--- title: "The Provision of a Design, De-modification & Installation Service for Communication Equipment in Police Rotary and Fixed Wing Aircraft" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ed88" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ed88" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ed88.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ed88.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "West Yorkshire Combined Authority" published: "2026-08-27" --- # The Provision of a Design, De-modification & Installation Service for Communication Equipment in Police Rotary and Fixed Wing Aircraft Buyer: West Yorkshire Combined Authority Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ed88 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ed88) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ed88.json) ## Summary West Yorkshire Combined Authority, acting for the National Police Air Service, is procuring design, de-modification and installation services for communication equipment in police aircraft. The requirement covers a UK Part 21-approved modification to install Government Furnished Equipment: a new Aircraft Communication System supporting the Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme. Suppliers must remove existing TETRA radio equipment and, where applicable, marine-band VHF equipment, then design and install replacement hardware supporting an initial TETRA solution and future Emergency Services Network LTE capability through dual wiring looms and antennae. The work includes approved installation, associated testing and a Certificate of Release to Service. It covers 11 rotary-wing and four fixed-wing aircraft in the United Kingdom, divided into rotary-wing and fixed-wing requirements. The process has reached tender: the buyer invited offers through a competitive flexible procedure, using three stages—initial questionnaire and tender assessment, negotiation of proposed solutions, then final tender assessment. Bids were due electronically by 21 October 2026 at 13:00, with enquiries closing on 7 October 2026 at 17:00. The anticipated contract period is 1 July 2027 to 31 December 2029, with a 12-month extension option; the award decision is due by 2 June 2027 at 23:59. The total estimated value is £6,760,000 excluding VAT (£8,112,000 including VAT). The rotary-wing lot is £5,180,000 excluding VAT (£6,216,000 including VAT); fixed-wing is £1,580,000 excluding VAT (£1,896,000 including VAT). Bidders may bid for either or both lots. Evaluation is 40% price, 50% quality and 10% social value. This opportunity suits aircraft modification and maintenance businesses with UK Part 21 approval and demonstrable capability in integrating, removing and installing aviation communication systems. Relevant experience includes police or other operational aircraft, rotary-wing and fixed-wing platforms, TETRA and marine-band VHF radio equipment, antennae and wiring looms, and transition planning for future LTE-based emergency communications. Suppliers must be able to work across a fleet of 11 rotary-wing and four fixed-wing aircraft, design compliant modifications, complete approved installation and testing, and issue Certificates of Release to Service. The requirement is suitable for a specialist aircraft systems integrator, an approved aviation maintenance organisation, or a consortium combining airworthiness, avionics, radio communications and installation expertise. Bidders can target one aircraft type or both. ## Notice This tender is being published by BlueLight Commercial on behalf of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) who are seeking to award contracts for 'the Provision of a Design, De-modification and Installation Service for Communication Equipment in Police Rotary and Fixed Wing Aircraft.' Scope: The Authority requires a UK Part 21 approved modification that provisions the installation of Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) namely a new Aircraft Communication System (ACS) as part of the Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme (ESMCP). Thereafter, the Authority requires the execution of an approved installation and associated testing of the ACS along with a Certificate of Release to Service (CRS). For the Authority to successfully transition onto the new Emergency Services Network (ESN), the Authority requires the de-modification (removal) of existing TETRA radio equipment and the installation of compatible replacement new hardware that initially supports a new TETRA solution and pre-positions for the future ESN LTE capability via dual wiring looms and antennae. This will provide the Initial Operating Capability (IOC) to ensure continued operational capability during the ESMCP transitional period and compliance with the future ESN requirements. The scope includes the removal of the existing TETRA, and where applicable, marine band VHF radio suite, the design for the installation of the replacement solution; and the subsequent installation of IOC and marine band VHF hardware across the Authority's aircraft fleet. Total aircraft to be modified: Rotary Wing =11 Fixed Wing = 4 This contract is being tendered on behalf of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) who are the contracting authority for NPAS. NPAS is not a separate, incorporated entity and therefore WYCA currently enters into contractual arrangements on behalf of NPAS. The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire is responsible for the operational delivery of NPAS. BlueLight Commercial provides commercial support services to police forces and blue light organisations across England and Wales and has been appointed by WYCA to administer the Procurement. The requirement will be tendered as two separate lots as follows; * Lot 1: Rotary Wing * Lot 2: Fixed Wing Bidders may bid for either one or both lots. BlueLight Commercial reserves the right to refine the award criteria at Stage 3 of this procurement process, in accordance with Section 24 of the Procurement Act 2023. The final award criteria and associated weightings will be published prior to the invitation of final tenders at Stage 3 of the procurement. Refinements to the award criteria may include, but are not limited to: a. adding sub-criteria to those set out in the tender notice/associated tender documents; b. adding more detail to existing main criteria set out in tender notice/associated tender documents; c. adding more detail to existing sub-criteria set out in the tender notice/associated tender documents; d. changing weightings within the pre-existing range as indicated in the table above. The potential range of the Award Criteria weightings are detailed as follows: Price: 40% - 50% Quality: 40% - 50% Social Value: 10% The anticipated contract period will be 1st July 2027 until 31st December 2029 with the option to extend for 12 months. Any changes to this commencement date will be communicated to all Bidders through the 'BlueLight' e-Commercial portal. https://atamis-7459.my.site.com/s/Welcome ### Lot Information Rotary Wing Provision of a Design, De-modification & Installation of Communication Equipment in Police Rotary Wing Aircraft Renewal: 12 months Fixed Wing Provision of a Design, De-modification & Installation of Communication Equipment in Police Fixed Wing Aircraft Renewal: 12 months ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081739-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 27 Aug 2026 | | Submission deadline | 21 Oct 2026 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Jul 2027 - 31 Dec 2029 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £6,760,000 | | Lots value | £6,760,000 | | 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 | West Yorkshire Combined Authority | | Locality | LEEDS | | Postcode area | Leeds | | Postcode | LS1 2DE | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber | | ITL 2 | TLE4 West Yorkshire | | ITL 3 | TLE42 Leeds | | Local authority | Leeds | | Electoral ward | Little London & Woodhouse | | Westminster constituency | Leeds Central and Headingley | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 50 - Repair and maintenance services - 51 - Installation services (except software) ### Codes - 50211100 - Aircraft maintenance services - 51311000 - Installation services of radio equipment ## Release History - 27 Aug 2026 at 12:56 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081739-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081739-2026 27th August 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://atamis-7459.my.site.com/s/Welcome Tender documents are available for download via the portal ## 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-06ed88. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ed88.json.