Metropolitan Police Authority seeks £160m Airwave deal

According to a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 11 February, the four year deal includes the supply, delivery and support of tetra-compatible radio terminals for use under Airwave, the communications network used by emergency services in the UK. All public bodies will able to participate in the deal, including central government departments, NHS trusts and local authorities. The contract is divided into three lots, with the first lot involving the purchase, hire, lease and disposal of radio terminals and peripheral equipment. Lot two is for the provision of managed radio services for bodies using the Airwave service, while lot three includes the provision of accessories for radio terminals. On the same day the Ministry of Justice (MJ) published a revised tender for the provision of handheld radio equipment and related services, with the value increased from £3m to £24m. The MoJ's four year deal includes the management of radio communication networks and the supply of radio software. "The contract will cover the supply of handheld radios, accessories, related equipment and services to support mainly English and Welsh prison establishments. The contract will also be accessible to the wider MoJ, its arms length bodies and related non-departmental public bodies," says the notice. "This will include the running of national radio communication networks for the prison service, related bodies and the management of installation projects for new services to various prison establishments." The MoJ said that a single prime contractor will be responsible for the provision of goods and services. This article is published by Guardian Professional.