Planning

Ground Care and Plant for Defra Group Fleet Services

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

23 Mar 2026 at 17:04

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process focuses on the Environment Agency's initiative to enhance its ground care and plant capabilities through Defra Group Fleet Services. This project, valued at approximately £80 million, will establish a long-term contract covering various grounds maintenance equipment. Located in London, the procurement is currently in the planning stage and classified under the "goods" category, with the intention of finalising details for engagement through a Request for Information (RFI) by 13th April 2026. Additionally, a virtual Preliminary Market Engagement Event is scheduled for 16th April 2026 to explore opportunities within the industry.

This procurement presents substantial opportunities for business growth, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) capable of supplying specialist agricultural or forestry machinery, trailers, or excavators. The contract, anticipated to commence in September 2026, will span multiple lots ensuring inclusivity and diversity in business engagement. Businesses positioned within the agricultural machinery, forestry equipment, or related sectors will find considerable opportunities for expansion and participation in a significant governmental supply chain, enhancing operational breadth and reach across Defra sites. The methodical procurement process aims to streamline sourcing and maintain operational readiness, aligning with sustainable objectives.

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Notice Title

Ground Care and Plant for Defra Group Fleet Services

Notice Description

Defra Group requires a modern, sustainable, and optimised ground care equipment fleet to support operational delivery across the Group. The purpose of this project is to establish a long-term, Defra Group-wide contract for the supply of grounds maintenance equipment, led by the Environment Agency (as the main customer), with access available for the whole Group. The contract will provide a consistent, streamlined, and effective approach to sourcing ground care and plant assets, ensuring operational readiness across Defra sites. The contract is expected to be split into 5 lots (see RFI form for more information) with a timeframe of six years (four years plus an optional two-year extension period). The total value of potential equipment replacements is estimated at PS80 million (excluding VAT) over the contract period.

Planning Information

The Engagement will be conducted in two parts: Part 1: Request for Information (RFI) So that the Authority can understand capability in the market and any factors that need to be considered in designing the procurement, please complete the Request for Information (RFI) using the following link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=UCQKdycCYkyQx044U38RAi0JGfu8yXhLg1yOuERPYLtURUM2TFI2Mkc3R0FHWVJNNVA1Sk05WDdHNi4u The form will be open for three weeks. The deadline for responding to this form is 12:00 Monday 13th April 2026. Part 2: Preliminary-Market Engagement Event (PME) The Environment Agency (Defra Group Fleet Services, DGFS), supported by Defra Group Commercial (DgC), is hosting a virtual PME event (via Microsoft Teams) on Thursday 16th April 2026 (16/04/26). Details to be confirmed. Please use the appropriate response box in the RFI form to sign up to this event if you are interested in finding out more about this opportunity. At the Authority's discretion, we may host individual meetings with suppliers following the initial PME event. This is expected to take place in the week commencing 20th April 2026, and would be for the Authority to gain more of an understanding of the market. If this is to take place, an invitation will be sent to suppliers following the preliminary market engagement event.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0671f4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/026488-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

16 - Agricultural machinery

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

42 - Industrial machinery

43 - Machinery for mining, quarrying, construction equipment


CPV Codes

16310000 - Mowers

16600000 - Specialist agricultural or forestry machinery

16700000 - Tractors

34223300 - Trailers

42122000 - Pumps

42420000 - Buckets, shovels, grabs and grips for cranes or excavators

43262100 - Mechanical excavators

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£80,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
23 Mar 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
26 May 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
29 Sep 2026 - 27 Sep 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
Additional Buyers

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 4DF
Post Town
South West London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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