Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG
Contact
Jonathan Nicklin
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
National or federal Agency/Office
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Project CAESAR
Reference number
TCA 3/7/1251
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 60443100 - Air-sea rescue services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Channel Aviation Emergency Search and Rescue (CAESAR) contract was implemented in March 2022, at pace, to respond to the rising emergency in the English Channel caused by small boat crossings. The service provides a combination of fixed wing unmanned aircraft to provide a multi-layered operational picture over the Channel which allows His Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG), and other Government operators, to identify vessels in the Channel, and then determine those vessels at most need of rescue in order to prioritise available surface assets and prevent deaths.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £8,404,500
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 35612500 - Search and rescue helicopters
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
- UKJ - South East (England)
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
CAESAR was implemented as a dedicated Channel capability, under the existing UK Search and Rescue Helicopter (UKSARH) service provision, freeing the MCA's Air Surveillance and Verification service, which had been providing a stop-gap interim service, to return to delivering the role it was designed for, whilst providing a structured service which better meet the operational need of HMCG in the English Channel.
The UK Second Generation Search and Rescue Aviation programme (UKSAR2G), which will subsume both current Search and Rescue Helicopter and fixed wing Air Surveillance and Verification contracts, will come into effect between October 2024 and December 2026. However, since the incident data used to inform the UKSAR2G service was based on data up to the end of 2019, and small boat crossings have risen since that data, the data used to inform the UKSAR2G procurement is not reflective of the current demand in the Channel; UKSAR2G service provision cannot meet the national requirement and address the demand in the Channel.
The MCA has commissioned data analysis to test the UKSAR2G model against a more up to date data set (up until the end of 2023), which indicated that the UKSAR2G service cannot also meet the current increased Channel demand. While further work is required to understand how best to quantify and mitigate the shortfall, there remains a pressing and immediate need to ensure that HM Coastguard is sufficiently resourced to respond to incidents in the Channel.
With the current CAESAR contract due to conclude in February 2025, and the need to provide Bristow Helicopters with 4 months-notice of a contract extension, the only achievable and responsible course of action which meets the needs of the MCA is to extend the service as is. A one-year extension will provide time for the MCA to explore the options available with the UKSAR2G service to address any capability gap, in partnership with other Government delivery partners, to ensure the MCA has a cohesive and enduring capability to meet the aerial search and rescue demand of the UK under a single contracted service.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
An extension option for a further year is available should the arrangements that replace the current UKSARH service not be ready in time.
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority
- Additional deliveries by the original supplier
- New works/services, constituting a repetition of existing works/services
Explanation:
The MCA continues to modify the UKSARH contract pursuant to Regulation 72 (1) (c), on the basis that the need for modification has been brought about by circumstances which a diligent contracting authority could not have foreseen.
Migrants crossing the channel, in significant numbers was not an issue the HM Coastguard faced in 2013 when the UKSARH contract was awarded, nor was it anticipated that it would become an issue; the problem is largely unprecedented for the UK and has increased exponentially in a short space of time.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2022/S 000-004732
Section five. Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
1 November 2024
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
BRISTOW HELICOPTERS LIMITED
Redhill Aerodrome, Kings Mill Lane
Redhill
RH1 5JZ
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
The contractor is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Lowest offer: £8,404,500 / Highest offer: £11,000,000 taken into consideration
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The High Court of England and Wales, Royal Courts of Justice
Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom