Airbus and Leonardo have submitted bids to the Slovenian Government under a Ministry of the Interior tender for two EMS helicopters which closed earlier this week.

Leonardo have bid 31.96 million euros to supply two AW169s, while Airbus Helicopters are offering two H145s for 30.36 million euros. Both prices include VAT, according to the national public procurement portal.

The Ministry of the Interior repeated the tender on 14 May after last year’s unsuccessful tender. The original deadline for receiving bids was 16 June, but it was then extended until Monday 23. The public procurement for the purchase and maintenance of two new dedicated helicopters for the implementation of helicopter emergency medical assistance was carried out according to an open procedure. We await the Ministry’s decision in due course after they give the appropriate scrutiny to the two bids.

It it notable that recent law enforcement helicopter acquisitions have been Leonardo AW169s with deliveries in 2019, 2022 and 2023. Picking the same type for EMS work could provide cost-saving synergies for the small eastern European country.