Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2020-12-08
Buyer: Central Denmark Region
Country: DK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Competitive procedure with negotiation
CPV classification: 60400000: Air transport services | 60424120 | 85141000: Services provided by medical personnel
Estimated value: 170000000 EUR
Submission deadline: 2021-01-12
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: The tender will include four helicopters, pilots and HEMS crew members for the operation of helicopter emergency medical services in Denmark. The contracting authorities will provide the doctors. The detailed terms of the operation of the services appear from draft ‘Contract on the operation of helicopter emergency medical services’, which is included as part of the tender documents. The draft contract is subject to negotiation.
The national Danish HEMS service was established by the five regions of Denmark and provides nationwide coverage using four EC-135 helicopters. The helicopters are staffed with a pilot, a HEMS Crew Member (HCM) and a doctor. The service is primarily dispatched to patients with acute life-threatening illnesses or traumatic injury but is also used for inter-hospital patient transfers in minor scale. The HEMS service is a 24/7 single pilot operation with a HEMS Crew Member.
The four helicopters complete around 4 230 operations/3 341 flight hours a year. The crew utilises NVIS in order to land close to the accident scene at night-time and they use point in space procedures when landing at hospitals in difficult weather-conditions. Roughly 20 percent of the operations are executed using NVIS and around 10 percent include the use of the onboard instruments (IFR).
The four helicopters that constitute the HEMS-service are situated in Saltum on landside, Billund Airport, Ringsted Airfield and Skive on landside. On each location the regions have established a base with accommodation facilities for the crew and a hanger for the helicopter which allows for minor maintenance facilities. The bases are owned by the regions and are made available for the provider free of charge. The bases are designed to ensure rapid response to emergency calls, and therefore — during daytime — the crew can be airborne 4½ minutes after the sound of the alarm.
The contracting authorities have provided basis for submission of parallel bids. Consequently, the tenderers must submit tenders for four small helicopters as well as a parallel tender for two larger helicopters and two small helicopters. In addition, the tenderers must submit tenders for a contract of indefinite duration as well as a fixed-term contract for 10 years.
In the event of more than 3 applicants not excluded from participating in the tender procedure and otherwise compliant, the contracting authorities will select the 3-4 tenderers on the basis of the references provided by the applicants as well as the financial capacity in respect of the financial ratios stated for annual revenue, equity, profit/loss before tax and solvency ratio. In this process the contracting authorities will primarily select the tenderers on the basis of the listed relevant references and secondly on the basis of the financial capacity in respect of the financial ratios.
When evaluating the applicants’ references, importance will be attached to the quality and the relevance of the references, including that the references are comparable with the contract tendered for in relation to size and complexity. Great importance will be attached to the applicant having stated references in respect of the applicant’s experience with HEMS with regard to:
In a similar climate/in weather conditions similar to Danish conditions, including in relation to low cloud ceiling, poor visibility and risk of ice formation.
Consequently, the contracting authorities will make an overall evaluation of the applicants who have the best technical and economic capacity and select the tenderers on the basis thereof.
The contracting authorities have an option of extending the number of emergency medical helicopters by two helicopters, from four emergency medical helicopters to six emergency medical helicopters.
The contracting authorities must exercise the option in writing at a notice of no less than 2 years, unless otherwise agreed.
The tender comprise parallel solutions for a contract of indefinite duration including a 10-year period of non-terminability and a fixed-term 10-year contract, respectively. Accordingly, the term of the contract, cf. clause II.2.7) must be read against this background. In addition, the estimated total value stated is expressive of the expected value over a contract term of 10 years.
Applicants are excluded from participating in the tender procedure if they are subject to the grounds for exclusion laid down in ss 135-137 of the Danish Public Procurement Act (udbudsloven).
Applicants must possess a valid AOC (Air Operator Certificate) and be certified in an EASA member state or an associated state. The contracting authorities reserve their right to demand documentation thereof prior to pre-qualification, and the applicants are therefore urged to enclose this documentation with the application.
Applicants are requested to provide the following information which must be provided for each of the three most recent financial years available and having ended:

Eligibility requirements: Applicants are excluded from participating in the tender procedure if they are subject to the grounds for exclusion laid down in ss 135-137 of the Danish Public Procurement Act (udbudsloven). Applicants must possess a valid AOC (Air Operator Certificate) and be certified in an EASA member state or an associated state. The contracting authorities reserve their right to demand documentation thereof prior to pre-qualification, and the applicants are therefore urged to enclose this documentation with the application.

Award value: 170000000