MCA - Maritime and Coastguard Agency · Awarded contract
Awarded

Award of Project CAESAR Search and Rescue Aviation Contract to Bristow Helicopters Limited

Awarded 01 Mar 2025

View live tenders
Awarded01 Mar 2025
Value£8,404,500.00
SupplierBRISTOW HELICOPTERS LIMITED
AgencyMCA - Maritime and Coastguard Agency
RegionSouth East
CategoryPublic Safety & Security
Ended 8mo ago12mo term
Awarded 1 Mar 2025Expired 28 Feb 2026

About

MCA - Maritime and Coastguard Agency awarded a contract to BRISTOW HELICOPTERS LIMITED for Project CAESAR, a Channel Aviation Emergency Search and Rescue capability.

Implemented in March 2022, the service provides fixed-wing unmanned aircraft to deliver a multi-layered operational picture over the English Channel, enabling His Majesty's Coastguard and other government operators to identify vessels and prioritise those most in need of rescue, thereby preventing deaths.

The contract was valued at £8,404,500.

CAESAR operates under the existing UK Search and Rescue Helicopter service provision, freeing the MCA's Air Surveillance and Verification service to return to its designed role.

The UK Second Generation Search and Rescue Aviation programme (UKSAR2G) will subsume current helicopter and fixed-wing contracts between October 2024 and December 2026, but data analysis up to the end of 2023 indicated that UKSAR2G cannot meet the increased Channel demand.

Similar open tenders12

RAF Falcons — UK Light Aircraft and Pilot Services for Parachute Display Team (1 Mar 2027–28 Feb 2030)Defense & Aerospace
03 Dec 2026
Archaeological Assessment Services for Marine Protection in England (Apr 2027–Mar 2029)Arts & Culture
30 Nov 2026
MCA Dynamic Market for Technical and Advisory Services for Maritime, Offshore Energy and Pollution ResponseConsultancy & Legal
26 Oct 2029
Supply of Hand-Deployable Small AUV with Biogeochemical Sensors for Water Quality Monitoring – Cefas Lowestoft (Delivery w/c 15 Mar 2027)Energy & Environment
16 Nov 2026
Next‑Generation Strategic ATI for Global Aeromedical Evacuation (UK MOD)Defense & Aerospace
14 Dec 2026
Operational Support for the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters – UK Space AgencyDefense & Aerospace
11 Nov 2026
Replacement Firefighting Helmet with Integrated Communications for Royal Navy VesselsDefense & Aerospace
06 Nov 2026
Counter-Uncrewed Systems (C-UxS) Framework Agreement – UK Ministry of DefenceDefense & Aerospace
01 Apr 2027
Lightweight x-ray capabilityDefense & Aerospace
31 Mar 2030
Habitat Improvement Works Using Truxor Amphibious Vehicle – DAERA (NIEA) & DfI RiversEnergy & Environment
06 Nov 2026
Testing and Evaluation of Counter-UAS Systems in Prison EnvironmentsPublic Safety & Security
06 Nov 2026
703340450 - Procurement and In-Service Support of Man-Portable Digital X Ray SystemDefense & Aerospace
25 Sep 2029

