Official UK procurement notice
Your notice has been published on the Find a Tender service. THAMES VALLEY FIRE CONTROL SERVICE COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM
Authority: Oxfordshire County Council (Local council)·Consortium: 3 public authorities
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionNOTE THIS UK6 NOTICE REPLACES THAT ISSUED ON TUES 20/10/26 06.17 pm
This competitive flexible procedure (CFP) provides the flexibility required for a complex, multi-stage competition. The procedure enables Thames Valley Fire Control Service to seek submissions from suppliers expert in delivering command and control solutions for critical "blue light" services. Following a market engagement activity. Thames Valley Fire Control Service (TVFCS) has now advertised the opportunity for Tenderers to make formal submissions. The procurement consists of the following stages.
Stage 1 - participation where basic checks will occur.
Stage 2 - during which bidders will submit detailed bids and TVFCS will undertake detailed technical, commercial, and social value evaluations
Stage 3 includes Demonstrations and presentations Stage 4 is an optional negotiations phase
Market testing was originally undertaken against reference DN787666.
This new reference has been set up to reflect the competitive flexible procedure that has now been selected. under DN808581
See Contract UK4 notice published on 28/2/26
Oxfordshire are operating this procurment on behalf of TVFCS
- How the procedure runs: Thames Valley Fire Control Service (TVFCS) is initiating a Competitive Flexible Procedure procurement for the replacement of its Command & Control (C&C) system. TVFCS is a tri-service collaboration between Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, and Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service. Oxfordshire County Council are undertaking this procurement on behalf of the other Fires Services. Since becoming operational in 2015, TVFCS has provided a critical shared emergency control room service, handling 999 calls and mobilising resources across the Thames Valley region, serving a population of approximately 2.5 million residents. The current C&C system (NEC Vision Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and DS3000 Integrated Communication Control System (ICCS)) is approaching end-of-life, with key infrastructure components due to become unsupported by 2029. The replacement project seeks to ensure continuity of statutory emergency response services, enhance operational resilience, and support future innovation through a modern, modular solution. The Competitive Flexible Procedure being used for this initiative is a multi stage process. There are no restrictions on Tenderers applying other than they must satisfy the checks identified in Stage 1 of the procurement. The issuer of this Tender and related Fire Authorities who are contracting under this initiative undertook a series of market awareness events and also published notices required by the PA2023 Act on the Central Digital Platform (CDP) in advance of this UK4 notice Full details of the various stages of this procurement, including stage 1 are including in the Tender documentation published on the e-tendering portal that is being used. See https://sebp.due-north.com/ and associated reference DN787666 Stage 1 - participation stage: as defined in the ITT Pass/fail eligibility and compliance checks, including exclusion or debarment checks and any mandatory requirements. For the avoidance of doubt, Appendix 4 Procurement Specific Questionnaire Section 4 of the ITT comprises minimum technical requirements (pass/fail) and is treated as a published Stage 1 requirement, distinct from supplier conditions of participation under Section 22. Financial Capacity checks will also be undertaken in this Stage 1 and TVFCS may also Pass with Mitigation following clarification with Tenderers. Where a Tenderer is assessed as "Pass with Mitigation" at Stage 1, this shall be limited to clarification of existing information or confirmation of proportionate risk mitigations. This will not permit the Tenderer to materially alter its submission or improve its competitive position. These Financial Capacity checks shall be undertaken by reference to the contents of Appendix 7 - financial capacity checks within the ITT. This Stage 1 will provide initial detail and criteria for subsequent stages. An optional question has been included in Appendix 5 - Response pack (Question 1) within the ITT in the event that the Tenderer wishes to provide additional and/or replacement financial information to that available in their latest and full set of published accounts. Please note the initial ITT will include all documents required for Stage1. Appendix 3 - Contract will be issued at Stage 2. Existing instructions for Tenderers participating in Stage 3 may be updated to reflect changed logistics for undertaking the demonstration. TVFCS will alert any remaining Tenderers if a Stage 4 is to be held The contract is targeted to start 19/10/26 followed by a period of transition and a target Service Commencement date of 1/4/2028 or before as agreed by the parties. The 7 year period commences from 19/10/2026 For the avoidance of doubt the Contract has an initial period of 7 years followed by optional extensions of 3 further years giving a total contract length of 10years . Tenderers must submit pricing for the maximum 10yr period.
CPV: IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£11,000,000
- Economic & financial standing
Tenderers must at Stage 1 - participation complete Appendix 4 - Procurement Specific questionnaire and provide responses to the questions, including those that will provide details of Legal Capacity
Appendix 7 - Financial Capacity contains details of the Financial Capacity tests that TVFCS will undertake at Stage 1 - participation,
- Technical & professional ability
Tenderers must demonstrate proven technical competence in delivering mission critical Command & Control (C&C) solutions for emergency services. TVFCS requires evidence that Tenderers have successfully deployed critical control systems using IT products and services suitable for blue light operations.
Stage 1 includes (a) conditions of participation checks (PSQ Parts 1-3) and (b) a separate minimum technical compliance gate (PSQ Section 4 / Appendix 1), assessed pass/fail.
Tenderers must demonstrate capability to deliver an output based, operationally critical solution that aligns with TVFCS's requirements gathering process. The solution must be technically robust, resilient, and capable of supporting operational scenarios that will be assessed in later evaluation stages
Tenderers must also demonstrate their ability to support blue light technical standards, including resilience, security, interoperability, and performance requirements essential to emergency control room environments. These capabilities must be evidenced through their technical submission and responses to the ITT.
Finally, Tenderers must comply with all technical submission instructions. Any alteration to technical documents or failure to follow ITT requirements may render a submission non compliant.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
There are no limits for compliant Tenderers at Stage 1
A maximum of 3 Tenders will be selected from Stage 2 to participate in Stage3 based on their respective PQP scores. (Lowest is best)
If Stage 4 is operated than only 2 Tenderers will proceed to Stage 4 from Stage 3 based on their PQP scores (Lowest is best)
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).
- price: Given the mission critical nature of an emergency control room C&C system, TVFCS has adopted a Price per Quality Point approach to ensure quality is not diluted by low price alone. PQP provides a transparent, auditable ratio that compares total whole life price to the overall assessed quality (TQS), enabling TVFCS to identify the Most Advantageous Tender where resilience, security, and operational performance are paramount. Price is evaluated via PQP ratio (not separately scored); For avoidance of doubt: Price whilst price is not separately scored; it directly affects the ranking through the Price per Quality Point (PQP) calculation. TVFCS will calculate PQP consistently for all Tenderers as Submitted Price ÷ Total Quality Score (TQS). The Tender with the lowest PQP will be ranked highest for value for money, subject to meeting all minimum thresholds and compliance requirements. Submitted Price means the total whole‑life price for the full Contract Term, including any optional extensions, implementation, licences/subscriptions, support, hosting and dual running as specified in the pricing template. PQP shall be calculated to two decimal places using standard rounding. In the event of a tie, ranking will be determined by: (1) higher Total Quality Score; then (2) higher Core Quality score; then (3) lower Submitted Price. The Price per Quality Point (PQP) is calculated as: Submitted Price ÷ Total Quality Score (TQS) = PQP
- Quality: There are 13 specific requirements and 7 operational scenario which will be assessed at Stage 2.using the scoring methodology defined in the ITT pack. A minimum score is defined Tenderers identified as being successful at Stage 2 will be invited to demonstrate/present their solution at Stage 3. This activity will also be scored using the methodology in the ITT. pack and minimum scoring will apply
- Social Value: The ITT includes a set of questions pertaining to Social Value. This will be evaluated by reference to the scoring methodology in the ITT pack. A minimum scoring threshold applies
- Economic & financial standing
Tenderers must at Stage 1 - participation complete Appendix 4 - Procurement Specific questionnaire and provide responses to the questions, including those that will provide details of Legal Capacity
Appendix 7 - Financial Capacity contains details of the Financial Capacity tests that TVFCS will undertake at Stage 1 - participation,
- Technical & professional ability
Tenderers must demonstrate proven technical competence in delivering mission critical Command & Control (C&C) solutions for emergency services. TVFCS requires evidence that Tenderers have successfully deployed critical control systems using IT products and services suitable for blue light operations.
Stage 1 includes (a) conditions of participation checks (PSQ Parts 1-3) and (b) a separate minimum technical compliance gate (PSQ Section 4 / Appendix 1), assessed pass/fail.
Tenderers must demonstrate capability to deliver an output based, operationally critical solution that aligns with TVFCS's requirements gathering process. The solution must be technically robust, resilient, and capable of supporting operational scenarios that will be assessed in later evaluation stages
Tenderers must also demonstrate their ability to support blue light technical standards, including resilience, security, interoperability, and performance requirements essential to emergency control room environments. These capabilities must be evidenced through their technical submission and responses to the ITT.
Finally, Tenderers must comply with all technical submission instructions. Any alteration to technical documents or failure to follow ITT requirements may render a submission non compliant.
- Condition of participationshortlisting
There are no limits for compliant Tenderers at Stage 1
A maximum of 3 Tenders will be selected from Stage 2 to participate in Stage3 based on their respective PQP scores. (Lowest is best)
If Stage 4 is operated than only 2 Tenderers will proceed to Stage 4 from Stage 3 based on their PQP scores (Lowest is best)
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- 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
- 28 Feb 2026, 21:59 GMT
- Last source update
- 22 Oct 2026, 11:07 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 14 Sept 2026
- Authority reference
DN808581/I-4133- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-018179- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-065ee8Find a Tender
- How it runs
Thames Valley Fire Control Service (TVFCS) is initiating a Competitive Flexible Procedure procurement for the replacement of its Command & Control (C&C) system. TVFCS is a tri-service collaboration between Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, and Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service. Oxfordshire County Council are undertaking this procurement on behalf of the other Fires Services. Since becoming operational in 2015, TVFCS has provided a critical shared emergency control room service, handling 999 calls and mobilising resources across the Thames Valley region, serving a population of approximately 2.5 million residents. The current C&C system (NEC Vision Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and DS3000 Integrated Communication Control System (ICCS)) is approaching end-of-life, with key infrastructure components due to become unsupported by 2029. The replacement project seeks to ensure continuity of statutory emergency response services, enhance operational resilience, and support future innovation through a modern, modular solution.
The Competitive Flexible Procedure being used for this initiative is a multi stage process. There are no restrictions on Tenderers applying other than they must satisfy the checks identified in Stage 1 of the procurement. The issuer of this Tender and related Fire Authorities who are contracting under this initiative undertook a series of market awareness events and also published notices required by the PA2023 Act on the Central Digital Platform (CDP) in advance of this UK4 notice
Full details of the various stages of this procurement, including stage 1 are including in the Tender documentation published on the e-tendering portal that is being used. See sebp.due-north.com ↗ and associated reference DN787666
Stage 1 - participation stage: as defined in the ITT
Pass/fail eligibility and compliance checks, including exclusion or debarment checks and any mandatory requirements.
For the avoidance of doubt, Appendix 4 Procurement Specific Questionnaire Section 4 of the ITT comprises minimum technical requirements (pass/fail) and is treated as a published Stage 1 requirement, distinct from supplier conditions of participation under Section 22.
Financial Capacity checks will also be undertaken in this Stage 1 and TVFCS may also Pass with Mitigation following clarification with Tenderers. Where a Tenderer is assessed as "Pass with Mitigation" at Stage 1, this shall be limited to clarification of existing information or confirmation of proportionate risk mitigations. This will not permit the Tenderer to materially alter its submission or improve its competitive position. These Financial Capacity checks shall be undertaken by reference to the contents of Appendix 7 - financial capacity checks within the ITT.
This Stage 1 will provide initial detail and criteria for subsequent stages. An optional question has been included in Appendix 5 - Response pack (Question 1) within the ITT in the event that the Tenderer wishes to provide additional and/or replacement financial information to that available in their latest and full set of published accounts.
Please note the initial ITT will include all documents required for Stage1. Appendix 3 - Contract will be issued at Stage 2. Existing instructions for Tenderers participating in Stage 3 may be updated to reflect changed logistics for undertaking the demonstration.
TVFCS will alert any remaining Tenderers if a Stage 4 is to be held
The contract is targeted to start 19/10/26 followed by a period of transition and a target Service Commencement date of 1/4/2028 or before as agreed by the parties. The 7 year period commences from 19/10/2026
For the avoidance of doubt the Contract has an initial period of 7 years followed by optional extensions of 3 further years giving a total contract length of 10years . Tenderers must submit pricing for the maximum 10yr period.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 25 Mar 2026, 22:00 GMT
- Submission deadline
- 25 Mar 2026, 22:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 25 Mar 2026, 22:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
The initiating authority uses an e-tendering portal called Proactis which is hosted on the South east business portal. The ITT documentation will be published on this platform See sebp.due-north.com ↗ and associated reference DN808581 The ITT which can be downloaded from the above url provides instructions regarding the documentation that is to be returned with the Tenderers submission at Stage 1 of this Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP).Tenderers must complete Appendix 4- Procurement Specific Question; at Stage 1 of this tender. , Non-adherence with all ITT instructions and conditions. may deem a tender non compliant if instructions are not followed or documents are altered.. Tenderers may also complete Question 1 of Appendix 5 - Response Pack to offer updated an/or financial capacity data should they wish to do so.Appendix 2 - Information Management and Appendix - Conflict of interest should also be returned at Stage 1.The ITT document set will be updated and further instructions given to those Tenderers successful at Stage 1. Such instructions and updates will be issued via TVFCS e-tendering portalPrevious notices UK1 and UK2 related to this procurement can be found on the Central Digital Platform at www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/procurement/ocds-h6v… ↗
Timeline
28 Feb 2026 → 29 Oct 2026 · 8 dates- Tender notice published239 days ago28 Feb 2026, 21:59 GMT
- Clarification questions by214 days ago25 Mar 2026, 22:00 GMT
- Submission deadline214 days ago25 Mar 2026, 22:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by41 days ago14 Sept 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts7 days ago19 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent6 days ago20 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published3 days ago22 Oct 2026, 11:07 BST
- Today25 Oct 2026
- Standstill endsin 4 days29 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
Notice history
9 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 28 Feb 2026- Tender notice published28 Feb 2026, 21:59 GMTUK4
- Tender notice published2 Mar 2026, 23:32 GMTUK4
- Tender notice published13 Mar 2026, 16:53 GMTUK4
- Contract award notice published20 Oct 2026, 18:17 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete20 Oct 2026, 18:17 BST
- Procurement method changed20 Oct 2026, 18:17 BST
- Contract award notice published22 Oct 2026, 11:07 BSTUK6
- Contract signature expected2 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract signature expected3 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Published amendments (2)
The originally issued reference number was shown as DN787666 and it should have been DN808581. Tender documents have been provided under the new reference and potential bidders should search for the opportunity on the South East business portal under the new number. https://sebp.due-north.com/ All other detail remains the same
The following update is provided to this notice Contracting Authority and Beneficiaries As previously stated in the original notice and ITT documentation, Oxfordshire County Council is conducting this procurement on behalf of Thames Valley Fire Control Service (TVFCS), a collaboration between: • Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority, • Oxfordshire County Council Fire Authority, • Royal …
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2026-03: 1 release · 2 Mar 2026
- 2026-02: 1 release · 28 Feb 2026
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SYSTEMES ET TELECOMMUNICATIONS LTDThames Valley Fire Control Service (TVFCS) Command & Control2 Nov 2026 – 1 Nov 2033 · up to 1 Nov 2036Extensions: Optional extensions of 3 years in aggregate | £9,002,600same award published again · counted once | 16 Oct 2026standstill to 29 Oct 2026 | Standstill |
| SYSTEMES ET TELECOMMUNICATIONS LTDThames Valley Fire Control Service (TVFCS) Command & Control3 Nov 2026 – 2 Nov 2033 · up to 2 Nov 2036Extensions: Optional extensions of 3 years in aggregate | £9,002,600 | 16 Oct 2026standstill to 2 Nov 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1final-stage tenders · 4 at stage one | 1 | 0 | — |
Who bid
- wonSYSTEMES ET TELECOMMUNICATIONS LTD · Yorkshire and the Humber
Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
3 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire AuthorityContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
- Royal Berkshire Fire AuthorityContracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- SYSTEMES ET TELECOMMUNICATIONS LTDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (5)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- 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
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender