Official UK procurement notice
Live Fire Training Building
Authority: East Sussex Fire Authority (Police & fire)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionEast Sussex Fire Authority (ESFA) on behalf of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service require to replace their Live Fire Training Building situated on our Training Centre site in Maresfield East Sussex.
Our intention is to replace essentially what we have now on a like for like basis but taking into account some design changes identified that will improve both flexibility in use and reduce the impact we have on the environment.
The response to the Preliminary Market Engagement exercise seemed to indicate that we may not be able to achieve our aim of having a single supplier who will work with us to finalise the design then build it from start to finish. This would be our preference to avoid system integration issues and to be working with a single supplier responsible for everything.
As a result this tender will allow for tenders from suppliers who can provide the end to end product but if we are correct in this niche market that may not be achievable, we will allow bids from suppliers who can only supply the training systems along with the smoke scrubber plant (with ongoing maintenance for a period to be agreed after completion) and separately will allow bids from suppliers who can only supply the building units in and onto which the plant and systems will be integrated.
Whilst we may consider alternative approaches, like a steel framed metal structure, we believe a container-based solution is likely to be all that we can afford and of which, we have a lot of experience being the basis of the current unit and against which our current design is based.
This Tender will be managed electronically via the In-Tend Portal. It can be reached via: sell2.in-tend.co.uk/blpd/home ↗.
Contractors need to be registered to use the portal and registered against us as a Contracting Entity, but registration is free and further information on how this is achieved, can be found at: sell2.in-tend.co.uk/blpd/register ↗. If you are unsure about your companies registration status, please contact the In-Tend Portals support at: in-tend.co.uk/contact-us/ ↗.
If you have any difficulties with the In-Tend Portal that you are unable to resolve through the Sell2UK helpdesk, please then email [email protected].
CPV: Safety training services · Specialist training services · Technical training services · Training facilities building
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1CancelledPublished value£2,500,000
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)
- Quality and Social Value: 50%
- Price: 50%
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality and Social Value: System technical questions and social value requirements
- Price
- Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
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
- Works
- Notice status
- Cancelled
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 11 Nov 2025, 10:31 GMT
- Last source update
- 11 Sept 2026, 07:57 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 27 Nov 2026
- Authority reference
ESFA2516- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-083391- Latest notice
- Procurement termination notice (UK12)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05de63Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
Will be agreed as part of the contract but is likely to be staged payments with the agreed completion of stages or delivery and installation of goods. Final payment will be made when to unit is fully built, tested and shown fit for purpose.
- Risks
Delay to completion as this unit is required as soon as practically possible. Delivery schedules stated in the tender and subsequently agreed in the contract will be expected to be met.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 9 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
11 Nov 2025 → 1 Feb 2027 · 9 dates- Planning notice published346 days ago11 Nov 2025, 10:31 GMT
- Market engagement311 days ago16 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
Pre-Market Engagement
- Next notice expected256 days ago9 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published50 days ago3 Sept 2026, 11:36 BST
- Latest notice published42 days ago11 Sept 2026, 07:57 BST
- Clarification questions by14 days ago9 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadlineearlier today23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
- Today23 Oct 2026
- Award decision expected byin 35 days27 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 100 days1 Feb 2027
Notice history
8 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 11 Nov 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published11 Nov 2025, 10:31 GMTUK2
- Tender notice published3 Sept 2026, 11:36 BSTUK4
- Published value published: £2,500,0003 Sept 2026, 11:36 BST
- Status changed to active3 Sept 2026, 11:36 BST
- Procurement method changed3 Sept 2026, 11:36 BST
- Deadline published: 23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST3 Sept 2026, 11:36 BST
- Procurement termination notice published11 Sept 2026, 07:57 BSTUK12
- Status changed to cancelled11 Sept 2026, 07:57 BST
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| supplier not published | — | 11 Sept 2026 | CancelledDue to portal constraints, new interested suppliers are being blocked from accessing the ITT and its associated documents in this open tender. We are abandoning this exercise and starting afresh without directly linking the new exercise to the preliminary market engagement that preceded this exercise. The new exercise will be published under the title Live Fire Burning Unit with the same reference ESFA2516. We aim to have that published today (11th September 2026) if we are able to. |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (8)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications Along with the pricing schedule, this document must be completed and submitted by suppliers bidding to provide the training systems and the smoke scrubbing plant only - no structural units or alternate building of any description as an integrated end to end service.
- Bidding documents and specifications This is the full ITT detailing the requirements and providing guidance for the documents that require to be submitted as part of this tender. It does not need to be completed in any way or be submitted as part of your bid. You must submit a Section 6 Pricing Schedule and one of t…
- Bidding documents and specifications Along with the pricing schedule, this document must be completed and submitted by suppliers bidding to only provide the structural steel units.
- Bidding documents and specifications This is the pricing document that has to be submitted by each bidder. It is described fully in Section 6 of the ITT. Suppliers bidding for the whole system have to complete Sections A, B and C. Suppliers bidding for the system and smoke scrubbing plant only must complete Section…
- Bidding documents and specifications Along with the pricing schedule, this document must be completed and submitted by suppliers bidding to provide and end to end service. This is our preference as it provides the lowest risk to system integration and delivery delay.
Notices published for this procedure
- Procurement termination notice Procurement termination 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