MAIN 2015-2026
-Ministerial Statement
Search and rescue helicopters - News - Department for Transport
-Online publication of process
UK Search & Rescue Helicopter Service - Publications - Department for Transport
-Contract Notice
Service contract - 377518-2011 - TED Tenders Electronic Daily
-Events
Tuesday 10 Jan 2012: "Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate".
BBC News - Key date for search and rescue helicopter bidders
"Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates": not nominated in the notice. Just less than a month later for the Gap contract, so perhaps expect mid to late February. Perhaps the bidders will be known before that date but perhaps not.
GAP 2013-2017
-Ministerial Statement
Search and Rescue Interim Contract - News - Department for Transport
-Contract Notice
Service contract - 225062-2011 - TED Tenders Electronic Daily
-Type of Process
"Accelerated negotiated procedure" resulting form an "Emergency need". The
MCA believed to be still making it up as they go along.
-Events
A contract award is expected to occur this month: January 2012. An announcement is expected through the usual channels of a ministerial statement and a DfT news release. February wouldn't surprise me though.
-Problems
Well, time obviously, since this is an emergency procedure. There are also clues in some quarters that the key techical requirements are similar to the current 2007 contract. (If you have any plans to break your leg, in the extreme north or on the south coast, then try to do it during daylight hours.)
BBC News - Search and rescue contractors face night goggle issue
REGS
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP999.pdf
http://easa.europa.eu/certification/.../JAR-OPS-3.pdf