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235_27 Sports Equipment

Leicestershire County Council

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

TenderUpdate

04 Sep 2026 at 11:06

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

06 Aug 2026 at 15:59

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

28 May 2026 at 10:32

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

07 May 2026 at 14:16

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Leicestershire County Council, trading as ESPO, is establishing a closed framework for sports equipment for its catalogues. The goods will be supplied either into ESPO stock or directly to end-user establishments across the United Kingdom, mainly schools, education customers and other public bodies. The opportunity has three lots: general sporting equipment and accessories; sporting essentials for popular sports, including field and court equipment, hockey sticks, table games, sports bags and related items; and ESPO-branded sports equipment. The branded lot requires products featuring the ESPO name and branding. The scope includes sports goods and equipment, paints, water-bottle holders and footballs. Suppliers may offer products for one or more lots, subject to the tender requirements.

The procurement has reached tender: ESPO invited offers through an open procedure. It is a three-lot framework with call-offs either without competition or through further competition between capable appointed suppliers. The tender submission deadline is 11 September 2026 at 12:00 noon, following an extension; enquiries close on 1 September 2026 at 17:00. The framework is intended to run from 1 March 2027 to 31 March 2029, with an extension option of up to 23 months. Estimated values are £2,400,000 gross for Sporting Equipment, £1,200,000 gross for Sporting Essentials and £400,000 gross for ESPO-branded equipment. Lot 1 is evaluated 20% price and 80% quality; Lots 2 and 3 are 80% price and 20% quality. A 1% framework fee on turnover is payable quarterly.

This opportunity suits established sports-equipment manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and specialist suppliers able to provide a broad, reliable range for schools and other public-sector users. Lot 1 particularly suits businesses with varied sports and accessories catalogues, while Lots 2 and 3 suit suppliers focused on essential sports products and competitively priced equipment. The branded lot is relevant to businesses able to design, manufacture or supply products carrying ESPO branding and meet its product requirements. ESPO identifies all three lots as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. Bidders must satisfy economic and technical participation conditions set out in the tender documents, and should be able to support stock supply, direct delivery to end users and potential call-offs with or without further competition.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

235_27 Sports Equipment

Notice Description

ESPO is a trading department of Leicestershire County Council. It is a non-profit making body owned and operated jointly by six local authorities. We provide a catalogue range, providing our customers with access to over 28,000 products that cover all key areas of education and wider public sector requirements. We are establishing a framework for the supply of Sports Equipment for the ESPO catalogues. Goods are for ESPO stock and for direct delivery to ESPO customers. The Framework is divided into 3 lots. Please refer to the tender documents for any further details (including further details on each of the lots) - the closing date for submission of Tenders has been extended to 12:00 (12 noon / 12pm) on 11 September 2026. To tender (please proceed to step (e) if an expression of interest has already been completed): (a) Go to https://www.eastmidstenders.org/ (b) Register (if not already registered on ProContract); (c) Search for tender opportunity 235_27 (via "View Opportunities" from the EastMidsTenders Portal); (d) Express an interest; (e) Download the tender documents (from the ProContract Activity summary screen). Any questions or clarifications relating to this tender opportunity should be submitted to ESPO as a message on the eProcurement Portal, once an Expression of interest has been completed.

Lot Information

Sporting Equipment

The supply of Sports Equipment for ESPO stock and for direct delivery to end user establishments. The purpose of this Lot is to capture a number of suppliers so that ESPO can offer its customers a wide choice of Sports Equipment and Accessories. These products are aimed at customers primarily within the Education sector and other non-departmental public bodies.

Options: ESPO reserves the right to add or remove products (i.e., those products listed within the Framework Pricing Schedule, 235_27) throughout the lifetime of the Framework, so long as they are within the Framework scope.

Renewal: Once the initial period of the contract has ended (i.e., 31 March 2029), there is an option to extend the framework by up to a further 23 months. This is dependent on ESPO, ESPO Customers, and market needs, as well as the performance of sales. Total estimated values captured in this notice include the option to extend the framework as noted above.

