Find a TenderOpen for tender Tender notice
Published 29 Sept 2026, 10:48 BST

Official UK procurement notice

003626 - Provision of Manned Security Guard Services at Aycliffe Secure Centre

Authority: Durham County Council (Local council)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdLight touch regimeSME suitable
Published estimate£900,000≈ £450k / year · £1,080,000 inc. VAT
Submission deadline 15 Oct 202610:00 BST · 15d 22h left
Clarification cut-off 7 Oct 202612:00 BST · questions to the authority
Contract term 2 yrsup to 4 yrs with extensions · starts 1 Feb 2027
Bids per lot · this authority 7CPV 7971 · n=5 · competition analysis ↓

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Council requires a Security Provider to deliver manned security guard services at Aycliffe Secure Centre. Aycliffe Secure Centre is registered to provide care and education for up to 34 vulnerable and complex male and female young people, aged between 10-18. There is also a Transition Home attached to the secure building which can accommodate up to 4 young people moving from within the Secure Centre to community-based accommodation.

Further details of the requirements are set out in Document 3a. Contract Specification which can be accessed free of charge at www.open-uk.org

CPV: Security services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Lot 1Renewal 2 yrsSMEPublished value£900,000
Contract period: 1 Feb 2027 — 31 Jan 2029 (2 yrs) · up to 4 yrs with extensionsEligibility: SME eligibleDelivery: North EastTurnover guideline: ~£898,769/yr≈ 2× annual value
Value
£900,000 exc. VAT · £1,080,000 inc. VAT
Extensions
The standard service requirements may be subject to change during the Contract Term, including increases or decreases to operational hours, staffing levels, locations, or the nature of the services required. The Supplier shall be required to support the Council in implementing any such changes, whether temporary or permanent. • Where the standard requirement (excluding emergency provision) is increased, the Council more…will provide not less than 14 calendar days notice. • Where the standard requirement is decreased, including any reduction in operational hours and/or staffing levels, the Council will provide not less than 30 calendar days notice. The Supplier acknowledges that service requirements may vary over the Contract Term and shall have no entitlement to compensation, loss of profit, cancellation charges, redundancy costs, standing time costs, or any other additional payment arising solely as a result of a reduction in the services required by the Council. Payment shall only be made for services actually delivered in accordance with the Contract. · 1 x 24 months, subject to performance and requirements review.
79710000 Security services

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published — the tender pack may add more
How bids are scored
Quality: 50%Price: 40%Social value: 10%
Published sub-criteria (4)
  • Undertaking of Services — 25%
  • Contract Management — 25%
  • Price — 40%
  • Social Value — 10%
Published award criteria (4)
  • Social Value — TOMs Calculator
Conditions of participation1
  • Technical & professional ability
    The bidding organisation confirms that their organisation is a part of the SIA Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS). The bidding organisation must be approved for the below licensable activities: • Security Guard *Please note the Council will require that your more…organisation are locatable on the SIA ACS Approved List of Contractors and will not permit subcontracting for this purpose.

Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid

How Durham County Council buys Security services (CPV 7971) — and who usually turns up

Durham County Council’s own published record, next to the North East England market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are kept out: they attract a different number of bids. Whole-market view: Security services (CPV 7971) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Left: this authority. Right: the market where the work is delivered. Bids and award-vs-estimate pairs are per lot, from contested contracts only — direct awards (including PA 2023 transparency notices) report one bid by definition and are left out. On Procurement Act 2023 notices the count is the tenders assessed at the final stage, not every submission received; pairs compare like with like (VAT-exclusive, or VAT-inclusive on both sides). Empty means nothing was published, not filled in from elsewhere.

This authority

Durham County Council

contract notices in 36 months: 9 in CPV 7971 (1 without competition · 1 route not published) · 27 in division 79 (4 without competition · 3 route not published) · 159 in all categories (24 without competition · 41 route not published)

Bids per lot
i

How many companies usually bid for work like this.

Middle value of published bid counts, one per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 5 lots. All 5 lots are from Procurement Act 2023 notices, which count bids assessed.

Nothing is filled in from UK-wide numbers. An empty tile means nothing usable was published.

7CPV 7971 · 36m · n=5 lots
Single-bid lots
i

How often only one company bid.

Share of lots that received exactly one bid, on the same competitions as the bids figure.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 5 lots.

High means a thin market or an incumbent that is hard to beat.

0%CPV 7971 · 36m · n=5 lots
Award vs estimate
i

Do awards for work like this land above or below the estimate.

Estimate against award per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 5 pairs.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

at estimateCPV 7971 · 36m · n=5 pairs
Deadline → award date
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 3 notices.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

21dCPV 7971 · 36m · n=3 notices
Notice updates
i

How often this buyer changes a notice after publishing it.

Middle number of amendments per notice. Deadline extensions and corrections both count.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in all categories, last 24 months: 406 notices.

Last 24 months.

0all categories · 24m · n=406 notices
Awarded without competition
i

How often this buyer awards without a competition.

Direct or limited awards as a share of its notices that say which procedure was used. These routes are legal in defined cases. This is just the record.

Based on this buyer’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 8 notices.

Last 36 months.

13%CPV 7971 · 36m · n=8 notices
Bids per lot robust · n=5
i

How the number of bidders is spread across lots.

Each lot with a published bid count is put in a band: one bid, two to three, four to six, seven or more. Real competitions only.

Based on 5 lots on 3 contested notices · CPV 7971, last 36 months.

  • 1 bid 0%
  • 2–3 0%
  • 4–6 20%
  • 7+ 80%

Middle value 7 · 5 lots on 3 contested notices · CPV 7971.

Winning award vs estimate robust · n=5
i

How often winners come in below, near or above the estimate.

Each lot with both an estimate and an award is placed by how far the award sat from the estimate.

Based on 5 lot pairs · CPV 7971, last 36 months.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

  • Below estimate 0%
  • Within ±2% 100%
  • Above estimate 0%

5 lot pairs · CPV 7971.

The market · delivery region

North East England · Security services (CPV 7971)

contract notices delivered in North East England in 36 months: 47 in CPV 7971 (32 competed, 8 route not published) · 590 in division 79 (369 competed, 107 route not published)

Bids per lot
i

How many companies usually bid for work like this.

Middle value of published bid counts, one per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 17 lots. 11 lots are from Procurement Act 2023 notices (bids assessed, middle 7) and 6 from older notices (bids received, middle 8).

Nothing is filled in from UK-wide numbers. An empty tile means nothing usable was published.

7CPV 7971 · 36m · n=17 lots
Single-bid lots
i

How often only one company bid.

Share of lots that received exactly one bid, on the same competitions as the bids figure.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 17 lots.

High means a thin market or an incumbent that is hard to beat.

0%CPV 7971 · 36m · n=17 lots
Award vs estimate
i

Do awards for work like this land above or below the estimate.

Estimate against award per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 9 pairs.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

at estimateCPV 7971 · 36m · n=9 pairs
Deadline → award date
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 11 notices.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

72dCPV 7971 · 36m · n=11 notices
SME bidders
i

How much of this market goes to small and medium firms.

SME bidders where buyers published the split, otherwise SME winners.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 13 lots.

Last 36 months.

92%CPV 7971 · 36m · n=13 lots
Winners based in the region
i

How much work like this goes to companies based in the delivery region.

Awards in this category delivered here where the winner’s registered address is in the region.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 7971), last 36 months: 23 awards.

Registered address, so a national firm with a local branch counts as outside.

Last 36 months.

65%CPV 7971 · 36m · n=23 awards
Bids per lot robust · n=17
i

How the number of bidders is spread across lots.

Each lot with a published bid count is put in a band: one bid, two to three, four to six, seven or more. Real competitions only.

Based on 17 lots on 15 contested notices · CPV 7971, last 36 months.

  • 1 bid 0%
  • 2–3 6%
  • 4–6 18%
  • 7+ 76%

Middle value 7 · 17 lots on 15 contested notices · CPV 7971.

Winning award vs estimate robust · n=9
i

How often winners come in below, near or above the estimate.

Each lot with both an estimate and an award is placed by how far the award sat from the estimate.

Based on 9 lot pairs · CPV 7971, last 36 months.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

  • Below estimate 11%
  • Within ±2% 78%
  • Above estimate 11%

9 lot pairs · CPV 7971.

robust · n=5
i

Where this tender’s estimate would land if the usual pattern repeats.

We apply the buyer’s usual movement between estimate and award (or the region’s) to the estimate on this notice.

Based on this buyer’s own usual movement over 5 lots (CPV 7971), applied to the £900,000 estimate on this notice.

A benchmark, not a price to bid.

The middle award in Durham County Council (CPV 7971, n=5 pairs) lands at estimate: on this notice’s £900,000 that is about £900,000. Context for a bid, not a recommended price.
Coverage and what to read with care
  • Each tile explains itself. The on a figure says what it is, how it is counted and which scope this notice’s own record came from (class, division, all categories, or the authority’s 24-month row). The two columns are never blended and nothing is filled from a UK-wide figure; an empty tile means the source published nothing usable. Long form: Methodology.
  • Coverage. Roughly 40 % of notices publish a bid count; about half publish an ITL1 delivery location, so the market column reads the authority’s registered region when the notice has none (labelled). About 30 % of award-vs-estimate pairs are exact matches — the buyer published the award at the estimate. n is on every figure; a thin sample is muted, never hidden.
  • “Match” and “relevance” are model scores from the nightly matcher, not published facts. Find a Tender does not publish who is bidding. Never shown: contact details, payment behaviour, or a recommended price.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Open for tender
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Light touch regime
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
29 Sept 2026, 10:48 BST
Last source update
29 Sept 2026, 10:48 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end — 27 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
Authority reference
OPEN20261944
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Security services
Delivery area
North East (UKC14)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f607 Find a Tender

How to participate & submission route

Official notice
Expression of interest (EOI)
—
Tender submission deadline
15 Oct 2026, 10:00 BST
Clarification deadline
7 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release
Tender documents can be accessed free of charge by registering as a supplier on the Open Portal at www.open-uk.org ↗. Submissions must be made via the Open Portal and by the stated deadline.
Published estimate £900,000 excludes VAT (£1,080,000 including VAT).

Timeline

6 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Tender notice published20 days ago
    9 Sept 2026, 17:21 BST
  2. Latest notice publishedjust passed
    29 Sept 2026, 10:48 BST
  3. Clarification questions byin 8 days
    7 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
  4. Submission deadlinein 16 days
    15 Oct 2026, 10:00 BST
  5. Award decision expected byin 29 days
    27 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
  6. Contract startsin 125 days
    1 Feb 2027, 00:00 GMT

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Nothing awarded yet
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Notice history

2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 9 Sept 2026
  1. Tender notice published
    29 Sept 2026, 10:48 BSTUK4
  2. Tender notice published
    9 Sept 2026, 17:21 BSTUK4
Published amendments (1)

Update to ACS Requirements (Question 4.1.2) and extension to tender submission deadline.

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Durham County Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PMPB-8772-VYWM Corten House, Dunholme Close, Durham, North East, DH1 5WB

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Conflict of interest declarationtenderConflict of interest declarationNot published

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender