Photographic equipment: UK Tenders, Buyers & Competition

CPV 38650000Supplies · classin Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Codes and neighbouring classes

The 8-digit CPV codes notices in this class actually use, and the other classes of the same division

Open tenders in photographic equipment

5 live at the nightly build · soonest deadline first

Who buys

All notices carrying this code · official UK_CA_TYPE where published (NHS bodies are central government authorities), else derived from the authority name

Buyer type
  • Local authorities 22% (30 notices)
  • Central government 18% (24 notices)
  • Education & universities 17% (23 notices)
  • Other public bodies 13% (18 notices)
  • Police, fire & emergency 12% (16 notices)
  • Not classified 19% (26 notices)
Contracting authorityTypeNoticesLast 12 monthsOpen now
Caerphilly County Borough CouncilLocal authorities710
Thames Valley PolicePolice, fire & emergency500
Ministry of DefenceCentral government410
UK Research and InnovationCentral government400
West Yorkshire Combined AuthorityLocal authorities410
UK Atomic Energy AuthorityOther public bodies330
YPOnot classified222
SEVERN TRENT WATER LIMITEDOther public bodies211
APUC LIMITEDnot classified220
AWE PLCnot classified200

103 distinct authorities in total · the ten most active shown.

Where the work is delivered

Delivery regions (ITL1) published on 93 of 145 notices · a notice covering several regions counts in each · competition columns: contracts awarded in the last 36 months, lots delivered in the region

RegionNoticesBids / lotSME winsLocal wins
South East England20 · 22%
Wales (Cymru)19 · 20%
Yorkshire and the Humber17 · 18%
East Midlands14 · 15%
Scotland13 · 14%
Greater London12 · 13%
West Midlands12 · 13%
North East England11 · 12%
East of England11 · 12%
North West England11 · 12%
South West England10 · 11%
Northern Ireland7 · 8%

Local wins = the winner’s registered region is the delivery region. Dashes: fewer than ten observations.

How it is bought

Commercial tool, procedure route and threshold as published on the notice, not a legal-regime claim

Commercial tool
  • Contract 68% (98 notices)
  • Framework 25% (36 notices)
  • Dynamic purchasing system 8% (11 notices)
Procedure route
  • Open 56% (81 notices)
  • Route not published 26% (37 notices)
  • Selective 12% (18 notices)
  • Limited / restricted 6% (9 notices)
Threshold
  • Above threshold 55% (16 notices)
  • Below threshold 45% (13 notices)
Typical tender window30 daysrobust · n=25median, notice to deadline

Competition

Contracts published in the last 36 months (55) · bid counts per lot from award notices · values are net contract awards, framework and DPS ceilings excluded · SME and local status as declared

Bids per lot · n=18
  • 1 bid 22% (4)
  • 2–3 44% (8)
  • 4–6 22% (4)
  • 7 or more 11% (2)
Contract value, net
p25 £145,000median £284,770p75 £962,000
interquartile range of 25 awards · p90 £13,514,985
Typical bids per lot3robust · n=18middle half 2–4
Competed89%robust · n=55open or selective route, no direct-award transparency notice
Bids from SMEs46%robust · n=37of bids on lots publishing an SME split
Awards won by SMEs70%robust · n=20single-supplier awards with a declared scale
Won locally46%robust · n=13winner registered in the delivery region
Abandoned4%robust · n=55cancelled, unsuccessful or terminated without an award
Frameworks & DPS: bidders per lot8robust · n=1835 vehicle procedures · admission to a panel, not a contest

Who wins

Single-supplier active awards with a canonical supplier on notices carrying this code · 111 awards to 81 suppliers · the five most frequent winners hold 32% of contract awards in the last 36 months

Where to submit

E-sourcing portals named in the submission address · 39 of 145 notices name one · each portal page explains registration

Delta eSourcing4 notices · 10%
JAGGAER / BravoSolution4 notices · 10%
Proactis / ProContract4 notices · 10% · 1 open
SAP Ariba2 notices · 5% · 1 open
Atamis Health Family Portal2 notices · 5% · 1 open

Method

What the numbers on this page are and are not

Which notices count?

Every Find a Tender notice that carries a CPV code starting 3865. A notice with several codes counts in each sector it names. Earliest notice 2021; latest 17 Sept 2026.

Competition figures

From the 36-month lot-grain contest statistics: a lot counts where its own CPV codes (or, for single-class notices, the procedure’s) start 3865. Bids per lot come from the award notice’s bid statistics; “competed” means an open or selective route with no direct-award transparency notice; contract values are net, on single-supplier awards, with framework and DPS ceilings excluded. Frameworks and dynamic purchasing systems are reported separately because their “bids” are admissions to a panel.

Why no total value or month-by-month chart?

Sums of notice estimates repeat framework ceilings and mix net with gross. Monthly volumes per sector are not shown yet: the catalogue’s CPV coverage per notice changed in May 2026 (compiled records carry every lot’s codes), so a curve would show the catalogue, not the market.