Defence Online

Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Ref: (2022/S 000-035756/EN)
Nature of contract: Service contract
Procedure: Competitive dialogue
Type of bid required: Global bid

Contract notice
Services

Section I: Contracting authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Official name: Scottish Ambulance Service
Postal address: National Headquarters, Gyle Square, South Gyle Crescent
Town: Edinburgh
Postal code: EH12 9EB
Country: United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 01313140090
Email: danielle.welsh@nhs.scot
Internet address(es):
Main address:
Address of the buyer profile:

I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge,at:
Additional information can be obtained from:
the above mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted:
electronically via:
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Health

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title: National Air Ambulance Service for The Scottish Ambulance Service

Reference number: SAS/2022/639
II.1.2) Main CPV code: 60443000
II.1.3) Type of contract: Services
II.1.4) Short Description: The procurement of a national air ambulance service for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

II.1.6) Information about lots:
The contract is divided into lots: no
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
34710000, 35112000, 35612500, 35613000, 60424120, 60440000, 34711110, 60424110, 34711300, 34711400, 34700000

II.2.3) Place of performance
Nuts code:
Main site or place of performance:
Scotland – National Service

II.2.4) Description of the procurement:
The Scottish Ambulance Service (“the Service”) provides a national air ambulance service to all of Scotland and its islands. This is the only wholly publicly funded air ambulance service in the United Kingdom and provides an invaluable resource to the public of Scotland.
Scotland presents a challenging environment for air ambulance operators. Factors to be considered include:
– Varied terrain.
– Potentially severe weather conditions.
– Longer hours of darkness in winter.
– Limited and varying airport capabilities and hours of operation.
– Future island transport provisions including ferries and airport developments or changes.
– Recognition of the Government targets on sustainability and carbon neutral.
– National planning of specialist services for example thrombectomy and major trauma.
The aims of the procurement are to deliver an innovative, sustainable, resilient and value for money air ambulance service that can respond to changes in service delivery requirements whilst maintaining a high quality care and experience for the patients and public of Scotland.
The future contract is expected to encompass the following elements including but not limited to:
1.The aircraft fleet must be capable of reaching all of Scotland’s population. The rotary aircraft must have 24/7 Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) capability and all aircraft must act as a suitable transport platform for the personnel and equipment associated with our adult, paediatric and neonatal critical care transport and retrieval teams (ScotSTAR).
2. Provision of aircraft hangarage in order to ensure 24/7 availability of aircraft during inclement weather.
3. Provision of maintenance & backup. All planned and reactive maintenance must be carried out in Scotland. Backup aircraft to be provided to the same specification as core aircraft.
4. Provision of 24/7 engineering support.
5. Provision of adequate base facilities for clinical staff. e.g., provision of Ops Room space, lockers and parking facilities etc., In addition, meeting room/training room and overnight accommodation (where necessary) for on-call clinical staff.
6. Provision of air crew member training (e.g., Technical Crew Member training for HEMS).
7.Provision of compliant radio communications system. The aircraft must be capable of compliance with the current Airwave communications system (if this is still in operation at contract commencement), and also compliance with the future Emergency Services Network (ESN) system
8. Provision of on-going monitoring of service provision by way of regular contract monitoring meetings.
9. The Service will provide the clinical staffing. The aircraft, flight crew (pilots), estate & facilities and engineering support will be provided by the successful contractor(s) on a managed service basis.
10. The successful contractor(s) shall support a variety of air ambulance missions; ranging from hospital discharges through to pre-hospital helicopter emergency calls and critical care transfers.
II.2.5) Award criteria

II.2.7) Duration of the contract,framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 84
This contract is subject to renewalyes Description of renewals:optional three year extension (7+3)

II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Maximum number: 6
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: It is intended that the top 6 scoring Economic Operators will be invited to take part in the competitive dialogue. These Economic Operators shall be those that have:
1. Returned a compliant SPD submission
2. Satisfied all the mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds
3. Satisfied all the selection criteria

II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: no
II.2.11) Information about options
Options: no
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:no

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity,including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions:In order to be able to provide the Services, the bidder(s) must have, or must obtain an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) which is issued and regulated by the UK CAA prior to the award of the contract. In the case of a “foreign” entity, that entity must be acceptable to the UK CAA. The issue of an AOC is based on the holder’s Operations Manual which contains details of all of the operating criteria necessary to undertake safe commercial flying operations and part of the AOC documentation will be an Operations Specification (Ops Spec) which includes details of approved aircraft types and the approved operations. In the case of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) a Specific Approval to do this will be Included with the AOC documentation as well as other relevant permissions. Bidder(s) must provide AOC documentation showing approval for all HEMS/Air Ambulance operations.
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure:
Competitive dialogue
IV.1.4) Information about the reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue
Recourse to staged procedure to gradually reduce the number of solutions to be discussed or tenders to be negotiatedIV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement(GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:2022/S 001-689048
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date: 2023-01-19 Local time: 09:00
IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
Date: 2023-02-14
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted:EN

Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence:
This is a recurrent procurement: yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:Contract is for 7 years with a possible 3 years extension.
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information:
Bidders should review all procurement documents attached to this Contract Notice before completing the SPD.
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at
The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at
Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.
The Contracting Authority does not intend to include a sub-contract clause as part of community benefits (as per Section 25 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014) in this contract for the following reason:
Authority will explore other forms of community benefits and will not mandate subcontracting
Per the regs, the authority will explore CB’s via “which is otherwise intended to improve the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the authority’s area in a way additional to the main purpose of the contract in which the requirement is included.”
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see:
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
The specific nature of the community benefits included in this requirement will be detailed in the stage 2 – Invitation to Take Part in Dialogue Document
(SC Ref:716991)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Official name: Edinburgh Sheriff Court
Town: Edinburgh
Country: United Kingdom
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice:2022-12-16