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Provision of an internal mail courier service

Cumberland Council

This public procurement record has 7 releases in its history.

Award

05 Mar 2026 at 12:32

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
TenderCancellation

28 Jan 2026 at 17:13

UK12 - Procurement Termination Notice
Award

23 Jan 2026 at 15:47

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

22 Jan 2026 at 16:29

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

27 Oct 2025 at 14:43

UK4 - Tender Notice
PlanningUpdate

22 Sep 2025 at 10:58

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

18 Sep 2025 at 17:59

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The contracting process for the provision of an internal mail courier service overseen by Cumberland Council in partnership with Westmorland and Furness Council has reached the active award stage as of 5th March 2026. This procurement, staged under an open procedure, involves moving various items securely between approximately 40 sites across Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness, including council buildings, police stations, and fire stations. The procurement is notably split over two geographical routes, ensuring efficient and secure handover between routes. Contracts for the Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness routes were signed on 4th February 2026, commencing services that day, with a maximum contract period extending until 3rd February 2030. HART DISTRIBUTION LIMITED is the appointed supplier. The initial contract period lasts two years with possible extensions of two additional 12-month periods and involves a cumulative gross contract value exceeding £700,000.

This contract offers a significant opportunity for growth within the courier services market, providing organisations experienced in secure parcel delivery a chance to expand their reach across the region. The service requires rigorous security measures, including staff vetting, which is ideal for businesses with strong compliance and security frameworks, especially those classified as SMEs due to the suitability criteria. The tender process initially included an active market engagement, and participation was encouraged among diverse business communities, underscoring the councils' commitment to diversity. SMEs with proficiency in maintaining high security standards and operational excellence in courier services stand well-equipped to fulfil these contracts, paving the way for future extensions and further collaborations with public authorities.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of an internal mail courier service

Notice Description

The Council is reprocuring a dedicated, secure, Internal mail and parcel collection and delivery service contract. This contract is split over 2 routes, one for the geographical area of Cumberland and one for the geographical area of Westmorland and Furness. This service will move a variety of items securely between approx 40 sites across the two areas. Due to the nature of the items transported by this service there is a requirement for items to be handed over from one route to the other. This tender will be to procure a single supplier with two contracts, one for each area. There are various Council buildings in both routes but they also include some Police & Fire stations/ buildings. Due to the nature of the service security measures will be vital to the contract including the vetting of contractor staff.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: There is the potential for contract extensions of up to 2 x 12 months, depending on both the success in achieving the required outcomes and availability of further funding.

Planning Information

The Council is reprocuring a dedicated, secure, Internal mail and parcel collection & delivery Service contract. This contract is split over 2 routes, one for the geographical area of Cumberland and one for the geographical area of Westmorland & Furness. This service will move a variety of items securely between approx 40 sites across the two areas. Due to the nature of the items transported by this service there is a requirement for items to be handed over from one route to the other. This tender will be to procure a single supplier with two contracts, one for each area. There are various Council buildings in both routes but they also include some Police & Fire stations/buildings. Due to the nature of the service security measures will be vital to the contract including the vetting of contractor staff. The Council will be carrying out an online session on Friday 26th September at 10am to 11.30am to further outline this opportunity. Please confirm email addresses, name and company name via the 'messaging area' on The Chest (https://www.the-chest.org.uk/) if you would like to secure a space, a maximum of 2 from each organisation. These must be received before Thursday 25th September 12 noon.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-059da7
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/019886-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

64 - Postal and telecommunications services

CPV Codes

64120000 - Courier services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£450,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£450,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£923,422 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£590,304 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Mar 20265 months ago
Submission Deadline
21 Nov 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
25 Sep 2025Expired
Award Date
22 Jan 20267 months ago
Contract Period
4 Feb 2026 - 3 Feb 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active, Cancelled

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Cumberland Council
Additional Buyers

Westmorland and Furness 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
CARLISLE
Postcode
CA1 1RD
Postcode Area
Carlisle
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD1 Cumbria
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD13 Cumberland
Delivery Location
TLD1 Cumbria
Local Authority
Cumberland
Electoral Ward
Castle
Westminster Constituency
Carlisle

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

HART DISTRIBUTION LIMITED

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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