Fire Command and Control - CFRS

Notice Information

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Notice Title

Fire Command and Control - CFRS

Notice Description

Introduction Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) is seeking information from suppliers capable of providing a modern Fire Control Command and Control solution to support emergency call handling, mobilisation, incident support, resilience, interoperability, and assurance. This Request for Information (RFI) is intended to inform requirements definition, procurement approach, business case development, and market understanding. It is not a formal tender and does not constitute a commitment by CFRS or Cornwall Council to commence any procurement process or to award any contract. Suppliers are invited to provide information on product capability, implementation approach, operating model, support arrangements, indicative timescales, and indicative costs. Background and Strategic Context CFRS has a statutory duty to provide effective arrangements for receiving calls for assistance and mobilising resources to fires, road traffic collisions, rescues, flooding, and other emergencies. The current Command and Control environment is increasingly constrained, less resilient, and not technically fit for future needs. The Service is therefore preparing to procure and implement a replacement Fire Control Command and Control solution. The replacement programme supports delivery of the Community Risk Management Plan, Fire Control Functional Delivery Plan, Service Delivery Strategy, and wider assurance, performance, and resilience requirements. The principal drivers for change include legacy and end-of-life technology, performance and resilience concerns, the need for improved usability and reporting, the need for stronger cyber resilience, and the requirement to align with national standards and modern interoperability expectations. Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service operate from 31 stations with a high proportion (2/3) being solely Retained crewed. Cornwall Fire and Rescues' control room also manages this function for the Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service (5 remote island stations) and any solution will include provision of the Command and Control requirements for the Isles of Scilly as well. Cornwall is surrounded by water with only one other adjoining Fire and Rescue boundary with the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. Service Headquarters is located at Tolvaddon, Cornwall. The current system is installed in a server room on site but the server benefits from the wider support, resource and technical capacity of Cornwall Council as its umbrella organisation. Cornwall's unique location and geography can present challenges for on site support so there is an expectation that the new solution will have a cloud element to it. Suppliers should therefore explain how their proposed solution aligns with Cornwall Council's wider cloud direction, including how the design reduces dependency on local infrastructure, supports remote maintenance and management, and maintains operational resilience for a mission-critical control environment. Current Environment The current environment includes a legacy computer-aided dispatch / command and control platform, associated communications and interoperability components, linked telephony and mobilising arrangements, and a number of dependent interfaces and support arrangements. The current environment contains technical and operational complexity resulting from legacy infrastructure, multiple support boundaries, and a mixture of supplier, local service, and council IT dependencies. On site there are 8 control room operator positions, plus a technical service position, all running a Windows Operating System. There is also a server room on site with 2 physical Multitone CCP's. Command and Control server applications currently sit on virtual servers, hosted on a Nutanix virtualized environment on site. Network infrastructure is provided by Cornwall Council. MAIT (Multi Agency Incident Transfer) is currently provisioned via a web link to MAITweb, but an indication of embedded functionality would be helpful. Short-term maintenance and technical refresh activity is being undertaken to preserve service continuity while full re-procurement is progressed. Scope of Information Requested CFRS is seeking information relating to the provision of a resilient, modern, scalable Fire Control Command and Control solution. This may include software, platform, managed service, hosted service, implementation services, support, maintenance, resilience arrangements, disaster recovery and associated integration capability. CFRS is interested in understanding both direct system provision and broader managed or hosted service models where relevant. Desired Outcomes * Improved operational resilience and continuity of the statutory Fire Control function. This should include the ability to establish a working capability off (the headquarters) site but not necessarily a second control room. * Improved call handling and mobilisation performance * Improved usability for operators, supervisors, and support staff * Improved reporting, assurance, management information, and auditability * Improved cyber resilience, security, and supportability with accreditation * Improved interoperability with partner organisations and other emergency services * Improved resilience for communications to third party systems including our call recording systems, availability management system, Mobile Data Terminals, vehicle navigation devices and Fire Service national incident recording systems. * A sustainable, scalable solution that offers value for money over the contract lifecycle * A delivery model that supports future requirements, standards, and change * A smooth and timely transition from the existing on-premise solution to a cloud hosted service * Minimal, if any, downtime for maintenance and technical outages. * Management of incidents via modules or functionality such as Immediate Building Evacuation/Fire Survival Guidance/Marauding Terror Attacks/cordons. (Please specify standard and optional modules if applicable).