Other similar contracts12

Award of UKSAR2G Search and Rescue Aviation Services to Bristow HelicoptersDefense & AerospaceBristow Helicopters Limited
$1,959,355,159
Evaluation of UKSAR2G Aviation Service Phase 1 for MCAConsultancy & LegalICF Consulting Services Limited
$152,210
Post-Implementation Review and Support for UK SAR Helicopter ServiceConsultancy & LegalQINETIQ GROUP PLC
$150,000
Installation of Modified Curtis Wright Fortress CVFDR Video Recording Equipment on 21 MCA SAR HelicoptersDefense & AerospaceBristow Helicopters Ltd
$4,235,967
Production of S92 Promotional Film for HM Coastguard Search and RescueArts & CultureGLASGOWS LIMITED
$19,950
3D Modelling and Data Analysis for MCA SAR-H and UKSAR2G StrategyConsultancy & LegalQinetiq Ltd
$160,000
SARIS Search Planning Support for HM CoastguardPublic Safety & SecurityBMT UK2 Ltd
$175,000
Stakeholder Engagement Consultancy for UKSAR Helicopter Programme Future Service DesignConsultancy & LegalERNST & YOUNG GLOBAL LIMITED
$100,058
Extension of 3D Modelling Contract for MCA SAR-H and UKSAR2G AnalysisConsultancy & LegalQinetiq Ltd
$18,296
Development and Hosting of UK Search & Rescue Website by Zaltek LimitedIT & SoftwareZaltek Limited
$53,850
Supply of Water Safety and Rescue Equipment to HM CoastguardPublic Safety & SecurityData (Southern) Enterprises Limited (DS Medical)
$600,000
Provision of Aerial Dispersant Spray Service for Maritime and Coastguard AgencyPublic Safety & Security2Excel Aviation,Oil Spill Response Limited
$1,800,000

Unlock the full platform.

7 days free, then £36/GBP per month. Cancel anytime.

What you get

Find

Find public safety and security tenders in South East in one place.

We monitor central, devolved and local government portals in near real time and update the feed as tenders are published, so you check one place instead of many.

Search by keyword, or describe your workType a keyword, or switch to AI search and say what your business does.
Narrow it downFilter by category, region and area, or view open tenders on a map.

Alerts

Open tenders like this contract, sent to you.

Tell us what you are looking for and we email you when a matching tender is published.

Set it up your wayUse keywords, a description of your work, a location or a distance from a postcode. Up to 10 alerts.
Instant or dailyGet an email when a match is published, or one summary a day.

Assess

Size up a tender in minutes.

Before you open a single document, get the requirements, a likely value and who you would be up against.

Requirements from the documentsWho can bid, mandatory criteria, how it is scored, insurance and key dates, each with its source.
Value and competitionAn estimated value from similar awarded contracts, and the suppliers most likely to bid.

Market

Follow BRISTOW HELICOPTERS LIMITED and get alerts when they win again.

Awarded contracts with the supplier and the value, so you can check prices, spot competitors and find work that is coming back to tender.

Supplier and buyer profilesWhat each one has won or awarded, who they work with, and how that is changing.
Contracts ending soonTerms that finish in the next 12 months, which often go back out to tender.

Pipeline

Track your bids from interested to won.

Save a tender in one click and move it through each stage as you work on it.

Work as a teamInvite colleagues so you work from the same list.
Take it with youExport tenders and matches to CSV.

GovBot

Ask a question in plain English.

Find tenders, look up a supplier, or check who won a contract. Just type what you need.

Get started

Get public safety and security tenders in South East by email.

Find the tender, size it up and track the bid, in one place.

7 days free, then £36/GBP per month

Have a question? message us →

7 Day Free Trial

The Gov procurement market in your hands. Cancel anytime.

Save up to 30%
Pro
For solo operators
£36/ month
Billed monthly
  • Live feed of gov tenders & contracts
  • AI-matched tender recommendations
  • Full search, filters, and watchlists
  • 1 user account
Team
For growing teams
£119/ month
Billed monthly
  • Everything in Pro
  • Up to 10 team members
  • Shared watchlists & alerts
  • Priority support
Enterprise
For larger organisations
Custom
Tailored to your team
  • Everything in Team
  • Unlimited seats
  • Dedicated account manager
  • Custom integrations & SSO

1400+ businesses have joined GovMarket

IBMKPMGEYRSMBechtelFreyssinet

You're In — Free Trial Activated

You now have full access to GovMarket Premium for 7 days. You’ll be charged at the end of the trial unless you cancel.

  • Tell Us What You Do — We'll surface the tenders that are most relevant to your business.