Find a TenderAwarded
Published 5 Jun 2026, 10:55 BST

Official UK procurement notice

School of Biology/SMRU: Helicopter for August Aerial Surveys of Seals in Scotland

Official notice

Authority: University of St Andrews (Education)

ServicesOpen procedureSME suitable
Published estimate£250,000exc. VAT9.3% above published estimate
Submissions closed 8 Jul 2026awarded 31 Jul 2026
Awarded to PDG Helicopters

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Helicopter for August Aerial Surveys of Seals in Scotland

CPV: Hire of aircraft with crew · Hire of helicopters with crew

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1SMRU have developed a technique for surveying seals inhabiting rocky coastlines using…AwardedRenewalPublished value£250,000

SMRU have developed a technique for surveying seals inhabiting rocky coastlines using a thermal imaging camera in a helicopter. The survey equipment that will be used on/in the aircraft is described below under ‘Survey methods & equipment’.

Available survey periods are dictated by “low tide windows”, i.e. local low water occurring in the afternoon, during the harbour seals’ annual moult season in August. Surveys are weather dependent; we cannot survey in moderate or heavy rain as seals are more likely to leave their haul-out sites in very wet conditions.

Over the next three to five years, SMRU is planning to carry out seal surveys around the Scottish coastline, excluding most islands that are over 10km offshore. All surveys will be carried out in August and could require up to a total of approximately 140 hours of engine time (including transit/positioning flights) spread over 30-40 flying days.

Please see tender documents for full requirements. Additional information: All tenders for the University of St Andrews are administered through our eTendering System (InTend).To Express an Interest please go to our tender website at intendhost.co.uk/universityofstandrews ↗

Please note that 'Notes of Interest' placed via PCS (Public Contracts Scotland) are not automatically accepted

Delivery: Scotland · UK-St Andrews
Extensions: Provision for 2 x 12 month extensions subject to annual review.Variant bids: not allowed

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
Quality: 60%Price: 40%
Published sub-criteria (2)
  • Quality: 60%
  • Cost: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Quality: 60
  • Cost: 40
Conditions of participation2
  • Suitability

    AS detailed in Tender Documents.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Please see Tender Documents.

Staff
Names and qualifications of delivery staff must be submitted
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record · publisher note attached
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
5 Jun 2026, 10:55 BST
Last source update
10 Aug 2026, 16:36 BST
Award evaluation window
8 Jul 2026 – …
Authority reference
BIO/050626/CM/SL
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-075904
Classification (CPV)
Hire of aircraft with crewHire of helicopters with crew
Delivery area
Scotland (UKM72)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ae67 Find a Tender
Contract terms
Electronic trading
e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
Performance terms

Please see Tender Documents.

Review and risk notes
Review procedure

The University of St Andrews will incorporate a minimum of 10 calendar day standstill period at the point of information on the award of the contract being communicated to tenderers. This period allows unsuccessful tenderers to seek further debriefing from the contracting authority before the contract is entered into. Applicants have 2 working days from the notification of the award decision to request additional debriefing and that information has to be provided a minimum of 3 working days before the expiry of the standstill period. Such additional information should be requested from The University of St Andrews.

If an appeal regarding the award of contract has not been successfully resolved The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2012 provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rule to take action in the Sheriff Court or Court of Session.

The anticipated review body in such cases would be:

Dundee Sheriff Court

6 West Bell Street

Dundee

DD1 9AD

Telephone: +44 1382 229 961

Anyone bringing court proceedings against the University of St Andrews must inform the University of St Andrews in advance of the alleged breach and its intention to bring proceedings. Any such action must be brought within 15 days of the date on which a decision is sent to them or published to challenge that decision.

Proceedings seeking an ineffectiveness order must be brought within 30 days of the publication of the contract award notice in the OJEU, or 30 days from the date of a decision letter to all tenderers concerned, and any candidates concerned, containing a summary of the reason for the recipient being unsuccessful, otherwise 6 months from the date of entering into the contract or concluding the framework agreement.

Where a contract has not been entered into the Court may, by interim order, suspend the procurement procedure. The court may also set aside a decision or actions taken by the University or order it to amend and document; and/or award damages. However, by express requirement the court may decide not to grant an interim order when the negative consequences of such an order are likely to outweigh the benefits, having regard to a number of considerations.

If the contract has been entered into the Court may, depending on the nature of the breach: make an ineffectiveness order; impose a financial penalty; shorten the duration of the contract; make any other order considered appropriate to address the consequences of ineffectiveness or shortening the duration or the contract; award damages.

Publisher note: All tenders for the University of St Andrews are administered through our eTendering System (InTend).To Express an Interest please go to our tender website at https://intendhost.co.uk/universityofstandrews Please note that 'Notes of Interest' placed via PCS (Public Contracts Scotland) are not automatically accepted (SC Ref:839777)

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: In-tend · Who buys & how to bid on In-tend
Supplier login requiredLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · one account per buying organisation's portal · reCAPTCHA on signup

Tender documents are also served through a separate tool: https://intendhost.co.uk/universityofstandrews ↗

Submission deadline
8 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
{"electronicSubmission"}
Accepted languages
en
Participation fee
document
Bid validity
90 days from the deadline
Bids opened
8 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

8 Jul 2026 → 10 Aug 2026 · 3 dates
  1. Submission deadline105 days ago
    8 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
  2. Bids opened105 days ago
    8 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
  3. Notice published72 days ago
    10 Aug 2026, 16:36 BST

Notice history

1 event · 2 releases on Find a Tender
  1. Status changed to complete
    10 Aug 2026, 16:36 BST

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £273,1351 contract exc. VAT
Bids received 22 from SMEs
Contracts signed 1latest 31 Jul 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
PDG HelicoptersSME£273,135 †—Awarded

Contracts

  • Contract 075904-2026-BIO/050626/CM/SL-1 · PDG HelicoptersSME

    Signed
    31 Jul 2026
    Value
    £273,135
    Status
    active

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
2bids · 2 electronic · 2 from abroad2——

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

University of St Andrews

Contracting authorityEducationBody governed by public lawEducation Walter Bower House, Eden Campus, Guardbridge, Scotland, KY16 0USContact name, email, phone Published organisation website ↗

Dispute resolution & review bodies

  • Dundee Sheriff CourtReview body DundeeContact phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • PDG HelicoptersAwarded supplier The Heliport, Dalcros Ind Est, Inverness, UK, IV2 7XBContact phone

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Economic and financial selection criteriatenderEconomic and financial selection criteria
  • Technical selection criteriatenderTechnical selection criteria