Official UK procurement notice
School of Biology/SMRU: Helicopter for August Aerial Surveys of Seals in Scotland
Authority: University of St Andrews (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionHelicopter 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 publishedLot #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
What it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
Published sub-criteria (2)
- Quality: 60%
- Cost: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality: 60
- Cost: 40
- Suitability
AS detailed in Tender Documents.
- Technical & professional ability
Please see Tender Documents.
- Staff
- Names and qualifications of delivery staff must be submitted
- 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)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ae67Find a Tender
- Electronic trading
- e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
- Performance terms
Please see Tender Documents.
- 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 noticeTender 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
Timeline
8 Jul 2026 → 10 Aug 2026 · 3 dates- Submission deadline105 days ago8 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
- Bids opened105 days ago8 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
- Notice published72 days ago10 Aug 2026, 16:36 BST
Notice history
1 event · 2 releases on Find a Tender- Status changed to complete10 Aug 2026, 16:36 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2bids · 2 electronic · 2 from abroad | 2 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Dundee Sheriff CourtReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- PDG HelicoptersAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Economic and financial selection criteria
- Technical selection criteria