January 10 (SeeNews) - The Bulgarian health ministry said that it launched a 135.6 million levs ($74.5 million/69.3 million euro) procedure to purchase six emergency medical services helicopters through direct negotiations with Italian aerospace and defence company Leonardo.
Leonardo, which was the sole bidder in an earlier tender under a terminated public procurement procedure, is expected to revise its original offer, the ministry said in a statement on Monday. The period for direct negotiations expires on January 18.
The decision not to call a new tender, made on Friday, will ensure the necessary speed of procurement so as to guarantee adequate time for the delivery of the first of the six helicopters by the end of 2023, the ministry noted. It added that in light of the cancellation of the tender, additional funding for the purchase could now be provided from the state budget if the current amount proves insufficient.
Bulgaria cancelled the tender in November after Leonardo submitted an offer valued at 123.4 million levs, above the maximum amount of 102.6 million levs set by the ministry, local news outlet Mediapool reported.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)