Official UK procurement notice
Outdoor Learning Equipment · UK public procurement notice
Authority: The Education Authority (Central government)
What is being bought5 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionThis Framework is for the supply and delivery of outdoor learning equipment to outdoor learning centres and individual schools and EA locations within Northern Ireland for a period of 4 years.
This Framework is let by the Northern Ireland Education Authority ("EA") and is open to the EA, including NI educational bodies as follows and at some point during the life of the Framework these bodies may wish to utilise the agreement and should have access, at any point, with the permission of EA. This Framework is not intended to replace any current Contracts/Frameworks that participating or non-participating institutions may already have in place.
www.education-ni.gov.uk/services/schools-plus ↗
Primary and Post Primary schools under the control of the EA
Catholic Maintained Schools
Independent Schools in NI
Irish Medium Schools in NI
both Controlled and, Voluntary Grammar Schools
Nursery Schools for NI (both controlled and Catholic Maintained)
school meals kitchens on-site at all of these schools, and Controlled Youth Centres.
www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/furthereduc… ↗
colleges Further Education Colleges in NI
www.nicie.org/parents/school-finder/ ↗
Grant Controlled Integrated Education Schools in NI
www.isc.co.uk/schools/northern-ire… ↗
Independent Schoolsin NI
Libraries NI: www.librariesni.org.uk/Libraries/ ↗
EA Teachers' and Educational Centres
Council for the Curriculum, Examination and Assessment NI (CCEA)
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
Middletown Centre for Autism
Controlled Schools Support Council (CSSC)
Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE)
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 10 Dec 2029, 23:59 GMT.
CPV: Bicycles · Camping goods · Camping or outdoor stoves · Canoes · Climbing boots · Clothing, footwear, luggage articles and accessories · Footwear · Leisure equipment · Non-motorised bicycles · Outdoor sports equipment · Outerwear · Parts and accessories for bicycles · +2 more
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Closed framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs may be awarded directly or by further competition
- Places
- up to 20 suppliers · 1 bids on the busiest of 3 lots (0.1 per place) · 3 appointed
- Framework period
- 4 yrs from 1 Jun 2026
Published description of the framework
The Buyer may purchase items from the Framework via direct call-off or via a mini-competition.
The Buyer reserves the right to conduct mini competitions for any additional requirements over and above those listed under this Framework but which fall within the scope of the Framework that are over the value of £10k. For the avoidance of doubt, mini-competitions may only be conducted between all awarded Suppliers in the Lot that the item to be added falls within scope of. It is envisaged that the Buyer may use this mechanism under the Framework where there exists a bulk purchase requirement. Any mini-competition will be based on 100% price, however there may be a requirement for additional mandatory criteria specific to each project, for example supply by a specified time / date.
Lots and requirements (5)Procurement structure
5 lots · all with a published value · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Clothing and FootwearAwardedPublished value£105,000
The source published no individual description for this lot.
Lot #2Cycling EquipmentAwardedPublished value£50,000
The source published no individual description for this lot.
Lot #3Water Sports EquipmentAwardedPublished value£140,000
The source published no individual description for this lot.
Lot #4Camping EquipmentAwardedPublished value£110,000
The source published no individual description for this lot.
Lot #5Climbing/Caving EquipmentAwardedPublished value£95,000
The source published no individual description for this lot.
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 award criteria (1)
- Price
- Price carries 100 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 10 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
- “Outdoor Learning Equipment” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 20 suppliers, not a single contract: call-offs may be direct or by further competition.
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
- Goods
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use the vehicle
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 10 Dec 2029
- First published
- 21 Nov 2025, 11:05 GMT
- Last source update
- 24 Jun 2026, 10:07 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 20 Apr 2026
- Authority reference
FAE-25-008- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-011176- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e619Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
The Supplier must ensure that the Buyer has issued a purchase order number in advance of any goods being delivered.
Payments will only be made on receipt of an invoice quoting the relevant purchase order number.
The Supplier must ensure that purchase orders received are accurate in that they state the correct contract prices, or return for correction prior to the order being fulfilled, as
discrepancies could result in delays to invoice payments where purchase orders and invoices do not match.
Invoices must be in pounds Sterling (GBP).
Suppliers must submit invoices directly to the address as specified on the order.
SupplierS must submit a group statement for outstanding invoices on a monthly basis. The supplier may liaise with EA Accounts Payable to identify the information required on the
statement.
The Supplier must replace or make good at their own expense any items that are or become defective as a result of poor design, materials or service.
Payment shall be made through the Bankers Automated Clearing System.
The Supplier will be required to provide bank account details to the Buyer to facilitate this method of payment.
The Buyer reserves the right to withhold payment against any invoice which is not submitted in accordance with the Framework, or which covers or purports to relate to goods which have not been provided in accordance with the Contract and shall forthwith notify the supplier accordingly in writing.
During the Term the Buyer reserves the right to review ordering and/or invoicing procedures with the Supplier.
For an invoice to be considered valid it must be legible, from which a clear scanned image can be produced, and clearly show the following information:
- Purchase Order number (only one purchase order per invoice)
- Invoice number
- Invoice date / tax point
- Supplier name, address, postcode and VAT registration number
- Remittance name and address where this is different to above
- Goods details which match the PO details, including quantity billed, item description,
unit of measure, unit price and total value (only goods delivered should be on an invoice)
All invoices must be made payable to the Supplier and not to any nominated subcontractor(s).
