Tender

Chiltern Railways - Radio Equipment Hire

THE CHILTERN RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

15 Sep 2025 at 15:21

Summary of the contracting process

The Chiltern Railway Company Limited is undertaking a procurement to secure a supplier for radio equipment hire, crucial for their operations across several regions in the United Kingdom, including UKG, UKH23, UKH25, UKI5, and UKJ1. This selective procurement initiative, detailed under the competitive flexible procedure, is critical for maintaining robust and reliable communication systems within railway operations. The process is already active, currently in the tender stage, and is structured to include six stages from the initial invitation to contract award. Interested suppliers need to express their interest before 24th October 2025, and the contract is expected to commence on 1st May 2026 with an initial term of three years and the possibility of two extensions, making a total potential duration of seven years.

Opportunities presented by this tender are particularly promising for businesses specialising in the manufacture and supply of portable radio equipment. The contract, valued at £700,000 over its term, offers significant growth potential, especially for SMEs that can demonstrate technical deliverability, relevant experience, and cost competitiveness. As the procurement addresses adherence to stringent railway regulations and environmental considerations, firms with a proven track record in delivering compliant and innovative communication solutions will be well-suited to engage in this competitive bidding process. The successful bidder will have the opportunity to support Chiltern Railways in maintaining and expanding its communication systems, which are pivotal for efficient railway operation and safety compliance.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

D3 Tenders Premium

Win More Public Sector Contracts

AI-powered tender discovery, pipeline management, and market intelligence — everything you need to grow your public sector business.

Notice Title

Chiltern Railways - Radio Equipment Hire

Notice Description

Chiltern Railways is conducting this Procurement to select a supplier for the provision of Radio Hire Equipment. This Procurement defines the technical standards for radio equipment deployed across Chiltern Railways operations. It establishes the minimum functional, technical, environmental, and regulatory requirements for handheld equipment used by operational staff, including Route Control personnel, Train Managers, shunters, and station staff. Reliable and interoperable radio communications are critical to ensuring the safe and efficient movement of trains, effective coordination between front-line teams, and compliance with the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) safety standards. These standards apply to all radio systems intended for use within the Chiltern Railways network, including, private mobile radios, and digital radio systems where applicable. The technical standards set out in this Procurement align with current UK railway regulations, including Ofcom licensing conditions and Network Rail interoperability requirements. Consideration has also been given to environmental resilience, user ergonomics, future scalability, and integration with legacy and safety-critical systems. This Procurement supports the procurement, deployment, and maintenance of radio communication systems that are robust, future-ready, and fully aligned with Chiltern Railways' operational and safety objectives. The contract term is 7 years, 3+2+2 with an estimated value of PS700,000 over the 7 year term. The contracting start date is 1st May 2026. 1st May 2026 to 1st May 2029. Possible further extension 30th April 2033.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: Additional radio handsets, docking stations and associated peripherals.

Renewal: An initial 3 year term plus an opportunity for an additional 2 x 2 year extensions based on the contract performance of the supplier.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-059aa2
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056697-2025
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment


CPV Codes

32344280 - Portable radios

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£700,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£700,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
15 Sep 20255 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Apr 2026 - 30 Apr 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE CHILTERN RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED
Contact Name
Peter Clark
Contact Email
procurement.department@chilternrailways.co.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
SUNDERLAND
Postcode
SR3 3XP
Post Town
Sunderland
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC44 Sunderland
Delivery Location
TLG West Midlands (England), TLH23 Hertfordshire CC, TLH25 Central Bedfordshire, TLI5 Outer London - East and North East, TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire

Local Authority
Sunderland
Electoral Ward
Doxford
Westminster Constituency
Houghton and Sunderland South

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-059aa2-2025-09-15T16:21:43+01:00",
    "date": "2025-09-15T16:21:43+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-059aa2",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-COH-03007939",
            "name": "THE CHILTERN RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-COH",
                "id": "03007939"
            },
            "additionalIdentifiers": [
                {
                    "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                    "id": "PNPV-7838-DRMN"
                }
            ],
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "1 Admiral Way",
                "locality": "Sunderland",
                "postalCode": "SR3 3XP",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKC23"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "name": "Peter Clark",
                "email": "Procurement.Department@chilternrailways.co.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "id": "privateUtility",
                        "description": "Private utility"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-COH-03007939",
        "name": "THE CHILTERN RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED"
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-059aa2",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "Chiltern Railways - Radio Equipment Hire",
        "description": "Chiltern Railways is conducting this Procurement to select a supplier for the provision of Radio Hire Equipment. This Procurement defines the technical standards for radio equipment deployed across Chiltern Railways operations. It establishes the minimum functional, technical, environmental, and regulatory requirements for handheld equipment used by operational staff, including Route Control personnel, Train Managers, shunters, and station staff. Reliable and interoperable radio communications are critical to ensuring the safe and efficient movement of trains, effective coordination between front-line teams, and compliance with the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) safety standards. These standards apply to all radio systems intended for use within the Chiltern Railways network, including, private mobile radios, and digital radio systems where applicable. The technical standards set out in this Procurement align with current UK railway regulations, including Ofcom licensing conditions and Network Rail interoperability requirements. Consideration has also been given to environmental resilience, user ergonomics, future scalability, and integration with legacy and safety-critical systems. This Procurement supports the procurement, deployment, and maintenance of radio communication systems that are robust, future-ready, and fully aligned with Chiltern Railways' operational and safety objectives. The contract term is 7 years, 3+2+2 with an estimated value of PS700,000 over the 7 year term. The contracting start date is 1st May 2026. 1st May 2026 to 1st May 2029. Possible further extension 30th April 2033.",
        "status": "active",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "32344280",
                        "description": "Portable radios"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKG",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKH23",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKH25",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKI5",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKJ1",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 840000,
            "amount": 700000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "procurementMethod": "selective",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Competitive flexible procedure",
        "procedure": {
            "features": "This procurement will consist of 6 Stages. Non-Disclosure Agreement - NDA Stage 1 - Invitation to Participate (ITP), includes Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). Bidders who are successfully shortlisted in Stage 1 will be invited to participate in Stage 2. Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender. Stage 3 - Best and Final Offer (BAFO) Stage 4 - Preferred Bidder Stage. Stage 5 - Contract Award."
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "goods",
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "submissionMethodDetails": "https://marketdojo.com/ Chiltern use Market Dojo e-sourcing portal for the purposes of this Procurement. Use Invitation Code: 4E5287BAE6 to access the tender documents.",
        "submissionTerms": {
            "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed",
            "languages": [
                "en"
            ]
        },
        "expressionOfInterestDeadline": "2025-10-24T13:00:00+01:00",
        "awardPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-01-19T23:59:59Z"
        },
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "status": "active",
                "value": {
                    "amountGross": 840000,
                    "amount": 700000,
                    "currency": "GBP"
                },
                "awardCriteria": {
                    "criteria": [
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Health & Safety",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 10,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Relevant Experience & Contract Examples",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 10,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Technical Deliverability",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 25,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 10,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "cost",
                            "name": "Commercial Costs",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 30,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Terms & Conditions",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 15,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-05-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2029-04-30T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2033-04-30T23:59:59+01:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "renewal": {
                    "description": "An initial 3 year term plus an opportunity for an additional 2 x 2 year extensions based on the contract performance of the supplier."
                },
                "hasOptions": true,
                "options": {
                    "description": "Additional radio handsets, docking stations and associated peripherals."
                }
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            },
            {
                "id": "056697-2025",
                "documentType": "tenderNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK4",
                "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056697-2025",
                "datePublished": "2025-09-15T16:21:43+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "language": "en"
}