Northern Lighthouse Board : Bi-Lateral GLA Aviation Services Project

UK-Edinburgh: Hire of helicopters with crew.
Section I: Contracting Authority
      I.1) Name and addresses
             Northern Lighthouse Board
             84 George Street, Northern Lighthouse Board, Edinburgh, EH2 3DA, United Kingdom
             Tel. +44 1314733131, Email: procurement@nlb.org.uk
             Contact: Northern Lighthouse Board
             Main Address: https://www.nlb.org.uk, Address of the buyer profile: https://www.nlb.org.uk
             NUTS Code: UK
      I.2) Joint procurement
      The contract involves joint procurement: Yes.
      In the case of joint procurement involving different countries, state applicable national procurement law: Not provided       
      The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body: No.
      I.3) Communication
      The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/
      Additional information can be obtained from: address as in Annex A.I:
      Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address       
      Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at:
      I.4) Type of the contracting authority
            Body governed by public law
      I.5) Main activity
            Other activity:

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
      II.1.1) Title: Bi-Lateral GLA Aviation Services Project       
      Reference Number: GLA/HELI/2221
      II.1.2) Main CPV Code:
      60424120 - Hire of helicopters with crew.

      II.1.3) Type of contract: SERVICES
      II.1.4) Short description: The procurement of the Northern Lighthouse Board and the Corporation of Trinity House (together the General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs)) helicopter services support for their Marine Aids to Navigation Strategy to 2037 by providing the means to access and maintain their more remote Aids to Navigation. An effective helicopter service is a vital element in the provision of the GLAs’ service to the mariner: a reliable, efficient and cost-effective network of marine Aids to Navigation. The required outcomes of this contract are:
-A reliable, integrated, passenger andcargo (internal and underslung) service.
-A helicopter service which is able to recover from weather, aircraft technical failure and other disruptions to planned activities
-A service able to respond quickly and efficiently to casualties (light or other navigational aid failures) at any time and in any place in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands.
* Please note this contract is being procured as a Bi-GLA.       
      II.1.5) Estimated total value:
      Value excluding VAT: 67,000,000       
      Currency: GBP
      II.1.6) Information about lots:
      This contract is divided into lots: No       
   
II.2) Description
      
      II.2.2) Additional CPV codes:
      34711500 - Helicopters.
      35612300 - Support helicopters.
      35613000 - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
      60440000 - Aerial and related services.
      34711400 - Special-purpose aircraft.
      
      II.2.3) Place of performance:
      UK UNITED KINGDOM
      
      II.2.4) Description of procurement: Key Requirements:
-Capable of landing on a helipad with a safe loading of four tonnes on a footprint of 250mm x 250mm.
-Capable of operating from the helidecks of the GLA vessels.
Task examples:
- A smaller task would be to carry two technicians with small tools and emergency overnight kit to a lighthouse in the morning and return later the same day; the radius of action is likely to be between 5 and 100 nm.
- A larger task might require twelve workers, their baggage and several tons of underslung material to be carried out in several trips from a vessel close by or an onshore location nearby and brought back a few days or weeks later. In practice there are a wide variety of tasks in terms of size, distance and complexity.
A task may change to include underslung loads at any time Underslung loads represent between 15 and 32% of the operational flying tasks per year (averaging 22%). They are usually flown from a GLA vessel close by or from an accessible point on the nearest mainland to reduce the distance and duration of the operation. The support of building and renovation tasks at lighthouses creates the requirement for a great variety of weights, shapes, sizes, and natures of underslung loads with different aerodynamic characteristics.
The helicopter service will be required throughout the operating areas of the two GLAs (except Gibraltar).
      II.2.5) Award criteria:
            Criteria below
            Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 50
            Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 10
                        
            Cost criterion - Name: Financial / Weighting: 40
                              
      II.2.6) Estimated value:
      Value excluding VAT: 67,000,000       
      Currency: GBP       
      II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system:
      Start: 12/07/2026 / End: 30/11/2039       
      This contract is subject to renewal: No       
      Description of renewals: Not provided
      II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited:
             Envisaged minimum number: 3
            / Maximum number: 6       
      Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: as stated within procurement documents
      II.2.10) Information about variants:
      Variants will be accepted: No
      II.2.11) Information about options:
      Options:       Yes             
      Description of options: Following a period of mobilisation (expected to be from July 2026 to November 2027), the anticipated term of the ASP contract is ten (10) years from the service commencement date (expected to be 1 December 2027) with an option to extend for a further two (2) years
      II.2.12) Information about electronic catalogues:
      Tenders must be presented in the form of electronic catalogues or include an electronic catalogue: 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       
      Identification of the project: Not provided             
      II.2.14) Additional information: The GLA Helicopters are to be twin turbine helicopters equipped, certified and capable of operating single pilot Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations and to operate under Sub-Part HOFO, capable of:
- operating from legacy helidecks of GLA vessels
- operating from sub-1D elevated lantern top helipad
- operating on rough and uneven ground (including ground with bird nesting holes and burrows).       


