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The provision of Lone Worker Solution and Related Services

Royal Berkshire Fire Authority

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

10 Aug 2026 at 12:38

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

28 Apr 2026 at 17:24

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Royal Berkshire Fire Authority is procuring a lone worker solution and related services for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. The requirement covers a third-party service providing continuous alarm monitoring and intervention or escalation when lone workers raise an alert. Suppliers may provide a mobile phone application, standalone devices, or a combination of both. Alarms must be capable of being raised discreetly or overtly. The solution is intended to reduce risks including physical or verbal abuse, accidents, illness and injury for staff working alone. Equipment and services will support the Authority’s operations in Berkshire, with procurement managed from Reading. The requirement includes a range of devices so staff can select an option suited to their role and the nature of their lone-working activities. Related services include health and safety support, alarm monitoring and tracing systems.

The process has reached tender: the buyer invited offers through a below-threshold open competition. It covers one lot and electronic submission is allowed. Questions had to be submitted by 19 August 2026 at 16:00, and offers by 9 September 2026 at 16:00. The initial contract period is 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2029, with options for successive one-year extensions up to 30 November 2031. The estimated value is £40,000 excluding VAT, or £48,000 including VAT. Participation is reserved for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises. Bids must first meet mandatory pass/fail requirements. Compliant bids are then assessed on price, weighted at 45%, and quality, weighted at 55%; the highest combined score wins.

This opportunity suits suppliers of lone worker protection, personal safety technology, alarm receiving centres, mobile safety applications and associated monitoring or tracing services. The provider must be able to operate a dependable 24-hour, 365-day alarm monitoring service and initiate an appropriate intervention and escalation process when alerts are received. The technology should be discrete, reliable, robust, simple and intuitive, with minimal training requirements. Suppliers should be able to offer different device types and support discreet and overt alarm activation. The service currently supports approximately 65 users, with flexibility to increase provision to 85 users during the contract. Experience in health and safety risk management, lone-worker protection, emergency escalation and the operation of resilient monitoring services would be relevant. Small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises are specifically eligible to compete.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

The provision of Lone Worker Solution and Related Services

Notice Description

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) currently employ approximately 65 staff who regularly or occasionally work alone, and who may be at risk of physical/verbal abuse, accidents, illness or injury. Lone worker equipment is currently supplied to staff, as a means of enabling staff members to quickly raise an alarm if required. When alarms are raised, they are monitored by an alarm receiving centre (ARC) which is staffed 24/7/365. They will initiate the escalation process. It is imperative that issues are resolved within the formally agreed timescales. The need for lone worker equipment is determined by the Head of Service responsible for health and safety, via the risk assessment process. The supply of equipment is managed through the Health and Safety Team with individual team managers monitoring usage and managing the escalation contacts for their teams. The range of equipment currently in use is either a stand-alone device or a mobile phone app. The current requirement for approximately 65 users, with the flexibility to increase provision up to 85 users during the Contract Period, subject to orders being placed as and when required. RBFRS has a requirement for the provision of a third party 24/7/365 monitored lone worker solution which could be either a mobile phone application, a stand-alone device, or a combination of the two, that allow alarms to be raised either discreetly or overtly and appropriate intervention and/or escalation to be made as required, in order to minimise any risks that working alone involves. The solution should be discrete, reliable and robust, simple and intuitive to use with minimum training. A range of devices are needed to allow staff to select their preferred choice, based on their role and type of lone working activities.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The Authority shall have the option, at its sole discretion, to extend the Contract until 30 November 2031, in successive one-year increments.

Planning Information

Market Engagement session will be delivered through individual supplier sessions, held across two schedule dates: 20 May 2026 and 26 May 2026. The Engagement sessions will be conducted in physical and in virtual format. The Physical engagement session will be conducted in HQ (Newsham Court, Pincents Kiln, Calcot, Reading, RG31 7SD). Each supplier will be allocated a dedicated time slot and duration will typically be around an hour per supplier. The Session Content for the Market Engagement is as follows: 1. Introduction and purpose of engagement 2. Overview of the project scope and objectives 3. Outline of anticipated procurement timeline 4. Discussion of key technical, commercial and delivery considerations 5. Supplier feedback All sessions will be held on a one-to-one basis. No commercially sensitive information shared by suppliers will be disclosed to other participants. Submitting Expression of Interest 1. Suppliers wishing to participate in the market engagement sessions must submit an Expression of Interest by 13th May 2026. 2. EOIs must be submitted via the designated procurement email address (venur@rbfrs.co.uk). Late submissions may not be accommodated due to scheduling constraints. Supplier will be notified of their confirmed slot shortly after the deadline via email. 3. The slot will be allocate on a First Come First Serve basis.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-068d4e
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075698-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, 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

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

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

CPV Codes

71317200 - Health and safety services

79711000 - Alarm-monitoring services

79714100 - Tracing system services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£40,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£40,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
9 Sep 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Dec 2026 - 30 Nov 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
Royal Berkshire Fire Authority
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
READING
Postcode
RG31 7SD
Postcode Area
Reading
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ16 Berkshire West
Delivery Location
TLJ11 Berkshire
Local Authority
West Berkshire
Electoral Ward
Tilehurst Birch Copse
Westminster Constituency
Reading West and Mid Berkshire

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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