Andorra Opens €30K Tender for Santa Coloma Emergency Heliport Upgrades

The Andorran government has opened a national tender valued at €30,000 including IGI to select an engineering firm or specialist tasked with preparing the technical project and, if needed, overseeing construction for upgrades to the emergency heliport at the Santa Coloma firefighters' station.

Approved on 10 June and listed in the Official Bulletin of the Principality (BOPA) on Wednesday, the process is managed by the State Secretariat for Energy Transition, Transport and Mobility's Transport Area. The €30,000 contract covers project drafting and potential on-site direction only, while tender documents estimate the actual upgrade works at €200,000. One outlet has reported a combined total of €230,000 across project and works, though official figures separate the amounts.

Bids must be submitted via the public procurement platform by 17 July, with envelopes scheduled to open on 23 July. The winning bidder will have two months from contract award to deliver the technical project, positioning authorities to review plans ahead of the fourth quarter and move toward any construction phase.

A feasibility study confirms the site's potential as a complementary facility to the future national heliport, offering a backup landing option during disruptions along with support amenities like fuel storage. Planned features centre on a 15-metre-diameter pad suited to medium helicopters such as the H135, H145 or Bell 429, which handle rescues, medical evacuations and aerial tasks. Preliminary steps involve clearing trees and other nearby obstacles to meet safety standards.

Authorities rejected dividing the contract into lots, citing risks to technical execution, added coordination burdens and possible declines in service efficiency. The open national procedure aims to ensure streamlined oversight of the heliport enhancements.