Provision for Public Service Obligation Air Services

What the buyer is asking for

Argyll and Bute Council is seeking to appoint a single operator to deliver Public Service Obligation (PSO) Air Services connecting Oban with the islands of Coll, Colonsay and Tiree. The Contract is for a four-year period commencing on 16 September 2027 and ending on 15 September 2031. The Services are intended to provide safe, reliable, resilient and financially sustainable air connectivity for island communities, supporting access to education, healthcare, essential services, employment, tourism and economic development. The successful Operator shall be responsible for the operation, management and delivery of the scheduled air services, including aircraft, crew, maintenance, booking and ticketing arrangements, customer service, marketing, performance reporting and associated operational activities in accordance with the Contract requirements.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• qualityService Proposal54
• qualityCommercial Proposal34
• qualityCommunity Benefits2
• qualityFair Work Practices0
• qualityPrompt Payment Performance0
• price10%

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 42 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

2 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published14 days ago

   23 Oct 2026, 09:50 BST
2. Submission deadlinein 70 days

   15 Jan 2027, 12:00 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender

1. Pipeline or early engagement notice2 Sept 2026, 12:23 BST083024-2026
2. Tender notice23 Oct 2026, 09:50 BST100260-2026