Planning

NEPO217 Winter Bureau, Weather Forecasting & Outstation Maintenance

THE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH EAST COUNCILS LIMITED

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Planning

08 May 2026 at 13:25

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

01 May 2026 at 11:43

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Association of North East Councils Limited is in the planning stage for a tender titled "NEPO217 Winter Bureau, Weather Forecasting & Outstation Maintenance", initiated on 8th May 2026. This procurement will establish an Open Framework aimed at delivering comprehensive services for winter bureau activities, weather forecasting, and RWIS outstation maintenance across various UK regions including UKC, UKD, UKE, UKF, UKG, UKH, UKI, UKJ, and UKK. The planned contract period is from 1st April 2027 to 31st March 2035, with a gross value of £12,000,000. The procurement method utilized is an open procedure under the framework agreement stipulated by the Procurement Act 2023. Currently, NEPO is conducting early market engagement, with a Pre-Market Engagement Questionnaire (PMEQ) deadline set for 12th June 2026, allowing businesses to provide feedback and insights into the proposed procurement framework.

This procurement offers significant growth opportunities for businesses involved in meteorology services, technical services, weather forecasting, and network equipment maintenance. Organisations specialising in weather stations and data management or offering advanced analytics and support services would find themselves well-suited to compete for this framework agreement. By providing integrated solutions that address the operational needs of local authorities, such businesses stand to benefit from long-term contracts and the potential for further competition within the framework. The inclusion of optional services such as enhanced data products and route-based forecasting also opens avenues for innovation and value addition, catering to evolving market demands and technological advancements. Registering as a NEPO Associate Member is necessary to access these opportunities, aligning businesses closely with regional procurement authorities and markets.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

NEPO217 Winter Bureau, Weather Forecasting & Outstation Maintenance

Notice Description

The proposed procurement will establish a single NEPO-led Open Framework for the provision of Winter Bureau services, weather forecasting services, and RWIS outstation maintenance for UK local authorities. The framework will replace the existing NEPO217 (Winter Bureau & Outstation Maintenance) and NEPO230 (Weather Forecasting Services) arrangements and will bring these services together into one solution reflecting how they are used operationally by authorities. The scope is expected to include: Winter Bureau services, including decision support, data management, system availability, resilience and user access to operational winter information. Weather forecasting services, providing locally relevant and operationally defensible forecasts to support winter service decision-making. RWIS outstation maintenance, covering inspection, maintenance, repair, calibration and associated support for existing roadside infrastructure. Optional or modular services, which may include enhanced data products, radar data, route-based forecasting or analytical tools, where supported by market capability and authority demand. The framework will be designed to support continuity of existing systems and infrastructure, recognising recent investment by authorities and avoiding mandated wholesale replacement of assets. Authorities will be able to access services through clearly defined call-off mechanisms, including further competition where appropriate. The Open Framework is expected to operate for up to eight years, with periodic reopening in line with the Procurement Act 2023 to allow for market refresh and potential new entrants. NEPO is a Centralised Procurement Authority as defined in the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23), providing central purchasing activity on behalf of Contracting Authorities. All elements in this notice are subject to change at the sole discretion of NEPO. This notice is intended to inform the market of the potential scope of the procurement, not to be taken as the final agreed version. The agreement will be available to NEPO Member Authorities and all current and future Associate Members. Current Associate Members are listed in the Associate Member section of the NEPO website at: https://www.nepo.org/associate-membership A list of permissible users available at: https://www.nepo.org/associate-membership/permissible-users Organisations wishing to access the NEPO agreement will be required to register as a NEPO Associate Member in the first instance. Further information can be found at: www.nepo.org (https://www.nepo.org)

Planning Information

NEPO intends to undertake early market engagement in support of the proposed renewal and consolidation of NEPO217 - Winter Bureau, Weather Forecasting & Outstation Maintenance. This will be delivered through the publication of a Pre-Market Engagement Questionnaire (PMEQ) via the Open e-Tendering system (www.open-uk.org). The PMEQ will be used to test market appetite, gather feedback on the proposed combined solution, and inform the development of a proportionate and deliverable framework specification under the Procurement Act 2023. Supplier responses will provide insight into market capability, potential risks, and the practical implications of integrating winter bureau, outstation maintenance, and forecasting services within a single procurement. The questionnaire is currently accessible via the Open e-Tendering system, with a deadline of 12 June 2026 for responses. Suppliers wishing to access and complete the questionnaire must be registered on the Open system. Registration is free and can be completed at https://www.open-uk.org Guidance on registering and submitting responses via Open is available through the Open Hub Training Guides at https://www.open-hub.org/training Technical support is available via open.support@nepo.org Open is accessible 24/7, with support services available Monday to Thursday 08:30-17:00 and Friday 08:30-16:30. In addition to the written engagement, NEPO intends to host virtual Pre-Market Engagement sessions on a one-to-one basis with interested suppliers via Microsoft Teams during the PMEQ window. These sessions will provide an opportunity for NEPO to develop a further understanding of the current market and for suppliers to ask questions regarding the proposed solution. Suppliers' PMEQ responses will form the primary basis of discussion during the meetings. Attendance at the sessions will be optional and will not provide any advantage in any subsequent procurement process. An anonymised summary of PMEQ responses and outcomes will be published following the response deadline in order to maintain transparency. Participation in the PMEQ and attendance at the virtual sessions do not constitute an intention to tender, nor do they preclude suppliers from participating in any future procurement related to NEPO217. NEPO reserves the right to amend the engagement timetable or process as necessary.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06903b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042563-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

50 - Repair and maintenance services

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

38127000 - Weather stations

50312310 - Maintenance of data network equipment

71351600 - Weather-forecasting services

71351610 - Meteorology services

71356000 - Technical services

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 May 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
26 Jul 20263 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2027 - 31 Mar 2035 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
THE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH EAST COUNCILS LIMITED
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
GATESHEAD
Postcode
NE8 3DF
Post Town
Newcastle upon Tyne
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC43 Tyneside
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Gateshead
Electoral Ward
Bridges
Westminster Constituency
Gateshead Central and Whickham

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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