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Bulgaria’s Watchdog Will Not Stop Tender For Hiring Medical Helicopters

By  |  February 12, 2023

Bulgaria’s competition authority turned down a request of local company Welink to suspend a 1.76 million euro ($1.88 million) tender for hiring an emergency medical services helicopter under dry lease.

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    The Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC) did not establish during its proceedings that Welink is interested in receiving the public contract and has a legal interest to contest the procedure, the antitrust body said in a ruling on Thursday.

    The tender was launched by state-owned aviation operator Bulgaria Heli Med Services.

    Heli Med’s managing director Georgi Gvozdeykov said in a social media post on Thursday that Welink failed to appear at a hearing to support its complaint against the tender procedure.

    Gvozdeykov said in January that the tender attracted offers from two companies – Belgian airline operator Heliventure FTO and Slovakia’s Air Transport Trading.

    Last week, the CPC also turned down a complaint of US aerospace manufacturer Bell Textron against a parallel procedure of the Bulgarian health ministry for the purchase of six medical service helicopters through direct negotiations with Italian aerospace and defence company Leonardo.