AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust has published a pending direct award to Gama Aviation for a design document covering installation of replacement communications equipment in Wales Air Ambulance aircraft. The notice links the work to the Airwave network shutdown and transition to the Emergency Services Network.
Published outcomeAward announced, but not yet concluded: the award is pending, its standstill ends on 27 October 2026, and a future signature date is scheduled for 21 December 2026.
Market significanceThis is an above-threshold, direct-award aviation communications-design requirement with a published award value of £338,989.05 excluding VAT (£406,786.86 including VAT).
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
Gama Aviation
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots 1 · 338989.05 GBP · Pending award
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Award 1 names Gama Aviation as supplier, relates to lot 1, has status pending, and states value amount £338,989.05.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice status
99% confidenceContract award notice published; award status pending
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Process display status is awarded and source status is complete; award 1 status is pending.
Procurement route
100% confidenceDirect award
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Tender procurementMethod is direct and procurementMethodDetails is Direct award.
Standstill
100% confidenceEnds 27 October 2026, 23:59:59 UTC
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Award 1 standstillPeriod.endDate is 2026-10-27T23:59:59+00:00.
Future signature milestone
100% confidence21 December 2026 (scheduled)
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Award milestone type futureSignatureDate has dueDate 2026-12-21T23:59:59+00:00 and status scheduled.
Contract period
100% confidence4 January 2027 to 3 January 2028
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Award 1 contractPeriod gives these start and end dates.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value excluding VAT
100% confidence£338,989.05
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Award 1 value.amount is 338989.05 GBP; value.amountGross is separately stated as 406786.86 GBP.
Award value including VAT
100% confidence£406,786.86
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Award 1 value.amountGross is 406786.86 GBP.
Value allocation
98% confidenceSingle published award linked to lot 1
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There is one award, valued in aggregate, and it is related to lot 1.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Award date
100% confidence1 October 2026
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Award 1 date is 2026-10-01T00:00:00+01:00.
Award notice publication
100% confidence16 October 2026
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Award document 098149-2026 datePublished is 2026-10-16T16:08:25+01:00.
Scheduled contract start
100% confidence4 January 2027
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Award 1 contractPeriod.startDate is 2027-01-04T00:00:00+00:00.
Scheduled contract end
100% confidence3 January 2028
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Award 1 contractPeriod.endDate is 2028-01-03T23:59:59+00:00.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
100% confidenceDesign document for installation of new communications equipment in Wales Air Ambulance aircraft
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The tender title and description state that WAST seeks a design document for installation of new aircraft communications equipment.
Operational context
99% confidenceReplacement communications equipment in preparation for Airwave network shutdown and introduction of the Emergency Services Network
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Tender description states Airwave is due to shut down, WAST is responsible for aircraft communications equipment, and replacement is needed for an Emergency Services Network introduction.
Service classifications
100% confidenceRepair and maintenance services; installation services (except software)
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Award item additionalClassifications list CPV 50000000 and CPV 51000000.
Delivery region
100% confidenceWales (UKL)
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Award item deliveryAddresses specifies region UKL.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
100% confidenceDirect award
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Tender states procurementMethod direct and procurementMethodDetails Direct award.
Threshold status
100% confidenceAbove threshold
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Award 1 aboveThreshold is true.
Competition information
99% confidenceNot supplied in the published notice data
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No bidder count, competing suppliers, evaluation scores or award rationale is provided in the supplied fields.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Published contract period
100% confidence4 January 2027 to 3 January 2028
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Award contractPeriod specifies startDate 2027-01-04 and endDate 2028-01-03.
Published duration
98% confidenceApproximately 12 months
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Calculated from the explicit contract period of 4 January 2027 through 3 January 2028.
Signature status
100% confidenceNot evidenced as signed
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The award is pending and the notice lists a scheduled future signature date rather than a completed signature.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceNot supplied in the published notice data
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No extension, option or renewal fields are present in the supplied award data.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
98% confidenceA single pending award covers the published requirement and is linked to one lot
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One award is supplied, with relatedLots [1] and one named supplier.
Market access signal
100% confidenceThe buyer used a direct award rather than a competitive procedure
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Tender procurement method is direct award.
Delivery focus
91% confidenceThe stated scope is design documentation, not an explicitly published aircraft equipment supply or installation contract
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The tender description says WAST is procuring a design document; CPV classifications also reference maintenance and installation services.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award maturity
100% confidencePending award, not a concluded or active contract
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Award status is pending; standstill remains open until 27 October 2026 and signature is only scheduled for 21 December 2026.
Supplier legal-entity verification
100% confidenceNo verified company name or company number is supplied
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Supplier verification is not_applicable and verified_company_name and verified_company_number are null.
Lot detail
100% confidenceLot 1 has no published title, description or separate value
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Lot 1 title, description and value fields are null.
Information not supplied in the published notice
99% confidenceNo bid count, evaluation results, direct-award justification, pricing breakdown, extension terms or signed-contract evidence is provided
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These fields are absent from the supplied notice data.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The award remains pending; the supplied evidence does not establish that a contract has been signed, concluded or started.
- The supplier is named in the notice, but no verified legal company name or company number is supplied in the verification data.
- Lot 1 has no published title, description or individual value.
- Information not supplied in the published notice includes bid counts, evaluation outcomes, direct-award justification, pricing detail, extension options and renewal terms.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Gama AviationWelsh Ambulance Services NHS TrustWales Air Ambulancecommunications equipmentEmergency Services Networkdirect awardaircraft installation design
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who is the named supplier?
Gama Aviation is named as the supplier for the pending award.
What is being procured?
A design document for installing new communications equipment in Wales Air Ambulance aircraft.
Has the contract been signed?
No signed contract is evidenced. The award is pending, with a future signature date scheduled for 21 December 2026.
What is the published award value?
£338,989.05 excluding VAT, with £406,786.86 including VAT stated in the award data.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.