Scope
Description
PSNI currently have 2 Eurocopter Helicopters operating from a location in Northern Ireland.
Provision of aerial support is a province wide asset managed by Crime Operations Air
Support Unit.
The direction of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) states that an operator (PSNI) of an
aircraft must have a maintenance agreement in place with suitability licensed suppliers to
provide continuing airworthiness and the respective maintenance services, without these
formal arrangements in place the aircraft would have to be grounded.
The supplier is the original and sole equipment manufacturer of the PSNI aircraft types;
the design is their Intellectual Property and shall not be delegated or licensed to a 3rd party.
The supplier is the Type Certificate Holder for the core aircraft design and it is responsible for defining the aircraft's "build standard, safe operation and maintenance of airworthiness policy". The platform design, qualification data and safety case empowers the supplier to specify the requirements and mandate modifications for all components (includes specialist role equipment) fitted to the core aircraft and mission systems. The supplier is an CAA approved continuing airworthiness management organisation and a BCAR A8-23 authorised helicopter maintenance organisation. They have intellectual proprietary rights to the equipment fitted on the aircraft. The aircraft is used for national security type specific duties and is fitted with specialist surveillance equipment. They have the unique competency to manage mature, high flying rate fleets as the OEM and they are the sole source for providing a single integrated solution, they offer an integrated logistics support utilising their supply chain, access to national stock levels and availability of all specialist tooling. They have existing infrastructure in place for the delivery of this service and have unique knowledge and experience in working with PSNI and their specific operational needs since aircraft entry into service.
Contract 1. PSNI DAC 13/25 - Helicopter Maintenance and Role Equipment
Supplier
Contract value
- £8,285,000 excluding VAT
- £9,942,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Earliest date the contract will be signed
31 January 2026
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2029
- 3 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 50212000 - Repair and maintenance services of helicopters
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Direct award
Direct award justification
- Single supplier - technical reasons
- Single supplier - intellectual property or exclusive rights
All public procurements should comply with Public Procurement Policy (PPP) and Managing Public Money NI. The value of this Direct Award Contract (DAC) (i.e £9,942,000) exceeds the UK Threshold and therefore the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) (as amended) and Procurement Regulations 2024 (PR24) (as amended) apply.
There are direct award justifications provided for under Section 41 and Schedule 5 of the PA23 which permit a Contracting Authority to award a public contract to a single supplier where the supplies or services can only be supplied by a particular supplier, and the following conditions are met: -
(a) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and where
(b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works.
Supplier
Withheld Section94 supplier
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PBXY-3232-WNHZ
Withheld address line 1
Withheld Town
BT3 9ED
United Kingdom
Email: withheldemail@noreply.com
Region: UKN06 - Belfast
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Contract 1. PSNI DAC 13/25 - Helicopter Maintenance and Role Equipment
Contracting authority
Police Service of Northern Ireland
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PJGZ-5912-BTWQ
Seapark 151 Belfast Road
Carrickfergus
BT38 8PL
United Kingdom
Region: UKN0F - Mid and East Antrim
Organisation type: Public authority - central government
Devolved regulations that apply: Northern Ireland
Other organisation
These organisations are carrying out the procurement, or part of it, on behalf of the contracting authorities.
CPD - Supplies & Services Division
Summary of their role in this procurement: Construction and Procurement Delivery - Supplies and Services Division, is a Centre of Procurement Expertise and provides a central procurement function for central government in Northern Ireland
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVWG-8426-YWXV
Clare House, 303 Airport Road West
Belfast
BT3 9ED
United Kingdom
Region: UKN06 - Belfast