Future Defence Support Services (FDSS)

• Not divided into lots: FDSS will provide commodity procurement, inventory management, warehousing and transportation service for the UK Armed Forces. This scope of activity is already contracted out under many contracts. The Procurement Act 2023 requires contracting authorities to consider lotting as a potential delivery approach. The Authority conducted a comprehensive FDSS Delivery Model Assessment. That assessment included various lotting strategies including a single contract approach. The conclusion of the DMA was that that a single contract offers key benefits in terms of; operational agility and flexibility, consistency of service, reduced contract management overhead on the part of the MOD and better value for money for a one lot approach. On this basis, FDSS will be delivered as a single contract.
• How the procedure runs: The Contract will be procured under the competitive flexible procedure. It is anticipated that the procurement process for the FDSS project will be structured as a multi-stage procurement process consisting of the stages outlined below. a. PSQ Stage The Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) Stage commenced with the publication of this Tender Notice. The PSQ questions and assessment methodology are set out in the PSQ Guidance Document, and on AWARD®. All suppliers who submit a compliant PSQ response (as described in the PSQ Guidance Document, and including checks on whether the supplier is excluded or excludable) and achieve a 'Pass' for all PSQ questions will be invited to the next stage of the procurement process and will be issued with the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN). Any other suppliers who submitted a PSQ response will not be taken through to the Initial Tender Stage of the procurement process and will not participate any further in the FDSS procurement. b.Initial Tender Stage. The ITN will be issued to all suppliers shortlisted following the assessment of their PSQ responses (the "Tenderers"). Following a bidder conference Tenderers will be invited to submit Initial Tenders which will be assessed by the Authority in accordance with the assessment criteria and methodology set out in the ITN. The Authority reserves the right to refine the award criteria during the procurement process to the extent permitted by the Procurement Act 2023. The Authority intends to down-select at Initial Tender stage up to a maximum of 3 Tenderers as described in the ITN. Any other Tenderers who submitted an Initial Tender response will not participate any further in the FDSS procurement. c.Negotiation Stage. Following assessment of Initial Tenders, down selection and the provision of feedback to Tenderers, the Authority will hold a series of negotiation meetings with those down selected Tenderers to discuss any key issues. This Negotiation Stage will continue until the Authority is satisfied that all key issues have been thoroughly discussed and it has decided on its position in relation to those key issues. At that stage, the Authority will close the Negotiation Stage and issue the Invitation to Submit Final Tenders (ISFT). d.ISFT Stage. Once the Authority has closed the Negotiation Stage, Tenderers will be invited to submit Final Tenders through the issue of the ISFT. Final Tenders will be evaluated in accordance with the assessment criteria and methodology set out in the ISFT to identify the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT). e. Approvals and award stage. Subject to final Authority approvals, and a mandatory standstill period, the Tenderer offering the MAT in their Final Tender will be awarded the Contract.

CPV: Air transport services · Basic metals · Cargo handling and storage services · Chemical products · Cleaning and polishing products · Clothing, footwear, luggage articles and accessories · Command and control system, printing, graphics, office automation and information-processing equipment · Construction materials and associated items · Cooling and ventilation equipment · Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting · Emergency and security equipment · Food, beverages, tobacco and related products · +26 more

Procedure method

Competitive flexible procedure

Legal basis

UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023

Procurement category

Services

Notice status

Closed

Procurement threshold

Above threshold (FTS publication)

Regulatory regime

Defence & security

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Competitive procedure

GPA / WTO covered

Unspecified in notice

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

23 May 2025, 13:41 BST

Last source update

20 Nov 2025, 16:50 GMT

Award evaluation window

Submission end – 5 Oct 2027

Authority reference

708799450

FTS notice number

2025/S 000-075835

Latest notice

Tender notice (UK4)

Classification (CPV)

Air transport servicesBasic metalsCargo handling and storage servicesChemical productsCleaning and polishing productsClothing, footwear, luggage articles and accessoriesCommand and control system, printing, graphics, office automation and information-processing equipmentConstruction materials and associated itemsCooling and ventilation equipmentElectrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting

+28 more

Emergency and security equipmentFood, beverages, tobacco and related products

Delivery area

UK

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-05229e Find a Tender

How it runs

The Contract will be procured under the competitive flexible procedure. It is anticipated that the procurement process for the FDSS project will be structured as a multi-stage procurement process consisting of the stages outlined below.

a. PSQ Stage

The Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) Stage commenced with the publication of this Tender Notice. The PSQ questions and assessment methodology are set out in the PSQ Guidance Document, and on AWARD®. All suppliers who submit a compliant PSQ

response (as described in the PSQ Guidance Document, and including checks on whether the supplier is excluded or excludable) and achieve a 'Pass' for all PSQ questions will be invited to the next stage of the procurement process and will be issued with the Invitation to

Negotiate (ITN). Any other suppliers who submitted a PSQ response will not be taken through to the Initial Tender Stage of the procurement process and will not participate any further in the FDSS procurement.

b.Initial Tender Stage.

The ITN will be issued to all suppliers shortlisted following the assessment of their PSQ responses (the "Tenderers"). Following a bidder conference Tenderers will be invited to submit Initial Tenders which will be assessed by the Authority in accordance with the assessment

criteria and methodology set out in the ITN. The Authority reserves the right to refine the award criteria during the procurement process to the extent permitted by the Procurement Act 2023. The Authority intends to down-select at Initial Tender stage up to a maximum of 3

Tenderers as described in the ITN.

Any other Tenderers who submitted an Initial Tender response will not participate any further in the FDSS procurement.

c.Negotiation Stage.

Following assessment of Initial Tenders, down selection and the provision of feedback to Tenderers, the Authority will hold a series of negotiation meetings with those down selected Tenderers to discuss any key issues. This Negotiation Stage will continue until the Authority is satisfied that all key issues have been thoroughly discussed and it has decided on its position in relation to those key issues. At that stage, the Authority will close the Negotiation Stage and issue the Invitation to Submit Final Tenders (ISFT).

d.ISFT Stage.

Once the Authority has closed the Negotiation Stage, Tenderers will be invited to submit Final Tenders through the issue of the ISFT. Final Tenders will be evaluated in accordance with the assessment criteria and methodology set out in the ISFT to identify the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT).

e. Approvals and award stage.

Subject to final Authority approvals, and a mandatory standstill period, the Tenderer offering the MAT in their Final Tender will be awarded the Contract.

Requests to participate (first stage)

18 Dec 2025, 11:59 GMT

Submission deadline

18 Dec 2025, 11:59 GMT

Clarification deadline

18 Dec 2025, 11:59 GMT

Submission channel

Official e-sourcing portal

Electronic submission

Allowed

Accepted languages

en