On 27 July 2021, the Government agreed to commence the formal procurement process for a new Coast Guard aviation service. The decision was based on a detailed appraisal and business case prepared in accordance with the Public Spending Code.
The procurement process will will be undertaken in line with the Government Decision of 27 July 2021 and with EU procurement law, most notably European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulation 2019 (Statutory Instrument No. 284/2016.
The project will also follow the governance structures as set out in the Public Spending Code, which will ensure Government approval is sought at key stage gates. The Public Spending Code requires there to be an Approving Authority and a Sponsoring Agency for the appraisal and delivery of public investment projects. For this project, the Government undertakes the role of the Approving Authority under the Code, while the Sponsoring Agency role will be undertaken by the Department of Transport.
The first stage of the process, the release of an Information Memorandum and a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, will be undertaken shortly. This will set out certain criteria to determine which Operators have the capacity to perform the contract. Under stage 2 of the process, the Contracting Authority will issue a request for tenders setting out the minimum requirements and award criteria.
A project team has been assembled which includes expertise in Aviation, Procurement Law, Project Management and Financial advice. The team also includes senior officials from the Coast Guard/Department of Transport. The process is being overseen by an independent external process auditor, who is providing assurances that all is in order from a procurement compliance point of view.