Sporting Essentials

The supply of Sports Essentials for ESPO stock and for direct delivery to end user establishments. The purpose of this Lot is to capture a number of suppliers to provide a comprehensive range of high quality and competitively priced products that are essential items for a range of popular Sports. These products are aimed at customers particularly within the Education sector and therefore must be suitable for use within schools and other education environments.

Options: ESPO reserves the right to add or remove products (i.e., those products listed within the Framework Pricing Schedule, 235_27) throughout the lifetime of the Framework, so long as they are within the Framework scope.

Renewal: Once the initial period of the contract has ended (i.e., 31 March 2029), there is an option to extend the framework by up to a further 23 months. This is dependent on ESPO, ESPO Customers, and market needs, as well as the performance of sales. Total estimated values captured in this notice include the option to extend the framework as noted above.

'ESPO' Branded Sports Equipment

The supply of 'ESPO' Branded Sports Equipment for ESPO stock and for direct delivery to end user establishments. The purpose of this Lot is to appoint a supplier(s) who can provide ESPO customers high quality and competitively priced Sports Equipment as part of our ESPO branded range. All products within this Lot will feature the "ESPO" name and branding on the design of the product. These products are aimed at customers particularly within the Education sector and therefore must be suitable for use in schools and other Education environments.

Options: ESPO reserves the right to add or remove products (i.e., those products listed within the Framework Pricing Schedule, 235_27) throughout the lifetime of the Framework, so long as they are within the Framework scope.

Renewal: Once the initial period of the contract has ended (i.e., 31 March 2029), there is an option to extend the framework by up to a further 23 months. This is dependent on ESPO, ESPO Customers, and market needs, as well as the performance of sales. Total estimated values captured in this notice include the option to extend the framework as noted above.

Planning Information

The purpose of the Pre-Market Engagement (PME) is to cover a range of topics designed to best explore our requirements in a possible future procurement. These topics may include: 1. Develop ESPO’s requirements and approach to the procurement. 2. Help better identify suitable suppliers in the market and to understand their supply chains. 3. Understand products/service offerings from suppliers and the marketplace in general. Engagement with suppliers is anticipated to be a mix of methods, including Requests for Information (RFI) hosted on the EastMidsTenders eProcurement Portal (www.eastmidstenders.org), and meetings (both virtual and in-person). Visits to supplier’s premises may also be used where deemed to be of particular use. Suppliers wishing to participate in the engagement process must first express an interest as follows: (a) Go to https://www.eastmidstenders.org/; (b) Register (if not already registered on ProContract); (c) Search for tender opportunity '235_27' (via "View Opportunities" from the EastMidsTenders Portal); d) Express an interest. Suppliers can then access the RFI questionnaire in the ‘Messages’ section via the ‘Activity’ dashboard once an expression of interest has been registered - the deadline for responding to the RFI is 17:00 (5pm) on 03 July 2026. Responses to the RFI as well as any questions or clarifications should be submitted to ESPO as a message on the eProcurement Portal. Notwithstanding the above process, as this procurement exercise is a renewal of an existing ESPO framework, ESPO reserves the right to engage with some, all or none of the incumbent suppliers appointed to the existing ESPO framework, alongside any additional suppliers identified following the above expressions of interests and/or a RFI exercise.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069376
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083810-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

18 - Clothing, footwear, luggage articles and accessories

37 - Musical instruments, sport goods, games, toys, handicraft, art materials and accessories

44 - Construction structures and materials; auxiliary products to construction (except electric apparatus)

CPV Codes

18925100 - Water-bottle holders

18932000 - Sports bags

37400000 - Sports goods and equipment

37411230 - Hockey sticks

37450000 - Field and court sports equipment

37451300 - Footballs

37461000 - Table games and equipment

44810000 - Paints

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,333,333 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£3,333,333 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
11 Sep 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
4 Sep 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Mar 2027 - 31 Mar 2029 2-3 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
Leicestershire County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LEICESTER
Postcode
LE19 1ES
Postcode Area
Leicester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF22 Leicestershire CC and Rutland
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Blaby
Electoral Ward
Enderby
Westminster Constituency
South Leicestershire

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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