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Provision of Groom Support

Ministry of Defence

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

04 Sep 2026 at 09:04

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

14 May 2026 at 13:22

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

10 Mar 2026 at 13:56

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Defence procured specialist groom support for the Army’s Military Working Horses. The requirement covers comprehensive equine husbandry, training and exercise, veterinary and farrier support, ceremonial readiness, transport and travelling groom duties, equipment care, records and reporting, liaison, surge cover and multi-site availability, delivered seven days a week. Work is required at Hyde Park Barracks in London, Combermere Barracks in Windsor, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, King George VI Lines in Woolwich and Remount Barracks in Melton Mowbray. This is a specialist equine services contract, including horse-related and riding-school services (CPV 80513000). The buyer is the Ministry of Defence, with delivery supporting military horse operations across London, Windsor, Sandhurst, Woolwich and Melton Mowbray.

The procurement is complete and was awarded on 4 September 2026 to The Colleges’ Partnership Limited. It used an open procedure. One valid bid was received for each of the five lots, all from the successful supplier. The award covers the Defence Animal Training Regiment, Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Household Cavalry Training Wing and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The recorded award value is £7,238,140. Lot values are £508,000, £847,000, £847,000, £1,355,000 and £847,000 respectively. The awarded contract runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2031. Each lot was evaluated using a Value for Money Index, comparing quality scores with tender cost. The procurement was above threshold and all lots were suitable for SMEs and VCSEs.

This procurement demonstrates sustained demand from the Ministry of Defence for professional equine support across several military establishments, combining routine horse care with operational, ceremonial and training requirements. A credible future supplier would need experienced grooms able to provide comprehensive husbandry, exercise and training support, and to work safely alongside veterinary and farrier professionals. Capability should also cover horse transport, travelling groom duties, equipment maintenance, accurate records and reporting, liaison with military stakeholders, surge cover and coordinated delivery across multiple sites. The seven-day service requirement and multi-site model favour organisations with dependable staffing, robust management arrangements and the capacity to maintain consistent standards across geographically dispersed operations. Suppliers able to evidence quality while controlling delivery costs would align with the buyer’s value-for-money evaluation approach.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Groom Support

Notice Description

The Army requires additional specialist equine staff to ensure the safe, sustainable, and effective delivery of Military Working Horses outputs across five locations (Hyde Park Barracks (HPB), London; Combermere Barracks, Windsor; Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS), Sandhurst; King George VI Lines, Woolwich; Remount Barracks, Melton Mowbray) The Contractor shall deliver 7 days per week, comprehensive equine husbandry, training and exercise, veterinary and farrier support, ceremonial readiness, transport and travelling groom duties, equipment care, records and reporting, liaison and surge cover, and multi site availability for Military Working Horses.

Lot Information

Defence Animal Training Regiment (DATR) The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) The Household Cavalry Training Wing (HCTW) The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery (KTRHA)

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06665f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083720-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

03 - Agricultural, farming, fishing, forestry and related products

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

03322300 - Horses

80513000 - Horse riding school services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,670,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£3,669,998 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£7,238,140 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
15 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
30 Apr 2026Expired
Award Date
4 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Ministry of Defence
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
ANDOVER
Postcode
SP11 8HT
Postcode Area
Salisbury
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ3 Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ36 Central Hampshire
Delivery Location
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire, TLI London, TLJ11 Berkshire
Local Authority
Test Valley
Electoral Ward
Andover Millway
Westminster Constituency
North West Hampshire

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

The Colleges Partnership

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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