National Uniform Provision · UK public procurement notice

The National scale that this contract may be open to will be commensurate to up to circa 160,000 officers engaged by 43 forces in England and Wales. The number of officers and staff requiring an item could be anywhere from 10-30,000 per force on either a fully managed service to providing individual items from a catalogue only. This PIN is looking at opportunities for the MPS and is seeking market engagement for strategy which may or may not include other forces, it is expected that the awarded framework will be open to a wide variety of public service providers.

The Authority will be seeking either a single, or multi-supplier strategy. We are looking for market engagement to develop and to provide the procurement and management of uniform supply. The Authority is looking to identify potential synergies in a range of sub-categories and is looking to understand and define the constituent parts of any service offering. The Authority therefore challenges the market to propose dynamic solutions.

The following is a high-level summary of the services required.

Uniform and equipment - a broad range of textile-based products including, but not limited to, shirts, blouses, trousers, pullovers and performance garments, for example thermal fleeces, water/windproof jackets and breathable, wicking shirts to be worn under tactical vests and footwear. Provision of ceremonial uniform hire, personal identification, accessories and accoutrements is also required. Items will need to be made available from both existing and nominated providers at least in the first instance to enable a smooth transition.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - a diverse range of operational equipment e.g handcuffs, body armour and batons as well as for specific policing requirements including, but not limited to Firearms, Traffic, Mounted Officers and Divers.

The Authority would also like to encourage component (sub-category) providers to offer fresh proposals of their integration into an end-to-end uniform and equipment solution. The range of component categories will include but is not limited to:

Procurement and Supply Chain Management.

Design, Development and Testing.

Production and Quality Assurance.

Storage and Logistics.

Sizing and fitting.

Alterations and Repair.

Uniform hire.

Secure Recycling, Upcycling and Disposal.

Policing provides a 24/7/365 service to communities throughout the UK. It has to be flexible and responsive to change, often at very short notice. The Authority is interested to understand how Supplier(s) can handle and manage the ability to adjust to the subsequent impact on the nature and volume of the products it is expected to provide and offer the flexibility to continuously develop the range to reflect the various customer requirements.

The final solution will require the support of uniform and equipment specialists to design, procure and/or manufacture product specifications and fit for purpose ranges from inception (either stakeholder defined or driven by market improvement), through design (working with users), sampling and development to User Acceptance Testing and 'contract seal' production and implementation stage. Additional information: This prior information notice is not a means to submit a formal expression of interest in respect of any potential tender.

Suppliers can register their interest to be part of market engagement activity to test the market maturity to respond to any potential invite to tender and will help shape the strategy for a future procurement and provide their market insight and knowledge. The contracting authority is looking to host an 'in-person' Supplier Day at a central London location on Wednesday 25th October 2023. The Authority is looking for a variety of suppliers to provide feedback including manufacturers, logistics & warehousing, re-sellers and those able to offer a one stop shop solution.

This notice is for information only and is not a call for competition. The Authority reserves the right not to enter into a formal procurement process and not award a contract. Accordingly, the Authority will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work, or effort incurred by a provider in acting on the basis of this PIN. Attendance at the market engagement event is not a pre-requisite for being able to submit a tender against this opportunity.

To register your interest in attending the Supplier event, email [email protected] your company name, turnover and high-level summary of the good and services your company provides. Attendees may be asked to submit a questionnaire to shape the market event ahead of their attendance.