Norsk Luftambulanse AS belongs to Norsk Luftambulanse. This non-profit foundation has been working for over 40 years in order to provide advanced treatments that save lives. The contract will be worth EUR285m and run for 10 years, with the option to extend it for another four years.
Horten advised Norsk Luftambulanse throughout the entire process of the tender, including the bid for the cancelled tender in January 2022. Norsk Luftambulanse AS has been assisted by Annelouise Dalgaard Pedersen, a partner at Horten, and Sidsel Markussen as an attorney throughout the whole process.
Interview with Sidsel Markussen, Horten :
Tell us about the new contract with Norsk Luftambulanse AS and what it includes.
The contract covers the supply of four helicopters with medical equipment and interior, as well as pilots for HEMS services in Denmark.
Norsk Luftambulanse is also required to work with the contracting authority, the five Danish regions, to improve the HEMS quality continuously throughout the duration of the contract. The Danish national HEMS service is available nationwide and is dispatched primarily to patients who have acute life-threatening illness or trauma. Norsk Luftambulanse, as the current supplier, has been flying medical helicopters in Denmark ever since the establishment in 2014 of the national Danish service for HEMS. The four current helicopters will have completed 4,768 missions in 2021.
What were the most important aspects of the transaction, and how did you and your team address them using their skills and expertise?
The tender included elements that were of special importance to each region, including the training and educational programme for crew members, the flight operational development, and the design of medical interior. In the evaluation of the bids and the awarding the contract, these elements were highlighted. Norsk Luftambulanse is highly knowledgeable about these elements and offers solutions that are of the highest quality.
Norsk Luftambulanse received legal advice throughout the entire procurement process. We had to make sure that Norsk Luftambulanse’s prequalification request and final tender met all of the requirements. Norsk Luftambulanse also had to describe their technical solutions in an appropriate manner, while taking into account the specific requirements of each Region.
The tender was conducted as a negotiation-based tender, and I attended the Regions’ negotiation meeting together with Norsk Luftambulanse. Norsk Luftambulanse was given feedback at the negotiation meeting on certain parts of its initial tender. Norsk Luftambulanse asked me to help them follow up on the feedback they received and incorporate it into their revised and final bid.
Norsk Luftambulanse received legal advice from us throughout the entire procurement process.
I advise that tenderers pay attention to the exact wording of the contracting entities’ requirements and answer them as closely as possible. It is easier for the contracting party to determine whether the solution offered meets the needs. Horten’s experience and insight in the pre-hospital sector allows it to advise on tenders. Norsk Luftambulanse, among others, benefits from this.
Have you faced any significant challenges in the bid process? How did you overcome these challenges?
Norsk Luftambulanse was awarded the contract after a repeat process. Norsk Luftambulanse complained to the Danish Complaints Board for Public Procurement and the Regions cancelled the previous tender. Norsk Luftambulanse contacted us to handle the complaint.
It was initially a unique situation, both for Norsk Luftambulanse, and us as their legal advisor, to be involved in a tender process immediately after winning the complaint against the region. We remained focused on the new bid and on delivering the most competitive tender. We hoped that this new bid would be in Norsk Luftambulanse’s favor, which was fortunately the case.
Norsk Luftambulanse has a very professional approach in operating helicopter services. As a business partner it is a pleasure to work with Norsk Luftambulanse.