Official UK procurement notice
Provision of Multi-functional Devices
Authority: Equals Trust (Central government)·On behalf of: PHP LAW LLP
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThis tender opportunity was issued by Equals Trust. The Contractor must offer an MFD solution that meets the quantity and device specification set by the Trust. The plan is to let the leases in phases for when the current contracts terminate, with co-terminating the lease end dates with the end of the 5-year maintenance agreement.
Key contract aims:
a. a. have relevant experience of supporting a primary school trust with an agile personalised approach.
b. ensure all management and engineers have the personable
skills and expertise to work within education, including appropriate safeguarding training and enhanced DBS checks for on-site staff.
c. provide the Trust with a 'Letter of Assurance' which states that all staff who visit any of the Trust school sites have been recruited in accordance with 'Keeping children safe in education', with an enhanced DBS check in place. The Supplier will inform the client of all new starter's names and DBS clearance numbers and leavers as they occur.
d. provide a nominated account manager
who can work in partnership with the Trust, who has the ability to instantly track all jobs and assess issues, combined with a clear escalation process.
e. support the schools with maintenance issues, committing to a 4-hour SLA of being able to provide an engineer on site if the issue cannot be resolved remotely.
f. implement a continuous improvement plan whereby the Contractor continuously monitors re-occurring faults and advises the Trust of areas of opportunity for service improvements, sustainability initiatives or cost savings.
g. provide a cost-effective solution to card release printing and data collection.
h. be responsible for sourcing and supplying all relevant materials and resources which are required to deliver this requirement.
i. provide sustainability initiatives and support.
j. be fully conversant with all relevant legislation, including Health and Safety, and always adhere to this.
k. ensure that waste will be correctly sorted or disposed of or recycled, if possible.
- No preliminary market engagement: The justification is that the requirements are not complex or niche and the Contracting Authority already has an understanding of what they want the service to deliver and the market is known.
CPV: Office machinery, equipment and supplies except computers, printers and furniture · Photocopiers · Photocopying and offset printing equipment · Photocopying and thermocopying equipment
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£750,000
- Economic & financial standing
Financial appraisal consisting of a credit check
- Technical & professional ability
Provide 3 relevant previous contract examples To constitute a pass, the contract examples provided shall be relevant to the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. The contracts must be within the education sector and similar complexity and working on more than one site within the contract.
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 (5)
- Proposed Solution: 15%
- Implementation Management: 10%
- Account Support, Management & Monitoring: 30%
- Price: 40%
- Sustainability: 5%
Published award criteria (5)
- Proposed Solution
- Implementation Management
- Account Support, Management & Monitoring
- Sustainability
- Price
- Economic & financial standing
Financial appraisal consisting of a credit check
- Technical & professional ability
Provide 3 relevant previous contract examples To constitute a pass, the contract examples provided shall be relevant to the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. The contracts must be within the education sector and similar complexity and working on more than one site within the contract.
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
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
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 18 Sept 2025, 09:00 BST
- Last source update
- 5 Feb 2026, 16:02 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 19 Dec 2025
- Authority reference
ET01.14- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-057553- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-059cc0Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
Quarterly invoice payments for the leases and monthly invoicing in arrears for the maintenance contract broken down by school and print volumes
- Risks
Risks to contract performance are: Compliance and Regulatory Risks: Failure to comply with regulations and standards can lead to legal penalties and increased liability. Regular updates to safety regulations may require ongoing adjustments to the contract and services provided. Operational Risks: Delays in response times for the provision of workers. Not being able to fullfil the bookings Financial Risks: Inaccurate cost estimates or underfunding can lead to incomplete or substandard service delivery. Vendor Risks: A Contractor may fail to meet contractual obligations or commit a matereial breach. Contractor may face operational or financial difficulties. Technological Risks: Outdated or incompatible technology can hinder the effectiveness of fire and security systems. Cybersecurity threats to digital security systems can compromise sensitive information and system integrity. Communication Risks: Poor communication between the Contractor and the Trust can lead to misunderstandings and unmet expectations. Lack of clear protocols for reporting and addressing issues can delay resolution and increase risks.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 24 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 24 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
18 Sept 2025 → 16 Feb 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published398 days ago18 Sept 2025, 09:00 BST
- Clarification questions by363 days ago24 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST
- Submission deadline362 days ago24 Oct 2025, 12:00 BST
- Award decision expected by305 days ago19 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts289 days ago5 Jan 2026
- Assessment summaries sent258 days ago5 Feb 2026
- Latest notice published258 days ago5 Feb 2026, 16:02 GMT
- Standstill ends246 days ago16 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
Notice history
8 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 18 Sept 2025- Tender notice published18 Sept 2025, 09:00 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published22 Jan 2026, 10:10 GMTUK6
- Status changed to complete22 Jan 2026, 10:10 GMT
- Buyer details updated22 Jan 2026, 10:10 GMT
- Contract signature expected3 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Procurement termination notice published5 Feb 2026, 15:58 GMTUK12
- Contract award notice published5 Feb 2026, 16:02 GMTUK6
- Contract signature expected17 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-09: 1 release · 18 Sept 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automated Systems Group (ASL) LimitedSME23 Feb 2026 – 22 Feb 2031 · up to 22 Feb 2032Extensions: Option of a further year extension to enable co-terminus end dates of the maintenance contract with the leases · Options: The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. To add any additional schools which join the Trust to the contract. | £750,000 | 4 Feb 2026standstill to 16 Feb 2026 | Standstill |
| Desk Top Publishing Micro Systems LTDSME9 Feb 2026 – 8 Feb 2031 · up to 8 Feb 2032Extensions: Option of a further year extension to enable co-terminus end dates of the maintenance contract with the leases · Options: To add any additional schools which join the Trust to the contract. | £750,000 | 19 Jan 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 1 · Desk Top Publishing Micro Systems LTDSME
- Signed
- date not published
- Value
- —
- Period
- … – 4 Jan 2031
- Status
- cancelled (3 Feb 2026), The Trust's initial successful bidder, DTP Group, took the decision to withdraw from the process during the standstill period. To confirm, this withdrawal was made solely at DTP Group's own discretion and is not related to any issue with the Trust, the tender documentation, or the procurement process. The Trust's process, evaluation, and decision‑making remain fully compliant and unchanged.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5final-stage tenders | 4 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- PHP LAW LLPProcess contact pointProcuring entityPrivate utilityProcurement Consultant
Bidders & participating suppliers
2 commercial parties on the notice- AUTOMATED SYSTEMS GROUP (ASL) LIMITEDAwarded supplier
- DESK TOP PUBLISHING MICRO SYSTEMS LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Procurement termination notice Procurement termination notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender