Maritime Surveillance Aircraft

Tender description

Defra on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (the Authority) acting through the Department for Transport is seeking to appoint a supplier to monitor the maritime environment around the UK. The Authority has a responsibility for conducting monitoring activities within the United Kingdom Counter Pollution Zone, relevant territorial waters, the UK Continental Shelf (north of Latitude 56 degrees North) and within the waters of England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The full specification of this procurement includes the services previously managed independently by the Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA) whose functions will be subsumed into the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) from 1 April 2010 and those managed independently by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) acting on their own behalf and that of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The key means of monitoring for the Authority, MFA & DECC is aerial surveillance. Furthermore the primary response to a pollution incident is through the use of dispersants. The Authority is looking to award a new contract for aerial surveillance and dispersant spraying. The aim of this procurement activity is to: • Deliver better value for money to the UK tax payer; and • Procure a single sustainable contract that minimises environmental impact. The new contract will be managed by MCA. Relationships with MMO and DECC will be managed through formalised Service Level Agreements (SLA). Day to day operational management will be conducted by MMO in liaison with MCA & DECC The procurement will cover two separate lots: • Lot 1 - Maritime Aerial Surveillance • Lot 2 - Oil Dispersant Spray The contract will be for a period of 8 years with the option of 2 possible 2 year extensions.