportunities for growth. Firms that can offer bespoke solutions aligned with public service objectives and contribute to environmental management, data services, or related consultancy stand to gain a competitive advantage, particularly if they can demonstrate high service delivery standards and emergency response readiness. Furthermore, adherence to prompt payment practices and fair work initiatives, such as being an Accredited Living Wage Employer, would enhance bid competitiveness.

## Notice

Forestry and Land Scotland (the Purchaser) look after the national forests and land to enhance biodiversity, support tourism, and increase access to the green spaces that will help improve Scotland's physical and mental health and well-being. The Authority also continues to provide vital timber supplies to support a sustainable rural economy. Further information on who the Authority is and what it does can be found here: https://forestryandland.gov.scot/. The Purchaser had a requirement to place a contract with an external Service Provider for the provision of Drone Training, Support & Maintenance services of their drone resource (Pilots & Drones). The Purchaser currently have a number of General Visual Line of Sight Certification (GVC) and A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CoC). We have an accountable manager and a third-party agency who provide support including managing our Operations Manual. However, going forward the Purchaser plan to carry out their future in-house drone operations in the Open Category. This is due to the majority of its drone operations posing no/low risk to people. As such, there is no CAA operational authorisation or Operations Manual required. FLS currently has a total of thirty-three (33) drones, and it is anticipated this will increase over the duration of the contract period. The Purchaser is looking for a Service Provider to deliver the following aims: * Training: provision of A2 CoC with an additional practical, flight skills element. * Support which will take a number of forms: - Be the first point of contact for the Purchasers pilots and prospective pilots with queries relating to drones; - checking contractor documentation and certification; - conducting flight skills tests where judged necessary; - Production of Standard Operating Procedures and support materials; - Attending bi-annual all-pilot meetings; - Emergency support in event of accidents and incidents. * Maintenance: carry out maintenance on the FLS drone fleet. A breakdown of what the Purchaser seeks to achieve through the main aims outlined above is detailed within the tender documentation. Please Note: The principal Service Provider must be a Recognised Assessment Entity (RAE) to be eligible to submit a tender for this opportunity. If your organisation currently holds any Contract, Framework Agreement, or any other Agreement with the Purchaser that involves drone operations (excluding the purchase of drones & hardware), you were not eligible to submit a tender for this opportunity. This includes any persons of significant control within your organisation who may be affiliated to any other organisations who hold any contractual agreements for the provision of drone operations with FLS. Similarly, if you are awarded a contract through this tender process, you will not be eligible to submit tenders for any future opportunities related to drone operations whilst you hold that agreement. The contract will be for a period of thirty-six (36) months (three (3) years) with the option to extend up to an additional twenty-four (24) months (two (2) year).

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Forestry and Land Scotland (the Purchaser) currently have a number of General Visual Line of Sight Certification (GVC) and A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CoC). The Purchaser have an accountable manager and a third-party agency who provide support including managing our Operations Manual. However, going forward the Purchaser plan to carry out their future in-house drone operations in the Open Category. This is due to the majority of its drone operations posing no/low risk to people. As such, there is no CAA operational authorisation or Operations Manual required. The Purchaser currently has a total of thirty-three (33) drones, and it is anticipated this will increase over the duration of the contract period. The Purchaser is looking for a Service Provider to deliver the following aims: * Training: provision of A2 CoC with an additional practical, flight skills element. * Support which will take a number of forms: - Be the first point of contact for the Purchasers pilots and prospective pilots with queries relating to drones; - checking contractor documentation and certification; - conducting flight skills tests where judged necessary; - Production of Standard Operating Procedures and support materials; - Attending bi-annual all-pilot meetings; - Emergency support in event of accidents and incidents. * Maintenance: carry out maintenance on the Purchasers drone fleet. Additional information: Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in Regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Renewal: Initial 36 months (3-years) with the option to extend up to a further 24 months (2-years).

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053804-2026 |
| Notice type | Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 8 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 29 Apr 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 7 Jun 2026 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Summer 2031 |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £150,000 |
| Lots value | £150,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £170,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | FORESTRY AND LAND SCOTLAND |
| Locality | INVERNESS |
| Post town | Inverness |
| Postcode | IV3 8NW |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM2 Highlands and Islands |
| ITL 3 | TLM20 Highlands and Islands |
| Local authority | Highland |
| Electoral ward | Inverness West |
| Westminster constituency | Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire |
| Delivery location | TLM Scotland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | PROFESSIONAL DRONE TRAINING |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment
- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)
- 48 - Software package and information systems
- 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
- 77 - Agricultural, forestry, horticultural, aquacultural and apicultural services
- 80 - Education and training services
- 90 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services

### Codes

- 32210000 - Broadcasting equipment
- 32412100 - Telecommunications network
- 32510000 - Wireless telecommunications system
- 32530000 - Satellite-related communications equipment
- 38115100 - Radar surveillance equipment
- 38126000 - Surface observing apparatus
- 38221000 - Geographic information systems (GIS or equivalent)
- 38290000 - Surveying, hydrographic, oceanographic and hydrological instruments and appliances
- 38821000 - Radio remote-control apparatus
- 48614000 - Data-acquisition system
- 72222300 - Information technology services
- 72227000 - Software integration consultancy services
- 72228000 - Hardware integration consultancy services
- 72254100 - Systems testing services
- 72260000 - Software-related services
- 72300000 - Data services
- 77200000 - Forestry services
- 77300000 - Horticultural services
- 80000000 - Education and training services
- 90711500 - Environmental monitoring other than for construction

## Release History

- 8 Jun 2026 at 12:55 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053804-2026
- 19 Mar 2026 at 10:54 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025042-2026

## Notice URLs

- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000825975
- https://forestryandland.gov.scot
- https://forestryandland.gov.scot/
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA30371
- https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

## 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-066e9a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066e9a.json.