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Contract Notice

National Air Ambulance Service for The Scottish Ambulance Service

  • First published: 20 July 2022
  • Last modified: 20 July 2022
  • This file may not be fully accessible.

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The buyer is not using this website to administer the notice.

To record your interest or obtain additional information or documents please find instructions within the Full Notice Text. (NOTE: Contract Award Notices and Prior Information Notices do not normally require a response)

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Contents

Summary

OCID:
ocds-h6vhtk-035343
Published by:
Scottish Ambulance Service
Authority ID:
AA20762
Publication date:
20 July 2022
Deadline date:
17 August 2022
Notice type:
Contract Notice
Has documents:
No
Has SPD:
No
Has Carbon Reduction Plan:
N/A

Abstract

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.

Full notice text

Contract notice

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1) Name and addresses

Scottish Ambulance Service

National Headquarters, Gyle Square, South Gyle Crescent

Edinburgh

EH12 9EB

UK

Telephone: +44 01313140090

E-mail: danielle.welsh@nhs.scot

NUTS: UKM

Internet address(es)

Main address: http://www.scottishambulance.com

Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00393

I.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_MainPage.aspx


Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address


Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_MainPage.aspx


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

This 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:

UKM


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

Criteria below:

Quality criterion: Quality Ratio / Weighting: 70%

Cost criterion: Cost Ratio / Weighting: 30%

II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months: 84

This contract is subject to renewal: Yes

Description of renewals:

optional three year extension (7+3)

II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited

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. Submitted a compliant SPD submission

2. Satisfied all the mandatory and discretionary exclusion grounds

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


III.2) Conditions related to the contract

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1) Description

IV.1.1) Type of procedure

Competitive dialogue

IV.1.4) Information about 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 negotiated

IV.1.8) Information about 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: 17/08/2022

Local time: 12:00

IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

Date: 26/09/2022

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

NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=700400.

The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.

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: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/

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:700400)

VI.4) Procedures for review

VI.4.1) Review body

Edinburgh Sheriff Court

Edinburgh

UK

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice

19/07/2022

Coding

Commodity categories

ID Title Parent category
60440000 Aerial and related services Air transport services
34700000 Aircraft and spacecraft Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation
60443000 Air-rescue services Aerial and related services
34711110 Fixed-wing aircrafts Helicopters and aeroplanes
34710000 Helicopters, aeroplanes, spacecraft and other powered aircraft Aircraft and spacecraft
60424110 Hire of fixed-wing aircraft with crew Hire of air transport equipment with crew
60424120 Hire of helicopters with crew Hire of air transport equipment with crew
34711300 Piloted aircraft Helicopters and aeroplanes
35112000 Rescue and emergency equipment Firefighting, rescue and safety equipment
35612500 Search and rescue helicopters Military aircrafts
34711400 Special-purpose aircraft Helicopters and aeroplanes
35613000 Unmanned aerial vehicles Military aircrafts

Delivery locations

ID Description
100 UK - All

Alert region restrictions

The buyer has restricted the alert for this notice to suppliers based in the following regions.

ID Description
There are no alert restrictions for this notice.

About the buyer

Main contact:
danielle.welsh@nhs.scot
Admin contact:
N/a
Technical contact:
N/a
Other contact:
N/a

Further information

Date Details
No further information has been uploaded.

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Rydym yn croesawu galwadau'n Gymraeg.

We welcome calls in Welsh.