Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice
Published 18 Aug 2025, 12:11 BST

Official UK procurement notice

The Provision of Multi-Engine Pilot Training

Official notice

Authority: Ministry of Defence (Central government)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitable
Sectors: Education & Training (80) Delivery: UK
Published estimate£3,600,000≈ £1.8m / year · £4,320,000 inc. VAT · 1 value update49.3% below final estimate
Submissions closed 27 Feb 2026awarded 10 Apr 2026
Awarded to Leading edge Aviation Ltd2 awards
Contract term 2 yrsends 19 Apr 2028 · up to 19 Apr 2030 with extensions · starts 20 Apr 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) requires a Civilian Aviation Authority (CAA) Approved Training Organisation (ATO) to train up to 22 fixed-wing pilots from April 2026 to March 2028. This training will use two syllabi due to differing input standards and onward training routes:

  • Multi-Engine Crossovers (MEXO). The first, up to 10 trainees, will see training using elements of the modular Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) / Instrument Rating (IR) courses and the Airline Pilot Standard (APS) Multi Crew Cooperation (MCC) Course to achieve the training standard set by the MOD. The MOD is not looking for the award of a Commercial Pilot Licence / Instrument Rating at the end of this training as trainees will not have completed any CAA pre-requisite training courses so will not have met the minimum CAA entry requirements for starting CPL/IR training; this training therefore does not need CAA approval. However, the MOD is looking to achieve a near equivalent CPL/IR skills test standard along with MCC training and some additional training elements not required by the CPL/IR. Trainees will have completed the following military training courses, as a minimum, before arrival with the Contractor: Elementary Flying Training, Fast-Jet Lead-In, and Basic Fast-Jet Training with associated Groundschools. Alternatively, these trainees may be previously qualified military Fast-Jet or Rotary Wing pilots who have been awarded RAF Wings and completed at least one front-line tour with approximately 1000+ total flying hours.
  • Ab-initios. The second, up to 12 trainees, will see training on Single-Engine (SE) aircraft and Multi-Engine (ME) aircraft prior to them undertaking additional training with the military. The SE element should broadly mirror the Private Pilot Licence syllabus which will allow them to gain Pilot in Command experience and focus on Instrument Flying skillsets. This will be followed by a ME syllabus which should build on Instrument Flying techniques as well as teach asymmetric flying skills. In addition, these trainees should also complete the APS MCC Course. The MOD is not looking for the award of any licence upon completion of this course. Trainees will have completed Elementary Flying Training and associated Groundschool.

CPV: Specialist training services · Training programme services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1AwardedRenewal 2 yrsSMEPublished value£3,600,000
Contract period: 20 Apr 2026 – 19 Apr 2028 (2 yrs) · up to 19 Apr 2030 with extensionsValue: £3,600,000 exc. VAT · £4,320,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: UKEligibility: SME eligible
Extensions: Additional optional +1+1 years added to the initial 2 year period at the Authorities discretion.

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)
  • Technical Non-Cost including Social Value: 60%
  • Price: 40%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Price
  • Technical Non-Cost including Social Value: Technical Npn-Cost including Social Value
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
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
18 Aug 2025, 12:11 BST
Last source update
8 May 2026, 14:30 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 30 Mar 2026
Authority reference
715601455
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-006411
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Specialist training servicesTraining programme services
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0589a6 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
27 Feb 2026, 17:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
6 Feb 2026, 12:30 GMT
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Submission via the Defence Sourcing Portal

www.contracts.mod.uk ↗

Timeline

18 Aug 2025 → 8 May 2026 · 11 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    18 Aug 2025, 12:11 BST
  2. Market engagement
    12 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST

    Further instructions are included in the uploaded document - 20250813_715601455 MEPT_PREM

    For information purposes a draft Statement of Requirement (SOR) -

    20250701_715601455_Statement_of_Requirement_MEPT-Expansion_Draft has also been uploaded.

    The closing date and time for resposne to the RFI is 12 September 2025 at 17:30hrs.

