---
title: "Aircraft Refueling during Antarctic flying seasons 2026-27"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-07880a"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07880a"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07880a.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07880a.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION"
published: "2026-10-16"
---

# Aircraft Refueling during Antarctic flying seasons 2026-27

Buyer: UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-07880a

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## Summary

UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) procured aircraft refuelling for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) during Antarctic flying seasons 2026–27. The requirement is for fuel supply to support aircraft operations in Antarctica, classified as petroleum products, fuel, electricity and other energy sources (CPV 09000000). Delivery is in Antarctica. The procurement is a single-lot requirement, covering aircraft refuelling for BAS rather than a broader aviation or fuel-supply programme.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded to World Fuel Services Europe Ltd. UKRI used a direct award, citing technical reasons and a single supplier’s technical capability. The award date was 14 October 2026 and the contract was signed on 15 October 2026. The contract runs from 28 October 2026 to 28 October 2027. Its value is £800,000 excluding VAT (£960,000 including VAT). The procurement was evaluated and awarded on technical grounds; the published data does not provide further evaluation criteria. The requirement was a single lot, which was identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

For suppliers considering a future Antarctic aircraft-refuelling requirement for BAS, this award demonstrates demand for fuel supply that can support aircraft operations in Antarctica. A credible competitor would need to show it can reliably deliver and provide refuelling services in this remote location and meet the technical requirements that led UKRI to use a direct award on single-supplier technical grounds. The single lot was considered suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, so the requirement was not restricted to large businesses. Relevant experience in fuel logistics for aircraft and the operational capability to support Antarctic flying seasons would be central to demonstrating fitness for this specific work.

## Notice

Aircraft Refueling during Antarctic flying seasons 2026-27 for BAS.

### Procurement Information

Technical reasons

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097934-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details 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 | 16 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Contract period | 28 Oct 2026 - 28 Oct 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £800,000 |
| Contracts value | £800,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION |
| Locality | SWINDON, WILTSHIRE |
| Postcode area | 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 | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | World Fuel Services Europe Ltd |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 09 - Petroleum products, fuel, electricity and other sources of energy

### Codes

- 09000000 - Petroleum products, fuel, electricity and other sources of energy

## Release History

- 16 Oct 2026 at 12:59 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097934-2026
- 15 Oct 2026 at 08:00 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097247-2026
- 15 Oct 2026 at 07:55 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097246-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097934-2026
  16th October 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097247-2026
  15th October 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/097246-2026
  15th October 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- 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-07880a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07880a.json.