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Grounds Maintenance and Grass Cutting Machinery

Education Authority NI

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

16 Oct 2026 at 14:44

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

07 Jul 2026 at 12:14

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

21 Apr 2026 at 15:27

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Education Authority has established a framework for grounds-maintenance and grass-cutting machinery and equipment. It covers equipment such as lawnmowers, tractors, gardening and agricultural machinery, and tractor accessories, for use by the Authority and a broad range of Northern Ireland education and public bodies. Eligible users include schools across Northern Ireland, further education colleges, Libraries NI, educational centres, youth centres, nurseries and other named education organisations. The framework is intended to supply machinery for grounds maintenance and grass cutting to the Authority and its Grounds Maintenance Service, as well as participating bodies. The requirement is for goods rather than maintenance services or grounds work.

The procurement is complete and the framework has been awarded through an open procedure. Six suppliers were selected: M Large Tree Services, DA Forgie, R D Mechanical Services Ltd, AJ Armstrong & Sons Ltd, Laird Grass Machinery Limited, and Downpatrick Farm & Garden Supplies Ltd. The award date was 15 October 2026. The framework value is £12 million excluding VAT (£14.4 million including VAT); this is an indicative ceiling, with no commitment to purchase any particular volume or value. The contract period runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2030. There is one lot, structured into individual product lines, with bids and awards assessed line by line. Mandatory requirements were assessed pass/fail and prices were evaluated for each line; price carried 100% weighting. The framework allows direct call-offs and further competitions.

This is relevant to suppliers able to provide grounds-maintenance and grass-cutting machinery, including mowers, tractors, gardening and agricultural equipment, and related accessories. The buyer structured the requirement by product line, enabling suppliers to compete for individual lines rather than needing to cover the entire range. The six selected suppliers and seven valid bids indicate competition involving several suppliers, all of them SMEs. To be credible when this requirement next comes to market, a supplier should be able to meet mandatory requirements and offer competitive pricing across the product lines it chooses to supply. Framework supply requires the ability to serve the Education Authority’s Grounds Maintenance Service and participating education and public bodies in Northern Ireland, with call-offs potentially made directly or through further competitions. The buyer can add or remove products during the framework.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Grounds Maintenance and Grass Cutting Machinery

Notice Description

This Framework Agreement for the supply of Grounds Maintenance Machinery is being established on behalf of EA, Primary and Post Primary schools under the control of the EA, Catholic Maintained Schools, Independent Schools in NI, Irish Medium Schools in NI, both Controlled and Voluntary Grammar Schools, Nursery School for NI (both controlled and Catholic Maintained), school meals kitchens on-site at all of these schools, and Controlled Youth Centres. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/contacts/further-education-fe-colleges Further Education Colleges in NI https://www.nicie.org/parents/school-finder/ Grant Controlled Integrated Education Schools in NI https://www.isc.co.uk/schools/northern-ireland/ Independent School in NI Libraries NI https://www.librariesni.org.uk/Libraries/ EA Teachers' and Educational Centres Council for the Curriculum, Examination and Assessment NI (CCEA) Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Middletown Centre for Autism Controlled Schools Support Council (CSSC) Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) Pre-Schools and Nurseries included within the EA's Pre-School Education Programme (PSEP)

Planning Information

Pre Market Enagement Questionnaire (PME) for Grounds Maintenance and Grass Cutting Machinery for the Education Authority and NI Educational Bodies. Interested Suppliers are asked to complete and return the questionnaire via eTendersNI messaging portal by no later than 15:00 hours on 05 May 2026.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0687ad
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098028-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

16 - Agricultural machinery

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

43 - Machinery for mining, quarrying, construction equipment

CPV Codes

16000000 - Agricultural machinery

16100000 - Agricultural and forestry machinery for soil preparation or cultivation

16160000 - Miscellaneous gardening equipment

16310000 - Mowers

16311000 - Lawnmowers

16311100 - Lawn, park or sports-ground mowers

16700000 - Tractors

16710000 - Pedestrian-controlled agricultural tractors

34390000 - Tractor accessories

43325100 - Grounds-maintenance equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£12,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£12,000,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
£12,000,000 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
7 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
8 Jun 2026Expired
Award Date
15 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
1 Nov 2026 - 31 Oct 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
2030-03-01

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Education Authority NI
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BELFAST
Postcode
BT1 2NQ
Postcode Area
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Duncairn
Westminster Constituency
Belfast North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
6
Supplier Names

M Large Tree Services Ltd

D A Forgie

R D Mechanical Services Ltd

A.J. Armstrong & Sons Ltd

Laird Grass Machinery Limited

Downpatrick Farm & Garden Supplies Ltd

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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