Find a TenderClosedTender notice
Published 11 Sept 2026, 09:12 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Live Fire Training Unit · UK public procurement notice

Official notice

Authority: East Sussex Fire Authority (Police & fire)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove threshold
Published estimate£2,000,000≈ £1.5m / year · £2,400,000 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 23 Oct 2026
Contract term 1 yr 4 moends 31 Mar 2028 · starts 15 Dec 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

East 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.

This exercise is being created to replace the previous exercise called Live Fire Training Building (but with the same reference number) as we ran into portal constraints that blocked this being an open tender open to all new interested parties. To do so we had to cease the previous exercise and commence a new one.

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. We have a fairly clear idea of what we want, and that we can afford it, and believe we have a basic understanding of who might be able to supply what we require in a fairly small niche market. However, the aim of this document is to allow the market to confirm, or otherwise, our assumptions and for us to gather some information that will allow us to prepare an equitable tender that any capable supplier could bid for. As well as establishing capable suppliers we are very keen to establish whether this can be achieved as a single supplier integrated project, or not.

Whilst we may consider alternative innovative approaches, we believe that a steel framed metal structure or 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.

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 company's registration status, or have problems accessing the tender on the portal, please contact 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 email [email protected].

UK2 PME was previously completed via a separate exercise - www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/072670-2025 ↗

CPV: Safety training services · Specialist training services · Technical training services · Training facilities building

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1 1 yr 4 moPublished value£2,000,000
Contract period: 15 Dec 2026 – 31 Mar 2028 (1 yr 4 mo)Value: £2,000,000 exc. VAT · £2,400,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: South East

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 were scored
Quality: 50%Price: 50%
Published sub-criteria (2)
  • Live Fire Training Unit: 50%
  • Live Fire Training Unit: 50%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Live Fire Training Unit: Total cost of the training system, the smoke treatment plant and the units in which the training is conducted and to which the plant is connected , along with maintenance for a period after commission - assuming we find a supplier who will provide an end to end solution
  • Live Fire Training Unit: Questions relating to both technical and project aspects of the build and construction and will include Social Value aspects
What this means for your bid
  • 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
Services
Notice status
Closed
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 Sept 2026, 09:12 BST
Last source update
11 Sept 2026, 09:12 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 27 Nov 2026
Authority reference
ESFA2516
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-086198
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Safety training servicesSpecialist training servicesTechnical training servicesTraining facilities building
Delivery area
South East (UKJ)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f790 Find a Tender
Contract terms summary

Stage payments following completion of contracted milestones agreed

Review and risk notes
Risks

Time is important in this exercise and we will closely monitoring agreed milestones for achievement

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: In-tend · Who buys & how to bid on In-tend
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · one account per buying organisation's portal · reCAPTCHA on signup
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
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

11 Sept 2026 → 15 Dec 2026 · 5 dates
  1. Tender notice published45 days ago
    11 Sept 2026, 09:12 BST
  2. Clarification questions by17 days ago
    9 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
  3. Submission deadline3 days ago
    23 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
  4. Today
    27 Oct 2026
  5. Award decision expected byin 31 days
    27 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
  6. Contract startsin 48 days
    15 Dec 2026

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender
  1. Tender notice published
    11 Sept 2026, 09:12 BST
    UK4

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

East Sussex Fire Authority

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PVBN-6459-JTPV HQ Church Lane, Lewes, South East, BN7 2DZContact email

Official documents & specifications (6)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsDOCXInvitation to tender including full instruction and guidance for bidding. Does not need to be completed and should not be submitted.
  • Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsXLSXTo be completed by all suppliers no matter what part of the tender they are bidding for. Must be returned as part of your submission.
  • Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsDOCXQuality and Social Value questions - to be completed by any supplier who wishes to supply the training system and smoke capture plant (with Maintenance) but without supplying the units.
  • Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsDOCXQuality and Social Value section - to be completed by any supplier choosing to bid for the unit supply only.
  • Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsDOCXQuality and Social Value questions - to be completed by any supplier who can provide an end to end solution. Our preferred option.

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender