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199_27 Design and Technology Materials and Equipment

Leicestershire County Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Tender

05 Aug 2026 at 15:31

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

28 May 2026 at 09:50

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

12 May 2025 at 13:13

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Leicestershire County Council, trading as ESPO, is procuring a catalogue framework for design and technology materials and equipment used in education settings. The requirement covers two lots. Lot 1 covers construction, modelling, coding and robotics kits, educational sets, badge-making equipment, D&T components, electronics, tools, accessories, furniture, 3D-printing equipment, classroom machinery, and sewing machines and accessories. Lot 2 covers construction kits, teaching aid devices, electricity kits, textiles machinery, classroom kits, robotics, programmable systems, 3D printers and accessories, badge-making equipment, wood, acrylic, modelling materials, cardboard components, glue products and spray paints. Goods will be delivered to ESPO’s distribution centre in Leicester or directly to ESPO customer premises across the United Kingdom.

The process has reached tender: ESPO invited offers through an open procedure for a closed framework agreement. It is divided into two lots, with suppliers able to support catalogue supply by category or sub-lot. Questions must be submitted by 17:00 on 21 August 2026, and tenders by 12:00 on 4 September 2026. The intended award decision period ends on 27 November 2026. Both lots are planned to run from 1 January 2027 to 31 March 2028, with an option to extend by up to 33 months, to 31 December 2030. The total estimated value is £1,333,333 excluding VAT, or £1,600,000 including VAT; Lot 1 is £633,333 excluding VAT and Lot 2 £700,000 excluding VAT. Lot 1 is evaluated 20% price and 80% quality; Lot 2 is 80% price and 20% quality. Economic and technical participation conditions apply. A 1% framework fee on supplier turnover is payable quarterly.

This opportunity suits manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and specialist education-supply businesses able to provide design and technology products for schools and other education settings. Suppliers may be well placed if they cover construction, modelling, electronics, coding, robotics, machinery, tools, sewing, textiles, 3D printing, classroom furniture or associated consumables such as wood, acrylic, cardboard, adhesives and paints. Businesses can compete as small or medium-sized enterprises, and the two-lot structure allows a supplier to focus on a product category or a narrower sub-lot. Strong product breadth, reliable catalogue management, competitive supply chains and the capacity to fulfil deliveries to a central distribution centre or individual customer premises will be important. The framework supports orders either directly or through further competition, so suppliers should be able to respond to varied public-sector requirements and maintain dependable product availability.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

199_27 Design and Technology Materials and Equipment

Notice Description

ESPO is a trading department of Leicestershire County Council. It is a non-profit making body owned and operated jointly by six local authorities. We provide a catalogue range, providing our customers with access to over 28,000 products that cover all key areas of education and wider public sector requirements. We are establishing a catalogue framework for the supply of D&T materials and equipment for use in education settings, with goods to be delivered either to ESPO's distribution centre, Leicester, or for direct delivery to ESPO customer premises. The Framework is divided into 2 lots. Please refer to the tender documents for any further details (including further details on each of the lots) - the closing date for submission of Tenders is 12:00 (12 noon / 12pm) on 04 September 2026. To tender (please proceed to step (e) if an expression of interest has already been completed): (a) Go to https://www.eastmidstenders.org/ (b) Register (if not already registered on ProContract); (c) Search for tender opportunity 199_27 (via "View Opportunities" from the EastMidsTenders Portal); (d) Express an interest; (e) Download the tender documents (from the ProContract Activity summary screen). Any questions or clarifications relating to this tender opportunity should be submitted to ESPO as a message on the eProcurement Portal, once an Expression of interest has been completed.

Lot Information

Supply of Design and Technology Product Ranges - By Category

Lot 1 is for the supply of Construction Kits, Modelling Kits and Educational Sets, Coding and Robotics Educational Sets, Badge Making Equipment, D&T Components, Electronics Equipment and Components, Tools, Accessories and Furniture, 3D Printing Equipment and Accessories, D&T Classroom Machinery, and Sewing Machines & Accessories, all for use in educational environments. Delivery is to ESPO's distribution centre, Leicester, or for direct delivery to ESPO customer premises.

Options: ESPO reserves the right to add or remove products (i.e., those products listed within the Framework Pricing Schedule, 199_27) throughout the lifetime of the Framework, so long as they are within the Framework scope.

Renewal: Once the initial period of the contract has ended (i.e., 31 March 2028), there is an option to extend the framework by up to a further 33 months. This is dependent on ESPO, ESPO Customers, and market needs, as well as the performance of sales. Total estimated values captured in this notice include the option to extend the framework as noted above.

Supply of Design and Technology Product Ranges - By Sub-Lot

Lot 2 is for the supply of construction kits, recordable teaching aid devices, electricity kits, textiles machinery, classroom kits, robotics, programmable systems, 3D printers and accessories, badge making machines and accessories. Items include wood, acrylic and modelling material packs, D&T and cardboard components, glue guns and glue sticks, a variety of spray paints all for use in educational environments. Delivery is to ESPO's distribution centre, Leicester, or for direct delivery to ESPO customer premises.

Options: ESPO reserves the right to add or remove products (i.e., those products listed within the Framework Pricing Schedule, 199_27) throughout the lifetime of the Framework, so long as they are within the Framework scope.

Renewal: Once the initial period of the contract has ended (i.e., 31 March 2028), there is an option to extend the framework by up to a further 33 months. This is dependent on ESPO, ESPO Customers, and market needs, as well as the performance of sales. Total estimated values captured in this notice include the option to extend the framework as noted above.

Planning Information

The purpose of the Pre-Market Engagement (PME) is to cover a range of topics designed to best explore our requirements in a possible future procurement. These topics may include: 1. Develop ESPO’s requirements and approach to the procurement. 2. Help better identify suitable suppliers in the market and to understand their supply chains. 3. Understand products/service offerings from suppliers and the marketplace in general. Engagement with suppliers is anticipated to be a mix of methods, including Requests for Information (RFI) hosted on the EastMidsTenders eProcurement Portal (www.eastmidstenders.org), and meetings (both virtual and in-person). Visits to supplier’s premises may also be used where deemed to be of particular use. Suppliers wishing to participate in the engagement process must first express an interest as follows: (a) Go to https://www.eastmidstenders.org/; (b) Register (if not already registered on ProContract); (c) Search for tender opportunity '199_27' (via "View Opportunities" from the EastMidsTenders Portal); d) Express an interest. Suppliers can then access the RFI questionnaire in the ‘Messages’ section via the ‘Activity’ dashboard once an expression of interest has been registered - the deadline for responding to the RFI is 17:00 (5pm) on 12 June 2026. Responses to the RFI as well as any questions or clarifications should be submitted to ESPO as a message on the eProcurement Portal. Notwithstanding the above process, as this procurement exercise is a renewal of an existing ESPO framework, ESPO reserves the right to engage with some, all or none of the incumbent suppliers appointed to the existing ESPO framework, alongside any additional suppliers identified following the above expressions of interests and/or a RFI exercise.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0510da
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074312-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,333,333 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,333,333 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Aug 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
4 Sep 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
1 Sep 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 31 Mar 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Leicestershire County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LEICESTER
Postcode
LE19 1ES
Postcode Area
Leicester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF22 Leicestershire CC and Rutland
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Blaby
Electoral Ward
Enderby
Westminster Constituency
South Leicestershire

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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