Official UK procurement notice
118_25 Weather Forecasting Services
Authority: Leicestershire County Council, trading as ESPO (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis ESPO framework provides access to a wide range of weather forecasting services including but not limited to standard winter service, site specific services, training services, optional summer forecast services, and bespoke weather forecasting requirements. All of the suppliers on this framework have been selected for their experience and ability to provide customers with a comprehensive range of services that combine quality and value.
For any additional details please also refer to www.espo.org/weather-forecasting-… ↗
CPV: Meteorological instruments · Weather-forecasting services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Open framework
- Call-offs
- every call-off is a further competition among the appointed suppliers
- Bids received
- 3 bids received · 3 suppliers appointed
- Framework period
- 2 yrs · up to 4 yrs from 1 Oct 2025
- Buyer regions
- UK
- Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
5% of call-off value · Framework percentage fee is calculated based on the invoiced value to the customer by the supplier.
Who may buy through it
As a Centralised procurement authority as defined in the Procurement Act 2023, the Framework is open for use by Public Bodies (defined at www.espo.org/amfile/file/download… ↗) that also fall into one of the following classifications of user throughout all administrative regions of the UK: Local Authorities; Educational Establishments (including Academies); Central Government Departments and Agencies; Police, Fire & Rescue and Coastguard Emergency Services; Registered Charities; Registered Social Landlords; The Corporate Office of the House of Lords, The Corporate Officer of the House of Commons; or any public body established by or under the Scotland Act 1998 or any Act of the Scottish Parliament. Details of general classification of end user establishments and geographical areas are available at: www.espo.org/legal ↗.
Published description of the framework
This Framework will operate via Call-off with competition (further competitive selection process) only.
An eAuction process may be used to award subsequent call-off contracts following the reopening of competition among the parties to the Framework Agreement.
ESPO Trading Limited Second Framework:
ESPO has established a commercial trading company, ESPO Trading Limited, whose target clients are third sector organisations such as national and local charities, public sector mutual organisations and other organisations involved in the delivery of services to or for the public sector. The successful Supplier may be asked to enter into an additional separate framework agreement (the Second Framework) with ESPO Trading Limited on materially similar terms to that found in the tender pack to be entered into by ESPO itself.
Any Second Framework agreement will be a purely commercial agreement and will, for the avoidance of doubt, not be governed by the Procurement Act 2023 or other public procurement legislation. ESPO Trading Limited may enter into the second framework agreement with the successful supplier and make it available to third sector clients who themselves are not required to follow the Procurement Act 2023 or other public procurement legislation. Accordingly, this is provided for tenderers information only.
- Winter Weather Forecasting for Leicestershire County Council & Leicester City Council_26 · Leicestershire County Council · 9 Sept 2026
Notices that name this framework as their framework in the official record. Many call-offs are never published, so this is a floor, not utilisation.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£30,000,000
- Economic & financial standing
Refer to the procurement/tender documents for conditions of participation.
- Technical & professional ability
Refer to the procurement/tender documents for conditions of participation.
What it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
Published sub-criteria (2)
- Non-Price: 70%
- Price: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
- Price
- Non-Price
- Economic & financial standing
Refer to the procurement/tender documents for conditions of participation.
- Technical & professional ability
Refer to the procurement/tender documents for conditions of participation.
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- “118_25 Weather Forecasting Services” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract: each call-off is a further competition, so the pricing contest starts after appointment.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
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
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- As a Centralised procurement authority as defined in the Procurement Act 2023, the Framework is open for use by Public Bodies (defined at https://www.espo.org/amfile/file/download/file/9608/) that also fall into one of the following classifications of user throughout all administrative regions of the UK: Local Authorities; Educational Establishments (including Academies); Central Government Departments and Agencies; Police, Fire & Rescue and Coastguard Emergency Services; Registered Charities; Registered Social Landlords; The Corporate Office of the House of Lords, The Corporate Officer of the House of Commons; or any public body established by or under the Scotland Act 1998 or any Act of the Scottish Parliament. Details of general classification of end user establishments and geographical areas are available at: https://www.espo.org/legal.
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 7 Apr 2025, 12:00 BST
- Last source update
- 17 Dec 2025, 13:33 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 26 Sept 2025
- Authority reference
118_25- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-047585- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area in notice
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-04fdfaFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 11 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 4 Sept 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
- Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
call-off levy · 5% of call-off value · Framework percentage fee is calculated based on the invoiced value to the customer by the supplier.
Please refer to all instructions captured via www.eastmidstenders.org ↗.
Timeline
7 Apr 2025 → 17 Dec 2025 · 11 dates- Planning notice published7 Apr 2025, 12:00 BST
- Market engagement9 May 2025, 23:59 BST
Suppliers will be engaged with via a Request for Information (RFI) survey exercise. The aims of the engagement are:
- To engage with providers in the market
- To obtain views on the procurement process to be used
- To assess the market's capacity to meet ESPO's requirements
- To assess any changes to the market
- To identify any potential risks or challenges in the market
- To determine which social value is relevant to the market
- To ensure the market is prepared for carbon reduction plans to be included as a condition of participation for the procurement
For the purposes of this Preliminary market engagement (PME), please express your interest as follows:
(a) Go to www.eastmidstenders.org ↗; (b) Register (if not already registered on ProContract); (c) Search for tender opportunity '118_25' (via "View Opportunities" from the 'EastMidsTenders' Portal); d) Express an interest.
Once you have expressed an interest, the RFI documentation can be accessed via the Messages area/section of the eProcurement Portal (ProContract / EastMidsTenders - please access the Activity dashboard for this).
In the case of any questions or clarifications relating to this PME, these should also be submitted to ESPO as a Message on the eProcurement Portal (again once an Expression of interest has been completed).
Economic operators should note that this is a preliminary market engagement exercise (and NOT a competitive tender process at this stage). The participation of an economic operator in this preliminary market engagement will not constitute any contractual agreement between the respondent and the Contracting Authority/Client. An economic operator's participation, or lack of participation, in this preliminary market engagement shall not impact the ability of the economic operator to participate in any resulting tender exercise. Economic operators should note that any interest indicated does not constitute a commitment to participate in any future tendering exercise.
- Next notice expected23 May 2025, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published11 Aug 2025, 11:41 BST
- Clarification questions by4 Sept 2025, 17:00 BST
- Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown11 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent398 days ago19 Sept 2025, 00:00 BST
- Award decision expected by390 days ago26 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
- Standstill ends386 days ago30 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts386 days ago1 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published309 days ago17 Dec 2025, 13:33 GMT
Notice history
11 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 7 Apr 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published7 Apr 2025, 12:00 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published11 Aug 2025, 11:41 BSTUK4
- Published value updated11 Aug 2025, 11:41 BST
- Status changed to active11 Aug 2025, 11:41 BST
- Procurement method changed11 Aug 2025, 11:41 BST
- Deadline published: 11 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST11 Aug 2025, 11:41 BST
- Contract award notice published19 Sept 2025, 15:20 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete19 Sept 2025, 15:20 BST
- Contract signature expected1 Oct 2025, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published5 Nov 2025, 11:20 GMTUK7
- Contract details notice published17 Dec 2025, 13:33 GMTUK7
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2025-08: 1 release · 11 Aug 2025
- 2025-04: 1 release · 7 Apr 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTN Europe UK LimitedSME, MetDesk LtdSME, OpenWeatherSME1 Oct 2025 – 30 Sept 2027 · up to 30 Sept 2029Extensions: The framework agreement has the option to extend for up to a further 24 months (under normal circumstances this will either be completed in full or in 12-month periods and is subject to the performance of the framework). The total estimated value captured in this notice includes the option to extend the framework as noted above. | £30,000,000 inc. VAT | 18 Sept 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
118_25 Weather Forecasting Services · DTN Europe UK LimitedSME, MetDesk LtdSME, OpenWeatherSME
- Signed
- 1 Oct 2025
- Value
- £25,000,000
- Period
- 1 Oct 2025 – 30 Sept 2027 · up to 30 Sept 2029 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- The framework agreement has the option to extend for up to a further 24 months (under normal circumstances this will either be completed in full or in 12-month periods and is subject to the performance of the framework). The total estimated value captured in this notice includes the option to extend the framework as noted above.
- Change Addition of the contracts: Framework Agreement plus Schedule 3 - Form of Contract and Call-Off Terms (i.e., contracts being attached within 90 days of signature). THIS IS BEING COMPLETED BY MODIFYING THE ORIGINAL NOTICE THAT WAS PUBLISHED ON FIND A TENDER, USING PROCONTRACT AS THE MECHANISM TO COMPLETE THIS (and with help / guidance from Proactis on this).
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3final-stage tenders | 3 | 0 | — |
Who bid
- wonDTN EUROPE UK LTDSME · Greater London
- wonMETDESK LIMITEDSME · South East England
- wonOPENWEATHER LTD.SME · Greater London
Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
3 commercial parties on the notice- DTN EUROPE UK LTDFramework contractor
- METDESK LIMITEDFramework contractor
- OPENWEATHER LTD.Framework contractor
Official documents & specifications (9)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications To tender (please proceed to step (e) if an Expression of interest has already been completed): (a) Go to https://www.eastmidstenders.org/; (b) Register (if not already registered on ProContract); (c) Search for tender opportunity '118_25' (via "View Opportunities" from the EastM…
- Signed contract 118_25 Framework Agreement
- Signed contract 118_25 Framework Schedule 3 - Form of Contract and Call-Off Terms
- Technical specifications Please refer to the procurement/tender documents (see above for further details including summary instructions on how to access these).
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender