The Forest Foundation of São Paulo has chosen the AgustaWestland AW109SP GrandNew after the tender closed for a twin-engined two-pilot six-passenger helicopter. The GrandNew was chosen over the Bell 429 and Eurocopter EC135T2e.

The tender documentation showed that the primary usage will be for an Environmental Recovery Program of the Serra do Mar, the coastal region of a state forest area of over 1,200 square miles. There is also a significant proportion of over-water environmental work to be flown, hence the choice of twin-engined aircraft. The GrandNew will be based at Praia Grande. Finance is being made available by a loan from the Interamerican Development Bank

Bids were opened publically at 9am on October 22nd (minutes of that meeting – in Portuguese – are here). Present were representatives of the companies Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. (represented by TAM Executive Aviation), AgustaWestland and Helibrás, the Brazilian arm of Eurocopter.

Tender prices quoted include one helicopter, plus equipment and accessories and the training of both pilots and engineers. The bids were listed on the meeting minutes as:-

AW109 US$ 7,851,888 (bid was given as Euro 5,818,800, translated at today’s rates)
EC135 US$ 9,053,517 (15.3% over AW price)
B429 US$ 9,550,000 (21.6% over AW price)

MD Helicopters were also represented at the original briefing meeting (see minutes) but no bid was recorded from them at the tender opening meeting.  When the bids were analysed, Bell’s offer was set aside because the Warranty Maintenance Proposal they offered was shorter than required in the tender documentation.  The final evaluation gives the value of the proposals in Brazilian Reals as follows – AW109SP R$17,298,710.52 and EC135T2e R$18,042,226.97, some 4.3% higher than AW.

AgustaWestland need to deliver the aircraft to the customer in under 365 days from contract signature.

See also Fundação Florestal – Governo do Estado de São Paulo

Ben Haverdee – HeliHub.com