- Risks
There may be additional requirements required from the Supplier during the term of the Framework that could not be identified or foreseen at the time of tender, but which are consistent with the requirements noted. In such circumstances the EA may seek to agree a modification of the Framework through a Framework variation to facilitate the provision of such requirements by the Supplier, with the charges for such set out in the Pricing Schedule as per the tender. It is envisaged that such modifications will be made without requiring a new procurement procedure in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024.
Furthermore, suppliers should note that, in accordance with Section 31 and /or Section 74 of the Procurement Act 2023, the Buyer reserves the right to modify the Framework without a new procurement process in certain circumstances. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, Suppliers should note that the true value of the Framework may differ from the values outlined for the following reasons:
- Increase/decrease in the number of schools and number of pupils.
- Increase/decrease in the demand to use the Framework
- General increases/decreases in all costs such as equipment, insurances, labour rates etc.
- Unforeseen/unplanned events (for e.g., new schools which are an amalgamation of existing schools that were previously identified by EA as being eligible to utilise this Framework).
- Increase/decrease in EA funding.
- Legislative changes and/or advances in technology that impact the requirements or the items on this Framework.
- Environmental considerations and/or changes in EA environmental policy that impact the requirements for this type of Goods.
There is no guarantee uptake or demand, or the subsequent value of orders under this Framework, therefore the Buyer makes no commitment on the frequency or value of orders during the Framework term.
The EA reserve the right to move value between the Lots at their discretion; however, the cumulative value of all Lots will not exceed £500,000 ex VAT or £600,000 with VAT.
The EA do reserve the right to modify the contract for any of the reasons noted in the Specification Schedule, Section 19 Additional Requirements, or as noted above in this notice and so the actual value of the contract/s may be greater than noted above.
There is no guarantee that any orders will be placed in any quantity during the period of the Framework.
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 10 Mar 2026, 15:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 27 Feb 2026, 15:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
21 Nov 2025 → 24 Jun 2026 · 11 dates- Planning notice published329 days ago21 Nov 2025, 11:05 GMT
- Market engagement307 days ago12 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
Suppliers who wish to participate in the PME exercise must return the completed questionnaire via the messaging function of the CfT (CA Unique ID EANI-5015) on eTendersNI no later than 3pm on Friday 12th December 2025.
- Next notice expected283 days ago5 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published252 days ago6 Feb 2026, 17:20 GMT
- Clarification questions by231 days ago27 Feb 2026, 15:00 GMT
- Admission / appointment period ends220 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown10 Mar 2026, 15:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by179 days ago20 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent156 days ago14 May 2026, 00:00 BST
- Standstill ends143 days ago26 May 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts138 days ago1 Jun 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published114 days ago24 Jun 2026, 10:07 BST
Notice history
11 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 21 Nov 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published21 Nov 2025, 11:05 GMTUK2
- Tender notice published6 Feb 2026, 17:20 GMTUK4
- Status changed to active6 Feb 2026, 17:20 GMT
- Procurement method changed6 Feb 2026, 17:20 GMT
- Deadline published: 3 Mar 2026, 15:00 GMT6 Feb 2026, 17:20 GMT
- Tender notice published9 Feb 2026, 10:02 GMTUK4
- Deadline moved to 10 Mar 2026, 15:00 GMT9 Feb 2026, 10:02 GMT+7 days · was 3 Mar 2026, 15:00 GMT
- Contract award notice published14 May 2026, 16:34 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete14 May 2026, 16:34 BST
- Contract signature expected28 May 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published24 Jun 2026, 10:07 BSTUK7
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2026-02: 1 release · 6 Feb 2026
- 2025-11: 1 release · 21 Nov 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot 2 · Cycling Equipment1 award | |||
| PODIUM 4 SPORT LTDSME1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2030 | £50,000 | 14 May 2026 | Awarded |
| Lot 3 · Water Sports Equipment1 award | |||
| RED ORANGE INTERNATIONAL LIMITEDSME1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2030 | £140,000 | 13 May 2026 | Awarded |
| Lot 5 · Climbing/Caving Equipment1 award | |||
| PATTERSON ELECTRONICS LTDSME1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2030 | £95,000 | 14 May 2026 | Awarded |
| Across several lots1 award | |||
| supplier not published | — | 13 May 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
Lot 2. Cycling Equipment · PODIUM 4 SPORT LTDSME
- Signed
- 29 May 2026
- Value
- £50,000
- Period
- 1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2030
- Status
- active
4 agreed KPIs: Deliveries · Invoices · Complaints …
- Deliveries
- Invoices
- Complaints
- Social Value
Lot 3. Water Sports Equipment · RED ORANGE INTERNATIONAL LIMITEDSME
- Signed
- 29 May 2026
- Value
- £140,000
- Period
- 1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2030
- Status
- active
4 agreed KPIs: Deliveries · Invoices · Complaints …
- Deliveries
- Invoices
- Complaints
- Social Value
Lot 5. Climbing/Caving Equipment · PATTERSON ELECTRONICS LTDSME
- Signed
- 29 May 2026
- Value
- £95,000
- Period
- 1 Jun 2026 – 31 May 2030
- Status
- active
4 agreed KPIs: Deliveries · Invoices · Complaints …
- Deliveries
- Invoices
- Complaints
- Social Value
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 · Cycling Equipment | 1final-stage tenders | 1 | 0 | — |
| 3 · Water Sports Equipment | 1final-stage tenders | 1 | 0 | — |
| 5 · Climbing/Caving Equipment | 1final-stage tenders | 1 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
3 commercial parties on the notice- PATTERSON ELECTRONICS LIMITEDFramework contractor
- PODIUM 4 SPORT LTDFramework contractor
- RED ORANGE INTERNATIONAL LIMITEDFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications (13)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
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 details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
Show 2 more notices
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender