Tender

Mystery Shopping at Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC's)

KENT COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

13 Jan 2026 at 14:05

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Kent County Council is seeking proposals for a contract titled "Mystery Shopping at Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC's)" within the services category, focusing on customer survey services. This procurement opportunity falls under the public authority sub-central government classification and is based in Maidstone, United Kingdom. The procurement stage is currently active, with key dates including an enquiry period ending on 27 January 2026, followed by a tender submission deadline on 9 February 2026. The contract period extends from May 2026 to April 2029, with a possible extension for up to an additional year. The procurement method is an open competition below the threshold, allowing electronic submissions via the Kent Business Portal.

This tender represents a lucrative opportunity for businesses specialising in mystery shopping and survey services to collaborate with a prominent council, enhancing their portfolio and gaining experience in public sector projects. It is especially suited for businesses with the capacity to manage frequent site visits and comprehensive data analysis. Suitable businesses should possess the resources to conduct discreet evaluations across 19 locations and compile monthly reports for Kent County Council, ensuring service quality at the recycling centres. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with the capability to meet these standards are encouraged to compete, potentially benefiting from a gross contract value of £192,000.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Mystery Shopping at Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC's)

Notice Description

KCC has the statutory responsibility to provide a Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) service to residents, of which we currently have 19 in Kent. The HWRCs are for the disposal of household waste and accept a wide range of materials. Trade waste is accepted at a number of sites. Mystery shopping has proven to be an effective tool for independently assessing the quality of service delivery, identifying areas for improvement, identifying health and safety issues, informing staff training, operational decisions and maintaining site cleanliness at each of the HWRC's. KCC requires a contract for Mystery Shopping at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) for a period of 36 months from May 2026 to April 2029 , with the option of an additional 12 month extension if required. The supplier must have the following as a minimum: *Capacity - the supplier must have the capacity to undertake four monthly visits to each of the 19 sites across Kent. *Personnel - the supplier must have sufficient personnel resources to ensure the Mystery Shopper are not recognised by HWRC staff. *Data Storage - the suppliers must have the ability to store the data it collects. *Monthly Reporting - the supplier must have the ability to provide monthly reporting to the Council on the results of its surveys. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at: https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Maidstone:-Customer-survey-services./43V3H9RE8T To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/43V3H9RE8T

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The contract may be extended by a further period of up to 1 year.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0604b6
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002695-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79342310 - Customer survey services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£160,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£160,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Jan 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
9 Feb 20263 weeks to go
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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
KENT COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Adam Fletcher
Contact Email
adam.fletcher@kent.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
MAIDSTONE
Postcode
ME14 1XQ
Post Town
Rochester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ45 Mid Kent
Delivery Location
TLJ South East (England)
Local Authority
Maidstone
Electoral Ward
Penenden Heath
Westminster Constituency
Maidstone and Malling

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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