Open22 days left · closes 1pm, Wednesday 21 October 2026

The Provision of a Design, De-modification & Installation Service for Communication Equipment in Police Rotary and Fixed Wing Aircraft

West Yorkshire Combined Authority · Local authority

In brief

West Yorkshire Combined Authority is looking for suppliers for this contract (UK-wide).

The estimated value is £6,760,000 excluding VAT.

The contract runs for 30 months, up to 42 months with extensions, starting 1 July 2027.

It is split into 2 lots, so a supplier can bid for part of the work.

Bids close at 1pm, Wednesday 21 October 2026.

Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.

Can I win this?

Key dates

Questions by
5pm, Wednesday 7 October 2026
Bids by
1pm, Wednesday 21 October 2026

How bids are scored

Rotary Wing

Social Value 10% · Quality 50% · Price 40%

Quality matters most. You can win without being the cheapest.

Fixed Wing

Quality 50% · Social Value 10% · Price 40%

Quality matters most. You can win without being the cheapest.

Competition

Usually high: a median of 11 bids per contract for this buyer (from 43 awards in the last 12 months).

What the notice says

This tender is being published by BlueLight Commercial on behalf of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) who are seeking to award contracts for 'the Provision of a Design, De-modification and Installation Service for Communication Equipment in Police Rotary and Fixed Wing Aircraft.' Scope: The Authority requires a UK Part 21 approved modification that provisions the installation of Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) namely a new Aircraft Communication System (ACS) as part of the Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme (ESMCP). Thereafter, the Authority requires the execution of an approved installation and associated testing of the ACS along with a Certificate of Release to…Read the full description
This tender is being published by BlueLight Commercial on behalf of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) who are seeking to award contracts for 'the Provision of a Design, De-modification and Installation Service for Communication Equipment in Police Rotary and Fixed Wing Aircraft.' Scope: The Authority requires a UK Part 21 approved modification that provisions the installation of Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) namely a new Aircraft Communication System (ACS) as part of the Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme (ESMCP). Thereafter, the Authority requires the execution of an approved installation and associated testing of the ACS along with a Certificate of Release to Service (CRS). For the Authority to successfully transition onto the new Emergency Services Network (ESN), the Authority requires the de-modification (removal) of existing TETRA radio equipment and the installation of compatible replacement new hardware that initially supports a new TETRA solution and pre-positions for the future ESN LTE capability via dual wiring looms and antennae. This will provide the Initial Operating Capability (IOC) to ensure continued operational capability during the ESMCP transitional period and compliance with the future ESN requirements. The scope includes the removal of the existing TETRA, and where applicable, marine band VHF radio suite, the design for the installation of the replacement solution; and the subsequent installation of IOC and marine band VHF hardware across the Authority’s aircraft fleet. Total aircraft to be modified: Rotary Wing =11 Fixed Wing = 4 This contract is being tendered on behalf of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) who are the contracting authority for NPAS. NPAS is not a separate, incorporated entity and therefore WYCA currently enters into contractual arrangements on behalf of NPAS. The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire is responsible for the operational delivery of NPAS. BlueLight Commercial provides commercial support services to police forces and blue light organisations across England and Wales and has been appointed by WYCA to administer the Procurement. The requirement will be tendered as two separate lots as follows; • Lot 1: Rotary Wing • Lot 2: Fixed Wing Bidders may bid for either one or both lots. BlueLight Commercial reserves the right to refine the award criteria at Stage 3 of this procurement process, in accordance with Section 24 of the Procurement Act 2023. The final award criteria and associated weightings will be published prior to the invitation of final tenders at Stage 3 of the procurement. Refinements to the award criteria may include, but are not limited to: a. adding sub-criteria to those set out in the tender notice/associated tender documents; b. adding more detail to existing main criteria set out in tender notice/associated tender documents; c. adding more detail to existing sub-criteria set out in the tender notice/associated tender documents; d. changing weightings within the pre-existing range as indicated in the table above. The potential range of the Award Criteria weightings are detailed as follows: Price: 40% - 50% Quality: 40% - 50% Social Value: 10% The anticipated contract period will be 1st July 2027 until 31st December 2029 with the option to extend for 12 months. Any changes to this commencement date will be communicated to all Bidders through the ‘BlueLight’ e-Commercial portal. https://atamis-7459.my.site.com/s/Welcome

Should I bid?

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How to bid

  1. Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
  2. Register your organisation on the Central Digital Platform (through Find a Tender) if you have not already. Suppliers need to be registered to take part in procurements under the Procurement Act 2023.
  3. Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.
  4. Send clarification questions before 5pm, Wednesday 7 October 2026.
  5. Make sure your bid arrives before 1pm, Wednesday 21 October 2026. Late bids are usually rejected.

Lots

LotTradeValue
Rotary Wing
1 July 2027 to 31 December 2029
What this lot covers

Provision of a Design, De-modification & Installation of Communication Equipment in Police Rotary Wing Aircraft

—£5,180,000
Fixed Wing
1 July 2027 to 31 December 2029
What this lot covers

Provision of a Design, De-modification & Installation of Communication Equipment in Police Fixed Wing Aircraft

—£1,580,000

Timeline

  1. Tender notice · UK4, notice 081739-2026

About the buyer

From notice 081739-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 27 August 2026. We last checked for changes on 28 September 2026.