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:          
      As stated within procurement documents    
      III.1.2) Economic and financial standing          
      Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents       
      List and brief description of selection criteria:       
      Not Provided    
      Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :       
      Not Provided    
      III.1.3) Technical and professional ability    
      Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
      List and brief description of selection criteria:       
      Not Provided      
      Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :          
      Not Provided   
      III.1.5) Information about reserved contracts (if applicable)   
      The contract is reserved to sheltered workshops and economic operators aiming at the social and professional integration of disabled or disadvantaged persons: No       
      The execution of the contract is restricted to the framework of sheltered employment programmes: No    
      
   III.2) Conditions related to the contract
      III.2.1) Information about a particular profession    
      Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision:          
      Not Provided    
      III.2.2) Contract performance conditions       
      Where tenderers are bidding as part of a group of economic operators (e.g a consortium), the GLAs reserve the right to require tenderers to assume a specific legal form for the purpose of the award of the contract (e.g. establishing a special purpose vehicle (SPV)). Where a tenderer relies upon the capacities of other entities with regard to criteria relating to economic and financial standing, the GLAs reserve the right to require that the tenderer and those entities be jointly and severally liable.
The GLAs intend to require the successful tenderer to provide a parent company guarantee/guarantees and/or other form of suitable security (including a performance bond) on terms acceptable to the GLAs. Please refer to the procurement documents for further information.          
      III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
      Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract: No

Section IV: Procedure
   IV.1) Description NEGOTIATED
      IV.1.1) Type of procedure:   
   
   IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system    
         The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement - NO    
         In the case of framework agreements justification for any duration exceeding 4 years: Not Provided    
   IV.1.4) Information about reduction of the number of solutions or tenders during negotiation or dialogue: Yes.
   IV.1.5) Information about negotiation: Yes.
   IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction:
      An electronic auction will be used: No
      Additional information about electronic auction: Not provided
   IV.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: 2024/S 000 - 005884       
      IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
       Date: 03/03/2025
      IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates: 12/05/2025       
      IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English,       
      IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender:
         Duration in month(s): 6
      
      

Section VI: Complementary Information
   VI.1) Information about recurrence
   This is a recurrent procurement: Yes    
   Estimated timing for further notices to be published: 2037
   VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
   Electronic ordering will be used Yes       
   Electronic invoicing will be accepted Yes       
   Electronic payment will be used Yes       
   VI.3) Additional Information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.The GLAs considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the selection criteria set out for the procurement which is set out in the procurement documents.
At this stage of the process, the procurement documents include this Contract Notice, the Selection Questionnaire (SQ) Evaluation criteria and the Memorandum of Information (MoI). It is in each tenderer’s interest to access the information as soon as possible.
All SQ submissions will be evaluated and a short list shall be formed. It is anticipated that the shortlist will consist of up to 6 suppliers who have passed all relevant sections of the SQ and achieved the highest scores in the assessment of scored questions. Only shortlisted suppliers will receive an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN).
The GLAs are not liable for any costs incurred, including in respect of expressing an interest in, submitting an SQ response, tendering for or otherwise participating in this opportunity. The GLAs reserve the right at their absolute discretion and at any time to vary the procurement and to not award a contract and cancel the procurement.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://nlb.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Edinburgh:-Hire-of-helicopters-with-crew./4D48H2YJ6T

To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://nlb.delta-esourcing.com/respond/4D48H2YJ6T
   VI.4) Procedures for review
   VI.4.1) Review body:
             The High Court of Justice
       Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, Wc2A 2LL, United Kingdom
   VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures:
             Northern Lighthouse Board
          Edinburgh, United Kingdom
   VI.4.3) Review procedure
   Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:    
    An economic operator which suffers, or risks suffering, loss or damage attributable to a breach of duty owed under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 may bring proceedings in the High Court.    
   VI.4.4) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained:
          Northern Lighthouse Board
       Edinburgh, United Kingdom
   VI.5) Date Of Dispatch Of This Notice: 31/01/2025

Annex A
   I) Addresses and contact points from which further information can be obtained:
       Northern Lighthouse Board
       84 George Street, Northern Lighthouse Board, Edinburgh, EH2 3DA, United Kingdom
       Tel. +44 1314733131, Email: procurement@nlb.org.uk
       Contact: Angela Cahill
       Main Address: www.nlb.org.uk
       NUTS Code: UK   



   IV) Address of the other contracting authority on behalf of which the contracting authority is purchasing
      Purchased on behalf of other contracting authority details:
      1: Contracting Authority
       The Corporation of Trinity House
       Trinity House, Tower Hill,, London, EC3N 4DH, United Kingdom
       Email: procurement@nlb.org.uk
       Main Address: https://trinityhouse.co.uk
       NUTS Code: UK