The Ministry of Defence is preparing a contract worth an estimated £37 million to provide additional engineering, logistics and support personnel for the UK’s Support Helicopter Force and Commando Helicopter Force at RAF Odiham, RAF Benson and RNAS Yeovilton, the UK Defence Journal understands.
The pipeline notice published on 28 August sets out an enduring requirement for contracted personnel across aviation engineering, logistics information systems, airworthiness records, supply and other enabling functions where the MOD says military capacity is constrained.
The planned contract is expected to run from 1 November 2027 until 31 October 2032, with an option to extend the arrangement for a further two years to October 2034. Its estimated value is £37 million excluding VAT, or £44.4 million including VAT.
The MOD intends to use a competitive flexible procedure, with publication of the formal tender notice currently expected on 1 December 2026.
The requirement is explicitly linked to pressure on the Service workforce across engineering and logistics functions. The procurement notice states: “There is an enduring requirement for contracted labour and personnel support across aviation engineering, logistics information systems, airworthiness records, supply and enabling functions at RAF Odiham, RAF Benson and RNAS Yeovilton.”
It adds that the contractor will be required to provide suitably qualified and experienced personnel to supplement Service personnel where military capacity is constrained.
The contract is being structured around outputs rather than a fixed number of posts. The MOD says workforce gap information may be used to guide priorities, but the figures will not amount to a guaranteed staffing requirement or workload for the successful supplier.
According to the notice: “This is an output-based personnel support requirement; it does not prescribe fixed posts or transfer the Authority’s responsibility for directing and assuring Defence outputs.”
The work will support both the Support Helicopter Force and Commando Helicopter Force, covering aircraft availability, maintenance throughput, logistics resilience, airworthiness assurance and the wider generation of operational capability.
The Support Helicopter Force includes the RAF’s heavy and medium battlefield lift capability, centred on aircraft operating from bases including RAF Odiham and RAF Benson. The Commando Helicopter Force, based at RNAS Yeovilton, provides aviation support to the Royal Marines and wider littoral operations.
The MOD says the planned contractor support will help it move scarce engineering and logistics resources between requirements as flying programmes, maintenance activity and readiness demands change.
The notice states: “Support shall remain responsive to flying programme requirements, maintenance activity, emergent tasking, readiness cycles, future capability transition and changes in workload across output groups, functions, locations and time.”
No fixed quantity of work is being guaranteed under the proposed arrangement. Historic workload figures and planning assumptions will instead be used as guidance while the contractor responds to changing requirements across the three sites.
The MOD makes that point explicitly in the notice, stating: “The Authority does not guarantee a fixed volume of tasking. Activity assumptions, historic data and annexed output schedules are indicative and shall not be interpreted as guaranteed workload, fixed workforce demand or a prescriptive staffing schedule.”
The procurement covers engineering support services, helicopter repair and maintenance support and wider air transport support services. The notice also identifies the competition as particularly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises.