  3. Next notice expected397 days ago
    24 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
  4. Tender notice published275 days ago
    24 Jan 2026, 15:45 GMT
  5. Clarification questions by263 days ago
    6 Feb 2026, 12:30 GMT
  6. Submission deadline241 days ago
    27 Feb 2026, 17:00 GMT
  7. Award decision expected by210 days ago
    30 Mar 2026, 23:59 BST
  8. Assessment summaries sent200 days ago
    10 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
  9. Contract starts190 days ago
    20 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
  10. Standstill ends188 days ago
    21 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
  11. Latest notice published171 days ago
    8 May 2026, 14:30 BST

Notice history

12 events · 6 releases on Find a Tender · since 18 Aug 2025
  1. Pipeline notice published
    18 Aug 2025, 12:11 BST
    UK1
  2. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    18 Aug 2025, 13:01 BST
    UK2
  3. Planned procurement notice published
    24 Sept 2025, 11:27 BST
    UK3
  4. Deadline published: 24 Oct 2025, 17:30 BST
    24 Sept 2025, 11:27 BST
  5. Tender notice published
    24 Jan 2026, 15:45 GMT
    UK4
  6. Published value updated to £3,600,000
    24 Jan 2026, 15:45 GMT
    was £4,000,000
  7. Status changed to active
    24 Jan 2026, 15:45 GMT
  8. Deadline moved to 27 Feb 2026, 17:00 GMT
    24 Jan 2026, 15:45 GMT
    +126 days · was 24 Oct 2025, 17:30 BST
  9. Contract award notice published
    10 Apr 2026, 12:26 BST
    UK6
  10. Status changed to complete
    10 Apr 2026, 12:26 BST
  11. Contract signature expected
    27 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
  12. Contract details notice published
    8 May 2026, 14:30 BST
    UK7
Routine re-releases (6)
  • 2025-09: 1 release · 24 Sept 2025
  • 2025-08: 2 releases · 18 Aug 2025, 18 Aug 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 2
Awarded value £1,826,4821 contract exc. VAT · 1 repeated publication of the same award counted once
Bids received 22 from SMEs
Contracts signed 1latest 7 May 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Leading edge Aviation Ltd27 Apr 2026 – 26 Apr 2028 · up to 26 Apr 2030Extensions: This contract can be extended by +1+1 years. The Authority will review and confirm six moths prior to the initial contract end date.£1,826,482same award published again · counted once10 Apr 2026standstill to 21 Apr 2026Standstill
Leading edge Aviation Ltd£1,826,482 †—Awarded

Contracts

  • The Provision of Multi-Engine Pilot Training · Leading edge Aviation Ltd

    Signed
    7 May 2026
    Value
    £1,826,482
    Period
    1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2028 · up to 31 May 2030 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    This contract can be extended by +1+1 year optional extensions. The Authority will review and confirm six months prior to the ebd of the initial contract end date.
    4 agreed KPIs: Course Timelines · Report Timelines · Training …
    • Course Timelines, The Contractor is to complete courses within the allocated time.
    • Report Timelines, The Contractor is to submit the completed End of Course Reports to the MOD within allocated time.
    • Training, The Contractor is to train trainees at a consistent rate of at least three events (flights or simulator events) per week. A failed event counts as a completed event for this metric. Military requirements would offset this metric by one event per day of trainee unavailability.
    • Meetings, Contractor is to attend the Monthly Performance Review Meeting with the requisite information on trainees’ progress.

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
2final-stage tenders20—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Ministry of Defence

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PHVX-4316-ZVGZ RAF High Wycombe, Naphill, South East, HP14 4UEContact name, email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • Leading edge Aviation LtdAwarded supplierGB-COH: 11602620 Airspeed House, London Oxford Airport, South East, OX5 1RAContact email

Official documents & specifications (6)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Planned procurement notice planningPlanned procurement noticeUK3Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender
  • Preliminary market engagement notice planningPreliminary market engagement noticeUK2Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
  • Pipeline notice planningPipeline noticeUK1Pipeline notice on Find a Tender