JERSEY is working with Guernsey to secure a new contract for the Channel Islands’ air ambulance service – but there is “no obligation” for the two jurisdictions to award the contract the same supplier.
Business aviation service provider Gama Aviation was awarded the current contracts for air ambulance provision by the Government of Jersey and the Government of Guernsey in 2020 for an initial five-year term.
Both island recently went to tender for a new provider, with applications closing at the end of July.
A spokesperson from Guernsey’s Health and Social Care committee explained that although the current contract is for both islands, the two jurisdictions might go their separate ways when signing the new tender – as they did when looking to sign new ferry contracts last year.
“While HSC is exploring shared opportunities, there is no obligation to make a joint award,” the spokesperson said.
“The procurement process is designed to be flexible, allowing us to award a contract to a single supplier or to two separate suppliers, depending on what best meets the operational and commercial needs of each jurisdiction.”
The Health and Social Care committee spokesperson noted that the procurement process is “no reflection on the current service received but follows best practice to ensure both islands receive best value for money for their taxpayers”.
The tender process begins with a pre-qualification questionnaire which allows interested parties to express their interest and provide preliminary information to assess a potential supplier’s suitability and eligibility before they are invited to subsequent stages of the tendering process.
The Channel Islands ferry tender process began in May last year with the launch of a pan-island tender that collapsed in October when Guernsey revealed that it had decided to appoint Brittany Ferries – incumbent Condor Ferries’ majority owner – as its preferred bidder.
DFDS won the subsequent Jersey-only tender and has signed a 20-year contract to provide freight and passenger services, starting from 28 March.
