Planning

LFRS 146- Pooled Personal Protective Equipment Management System

LANCASHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

13 Mar 2026 at 11:53

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Lancashire Fire and Rescue is initiating a public procurement process to establish a Pooled Personal Protective Equipment Management System. This opportunity falls under the services category in the IT industry and is located in Lancashire and South Cumbria, UK. The procurement is currently in the planning stage, with key dates including the issuance of the Request for Information (RFI) document on 13th March 2026, a deadline for clarifications on 14th April 2026, and a deadline for RFI submissions by 23rd April 2026 at noon. The procurement will be conducted through an e-tendering system using 'The Chest North West Procurement Portal'. The estimated contract value is £250,000 gross, and the process will follow the guidelines set out by the UKPGA legal framework.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in IT services, particularly those offering consulting, software development, and support. It is particularly suited for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) given the procurement's emphasis on pooled PPE management solutions that integrate technology such as low-frequency tags and scanners for effective garment tracking. Businesses with expertise in database management and systems integration would be well-positioned to compete. This contract allows for growth through the potential renewal of services, supporting extended engagement with a reputed public authority like Lancashire Fire and Rescue.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

LFRS 146- Pooled Personal Protective Equipment Management System

Notice Description

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) wishes to invite suppliers to obtain information regarding your company and the services you provide. This information is requested as part of a market engagement exercise in order to seek the market's views on the supply and delivery of proposed new solutions to manage our services' pooled PPE. We would like to also use this exercise to gauge the level of interest in any eventual procurement activity. Currently the Authority manages c18,000 garments at over 40 stations within the Lancashire and South Cumbria area. To do this the Authority utilises low frequency tags that are stitched into each garment (such as a tunic), scanners are then used to scan the tags within the garments to update their status and location. The information from the scanners then feeds into a database and that database is then used to facilitate the management of the services pooled PPE

Planning Information

This opportunity can be accessed via The Chest the website address detail below https://www.the-chest.org.uk/SupplierSupport.html All documents relevant to this can be downloaded on our e-tendering system. Date of issue of RFI document 13/03/2026 Deadline for clarifications 14/04/2026 Deadline for return of completed RFI submissions 23/04/2026 Completed questionnaires should be received no later than 23/04/2026 12:00 noon and should be returned to LFRS using the ‘The Chest North West Procurement Portal’. Please note that LFRS reserves the right to amend the above timetable. All requests for clarifications should be submitted as soon as possible using the “Messaging” facility on the ‘The Chest North West Procurement Portal’. If you experience any technical difficulties when accessing the portal please contact the Helpdesk (not LFRS) by emailing ProContractSuppliers@proactis.com .

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0669aa
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022905-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£208,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Mar 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Jun 20263 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2027 - 31 Mar 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
LANCASHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
PRESTON
Postcode
PR2 3LH
Post Town
Preston
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD4 Lancashire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD45 Mid Lancashire
Delivery Location
TLD North West (England)
Local Authority
Preston
Electoral Ward
Greyfriars
Westminster Constituency
Ribble Valley

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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