SPARAS – enhancing South Australia’s emergency response and law enforcement aviation capabilities

Our client has been solving shipping, transport, and supply chain challenges for more than 130 years. They have over 16,000 team members across 500 sites worldwide with a network spanning 150 countries supporting more than 20,000 customers.

The Challenge

The State Police, Ambulance, and Rescue Aviation Services (SPARAS) Contract aimed to modernise South Australia’s emergency response and law enforcement aviation capabilities. The project involved a fleet of eight advanced aircraft, including Leonardo AW139 and Bell 429 helicopters, along with Pilatus PC12 NG and Cessna C208B EX fixed-wing aircraft.

Our client needed to present a compelling case for delivering a safe, high-performance, and integrated aviation solution, combining law enforcement, aeromedical, and search-and-rescue operations. To win this 15-year government contract, the proposal had to demonstrate their expertise in fleet management, safety compliance, operational readiness, and sovereign industry collaboration. It also had to clearly show how their solution would offer a reliable, cost-effective, and future-ready aviation capability, ensuring the highest level of emergency response and public safety over the long term.

The Solution

Salentis delivered full bid development and strategic proposal support, driving a seamless, structured process from start to finish. Our approach included:

• Leading a disciplined bid process to align internal teams and external partners, while meeting all South Australian Government procurement requirements.
• Crafting a tailored strategy that positioned the client’s technical strengths, readiness, and value-for-money offer.
• Developing clear and persuasive technical content highlighting fleet management capability, safety protocols, sovereign industry partnerships, and innovative training solutions.
• Designing impactful visuals, including infographics, fleet schematics, and operational workflows to bring key themes to life.
• Ensuring strict compliance with the South Australian Government procurement frameworks, aviation safety standards, and contractual obligations.
• Delivering a polished, professional proposal with consistent formatting and strong visual presentation.
• Facilitating iterative color reviews to refine messaging, sharpen win themes, and ensure alignment with government evaluation criteria.
• Supporting post-award implementation by helping develop operational documentation, ensuring a smooth transition, full regulatory compliance, and day-one readiness.

Salentis’ structured and collaborative bid process led to a high-quality, competitive proposal that positioned our client as the trusted partner for SPARAS. The submission clearly demonstrated their capability across fleet operations, emergency aviation services, and sovereign partnerships.

The Impact

Our client secured the 15-year SPARAS contract delivering cost-effective, advanced aeromedical, law enforcement, and search-and-rescue services across South Australia.

Article published: August 2025