March 27 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's transport ministry said on Monday that it opened a 28.3 million levs ($15.5 million/14.5 million euro) tender for the lease of two helicopters and their crews to carry out flights for helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS).
The flights will operate from two state-provided HEMS bases for a period of two years, with a possibility of a one-year extension, the ministry said in a notice published in the public procurement register. Each base will have its own helicopter and qualified crew, including ground personnel.
The helicopters should complete at least 500 hours of flight time within a year, including HEMS flights and transfers to and from other operational bases, the notice added.
Bids in the tender can be submitted until May 4.
Bulgaria's transport minister Hristo Aleksiev said earlier this month that the emergency services would be free of charge for Bulgarian citizens.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)