Aircraft and spacecraft

Tender description

Following the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption in April 2010 the CAA determined that a dedicated aircraft capable of detecting volcanic ash (VA) in the atmosphere and measuring its concentration should be available to help inform the forecasting of the movement and dispersion of ash. The Met Office in conjunction with a third party aircraft operator currently provides the resulting Civil Contingency Aircraft service on behalf of the CAA. Whereby, the aircraft is equipped with specialist atmospheric monitoring equipment, to provide real-time information about the current location of ash, and its concentrations, to the Met Office atmospheric scientists and forecasters. With the existing contract for provision of the aircraft and operating services due to end in 2018, the Met Office is looking to engage the market to understand future operating options, and aircraft capabilities, by way of an expression of interest process, and a supplier open day. The output of this engagement exercise will be to gain an understanding of these operating options, and available aircraft capabilities, the affordability of these options, such that this can form part of the investment case for provision beyond the current contract. The intention thereafter, is that the new contract will be formally tendered to select the future provider, albeit this process will depend on the overall affordability. Due to the nature of instrumentation operated from the Civil Contingency Aircraft, the airframe would need to undergo conversion to deploy external sensors, and an AOC obtained. Hence the need to engage the market as early as possible. Suppliers interested in this provision should respond to the expression of interest activity, and wishing to attend the supplier open day to be held on Tuesday 19.4.2016, should register on the Met Office eTendering Portal (www.tenders.metoffice.gov.uk), and register interest in the Civil Contingency Aircraft opportunity (Ref: A8BE-WF5KOW). This will give access to the expression of interest document, and the Supplier Open Day Registration Form. Expression of Interest period and open day registration will close on Friday 15.4.2016.