Planning Information

Purpose of this RFI The purpose of this RFI is to enable CFRS to understand the current supplier market and available solution models. Responses will be used to refine requirements, shape the commercial approach, understand delivery and transition options, assess implementation risk and affordability, and inform future procurement documents. Supplier Response Format Requirements Suppliers wishing to participate in this market engagement exercise should contact Alex Kirk (Alex.Kirk@cornwall.gov.uk) and Jon Burley (Jon.Burley@fire.cornwall.gov.uk) to request a copy of the RFI document. The RFI document contains the same background and contextual information included within this engagement notice, together with the specific RFI questions that suppliers are invited to respond to. These questions are not included within this engagement notice and can only be obtained by requesting the RFI document via email. Suppliers should structure their responses in accordance with the numbering, format, and sequence of the questions set out in the RFI. Responses should be concise, relevant, and directly address the information requested. Supporting documentation should only be provided where necessary and must be submitted as separate attachments, with clear references included within the relevant response text to indicate the associated document. Completed submissions should be emailed to Alex Kirk and Jon Burley using the email addresses provided within the RFI document. Any questions relating to the submission requirements should also be directed to Alex Kirk and Jon Burley. Market Engagement Process and RFI Conditions The deadline for suppliers to submit responses to the RFI questions is 5:00pm on Wednesday 5 August 2026. The Council will host a supplier Q&A session from 11:30am to 1:00pm on Wednesday 8 August 2026. Attendance is open to all interested suppliers and the session will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. Suppliers wishing to attend should email Alex Kirk and Jon Burley with the names of attendees. The session will provide an opportunity for suppliers to ask questions regarding both the market engagement process and the contract requirement. The Council will have a number of relevant stakeholders in attendance and will endeavour to answer questions raised during the session. However, the Council reserves the right to provide written responses following the session where it is unable, or chooses not, to answer a question verbally at the time. The session will be recorded. The Council is also considering, and currently expects it is likely, that a series of supplier 1-to-1 engagement sessions will be held following review of the RFI responses. Only suppliers that submit a response to this RFI will be eligible to participate in any such sessions. Confirmation of whether these sessions will take place, together with details regarding dates, timings, format and arrangements, will be communicated following receipt and evaluation of the RFI responses. Should the sessions proceed, the Council anticipates that suppliers will be given an opportunity to present key aspects of their proposed solutions, which may include software demonstrations and related discussions. Suppliers should note that this RFI is a market engagement exercise only and does not constitute a call for competition or a formal procurement process. The Council reserves the right to amend, pause, or discontinue this engagement at any time. Participation in this RFI will not confer any advantage, preference, or guarantee of invitation to any future procurement process. The Council may contact respondents following submission to seek clarification, discuss responses in greater detail, invite suppliers to presentations, or arrange follow-up workshops. Suppliers should clearly identify any information contained within their responses that they consider to be confidential or commercially sensitive.

Notice Details

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Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID: ocds-h6vhtk-06c1c7
Publication Source: Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/061965-2026
Current Stage: Planning
All Stages: Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type: UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type: Standard
Procurement Category: Goods
Procurement Method: Not Specified
Procurement Method Details: Not specified
Tender Suitability: Not specified
Awardee Scale: Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions: 48 - Software package and information systems
CPV Codes: 48000000 - Software package and information systems

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value: £16,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value: Not specified
Awards Value: Not specified
Contracts Value: Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date: 1 Jul 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline: Not specified
Future Notice Date: 4 Jan 20277 months to go
Award Date: Not specified
Contract Period: 1 Nov 2027 - 31 Oct 2032 Over 5 years
Recurrence: Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status: Planning
Lots Status: Planning
Awards Status: Not Specified
Contracts Status: Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

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Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer: CORNWALL 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: TRURO
Postcode: TR1 3AY
Post Town: Truro
Country: England
Major Region (ITL 1): TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2): TLK3 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Small Region (ITL 3): TLK30 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Delivery Location: TLK3 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Local Authority: Cornwall
Electoral Ward: Truro Boscawen & Redannick
Westminster Constituency: Truro and Falmouth

Further Information

Notice Documents

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/061965-2026
1st July 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Notice URLs

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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JSON Markdown

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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