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C25062 - Ashford Live Fire Servicing, Maintenance and Repairs

Kent Fire and Rescue Service

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

27 Jul 2026 at 08:46

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

30 Jun 2026 at 08:27

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

17 Jun 2026 at 10:02

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Kent Fire and Rescue Service procured specialist servicing, maintenance and repair services for the smoke capture and filtration system installed at its Ashford Live Fire Training Building. The requirement covers the building’s specialist firefighting and training infrastructure, including repair and maintenance of firefighting equipment, machinery, electrical machinery and associated equipment, and building installations. The system is a bespoke, manufacturer-specific platform that does not use an open protocol. Draeger Safety UK Ltd designed and installed the system and was appointed to provide the continuing technical support. The work is therefore focused on maintaining the safe, compliant and reliable operation of a specialist smoke control system at the Ashford training facility.

The procurement is complete and the contract has been awarded through a direct award to Draeger Safety UK Ltd. The stated basis was the absence of competition for technical reasons: the bespoke, proprietary system requires the manufacturer’s knowledge, components and certification, and the buyer identified no alternative supplier able to service it. The award was made on 30 June 2026, with a gross value of £500,000. The contract was signed on 10 July 2026 and runs from 12 July 2026 to 11 July 2046, covering a 20-year term. There was one completed lot. The contract is active, and the award is above the relevant threshold.

This opportunity demonstrates demand for long-term specialist support of live-fire training infrastructure and systems where safety, continuity and technical integrity are critical. A supplier seeking credibility in comparable work would need direct manufacturer authority or equivalent proprietary system expertise, access to approved components, and the certification required to inspect, maintain, repair and support the installed equipment. Experience with smoke capture and filtration systems, firefighting equipment, machinery, electrical equipment and building installations would be relevant, particularly where work must protect operational safety and maintain compliance. The buyer’s route also shows that ownership of specialist intellectual property and proven technical capability can determine supplier eligibility where a system is bespoke and non-interoperable.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

C25062 - Ashford Live Fire Servicing, Maintenance and Repairs

Notice Description

Kent Fire and Rescue Service have appointed Draeger Safety UK Ltd for the maintenance, servicing, and repair of the Specialist Smoke Capture and Filtration System installed at the Ashford Live Fire Training Building. The installed system is a bespoke, proprietary, non-open-protocol platform designed and manufactured exclusively by Draeger Safety UK Ltd. As a result, the ongoing servicing, maintenance, and technical support of the system needs to be delivered by Draeger Safety UK Ltd, who are the sole provider with the necessary proprietary knowledge, components, and certification to work on their system. Due to the unique and manufacturer specific nature of the system, no alternative supplier is able to provide the required services. The contract has therefore been awarded through a direct award in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 permitting award where competition is absent for technical reasons. This contract will be in place for the life of the system and for the purposes of this notice have a term of 20 years.

Procurement Information

Kent Fire and Rescue Service required a Specialist Smoke Capture and Filtration System for the Ashford Live Fire Training Building. The supplier Draeger Safety UK Ltd were appointed to design and install the required system capable of meeting the specific operational and safety requirements. The installed system is bespoke and not an open protocol platform. As a result, the ongoing servicing, maintenance, and technical support of the system needs to be delivered by Draeger Safety UK Ltd, who are the sole provider with the necessary proprietary knowledge, components, and certification to work on their system. Due to the unique, niche, and manufacturer specific nature of the system, no alternative supplier is able to maintain or service the system. For this reason, a direct award to Draeger Safety UK Ltd is required to ensure continuity, safety compliance, and system integrity.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b69d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070537-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

50 - Repair and maintenance services

CPV Codes

50413200 - Repair and maintenance services of firefighting equipment

50530000 - Repair and maintenance services of machinery

50532000 - Repair and maintenance services of electrical machinery, apparatus and associated equipment

50700000 - Repair and maintenance services of building installations

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£500,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
17 Jun 20262 months ago
Contract Period
12 Jul 2026 - 11 Jul 2046 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Kent Fire and Rescue Service
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
MAIDSTONE
Postcode
ME15 6XB
Postcode Area
Rochester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ45 Mid Kent
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Maidstone
Electoral Ward
Tovil
Westminster Constituency
Maidstone and Malling

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Draeger Safety UK 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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