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Provision of Worldwide Conveyance Services of HM Forces Mail

Ministry of Defence

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Planning

08 Sep 2026 at 11:24

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

10 Aug 2026 at 11:41

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Ministry of Defence, through the British Forces Post Office (BFPO), is considering a worldwide mail conveyance service supporting UK Armed Forces personnel, Defence civil servants and eligible families. The service would collect, transport, process, handle and deliver letters, large letters, small packets and parcels between the UK and permanent overseas locations, deployed operations, exercises, HM Ships and remote destinations. Potential scope includes scheduled and urgent or ad hoc international mail movements, freight forwarding through air carriers and express couriers, customs management, tracking and tracing, airport and UK road trunking, secure witness loading and specialist freight forwarding, and Entry Summary Declaration filing for relevant EU movements. This is a logistics and postal conveyance services requirement, with road transport, parcel delivery, scheduled and non-scheduled airmail and courier elements. Delivery activity covers the UK and worldwide routes.

This procurement is at the planning stage. The Ministry of Defence is conducting voluntary preliminary market engagement through a Request for Information; responses are not formally evaluated and this is not a call for competition. The Authority wants views on capability, delivery models, pricing, risk, resilience, innovation, lotting, evaluation and the future commercial structure. RFI clarification questions are due by 16:00 on 14 September 2026 and responses by 16:00 on 23 September 2026. Tender documents are expected in November 2026, subject to change. The anticipated procurement is above threshold and currently planned as one service lot, with the structure still under review. The estimated value is £12,060,000 excluding VAT (£14,472,000 including VAT). The anticipated contract runs from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2029, with renewal provision extending potentially to 31 March 2031.

When this requirement reaches the market, it is likely to suit logistics, freight-forwarding, postal, courier, parcel, defence-support, regulated air-cargo, customs-compliance, IT customs-filing and road-trunking providers. The Authority is seeking suppliers able to provide worldwide transport networks and flexible collection and delivery, including support for unpredictable operational movements, HM Ships and deployed military operations. Relevant capability includes secure handling and storage, airport and road movements, witness loading, customs documentation and EU Entry Summary Declaration filing, together with reliable tracking and tracing. Suppliers should be prepared to demonstrate appropriate aviation, freight-forwarding and customs accreditations, compliance with transport, customs, security and health and safety legislation, and robust business continuity and resilience for sensitive government and military operations. Public-sector or defence experience is desirable, and the market exercise accepts responses covering all or part of the requirement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Worldwide Conveyance Services of HM Forces Mail

Notice Description

The Ministry of Defence, acting through the British Forces Post Office (BFPO), intends to procure a comprehensive global mail conveyance service to support the delivery and return of Forces mail and courier services worldwide. BFPO's mission is to provide an efficient, effective and resilient postal and courier service in order to sustain the fighting power of UK Armed Forces worldwide. BFPO delivers postal services to Service Personnel, Defence Civil Servants and entitled family members located across the globe through a combination of military and commercial transportation networks. The Authority is considering a requirement that may include some or all of the following service elements: Scheduled Worldwide Mail Conveyance International inbound and outbound mail conveyance services. Freight forwarding through commercial air carriers and express courier networks. Customs management and associated documentation. Provision of tracking and tracing services. Non-Scheduled (Ad Hoc) Worldwide Mail Conveyance Urgent and operational mail movements. Support to HM Ships and deployed military operations. Flexible worldwide collection and delivery capability. Airport Road Trunking Routine movement of mail between BFPO Headquarters and designated airport cargo facilities. Handling, storage and secure transportation of military mail consignments. UK Road Trunking Collection and delivery services between BFPO, Royal Mail facilities, RAF Brize Norton and other Defence locations. Provision of suitable vehicles, drivers and associated operational support. Witness Loading and Specialist Freight Forwarding Services Support for secure international movement of designated consignments. Airport handling and customs liaison activities. Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) Filing Services Submission and management of customs declarations and associated regulatory requirements. Support for BFPO requirements relating to the movement of mail into EU territories. Key Requirements Potential suppliers should be capable of demonstrating: Proven experience in international freight forwarding, mail conveyance or logistics services. Access to worldwide transportation networks. Appropriate aviation, freight forwarding and customs accreditations. Robust track and trace capabilities. Ability to operate within secure and sensitive government environments. Compliance with all applicable UK transport, customs, security and health and safety legislation. Business continuity and resilience arrangements capable of supporting operational military requirements. Experience supporting public sector or defence customers is desirable.

Planning Information

This is a Preliminary Market Engagement Notice (UK2) issued to inform the market of early engagement activities in a Request for Information (RFI). Participation in this exercise: • Is voluntary • Will not be formally evaluated • Will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement The British Forces Post Office (BFPO) provides postal services in support of UK Armed Forces personnel, civil servants and their families stationed or deployed worldwide. BFPO’s operational requirement is to enable the reliable, secure, compliant and resilient movement of mail and parcel traffic between the UK and its global network of permanent locations, deployed operations, HM Ships and other Defence activities. The Authority is undertaking this RFI to understand current market capability, available delivery models, commercial and pricing approaches, supplier appetite, risk allocation, resilience, innovation and potential procurement structures for the future provision of worldwide mail conveyance services. The Authority is also seeking industry views on how the future requirement could best be structured, packaged, routed and priced before determining any future procurement approach. This RFI is intended to test the market’s view of the requirement and is not intended to confirm that the current service architecture, routes, lots or pricing structure will be adopted in any future procurement. Responses may inform the future Statement of Requirement, procurement strategy, commercial model, lotting strategy, evaluation approach and contract documentation. Requirement Overview The future requirement is expected to involve the collection, movement, processing, handling and delivery of BFPO mail, including letters, large letters, small packets and parcels, between designated UK and overseas locations. The service must support a diverse range of operational and non-operational destinations, including permanent overseas bases, deployed operations, exercises, HM Ships and remote locations, whilst maintaining compliance with applicable postal, customs, security, aviation, road transport and wider regulatory requirements. The Authority welcomes responses from organisations with relevant experience in international logistics, freight forwarding, postal conveyance, courier and parcel services, defence support services, regulated air cargo, customs and compliance services, IT customs filing solutions, road trunking or related sectors. Respondents may provide information in relation to all or part of the requirement. Current service structure being tested through market engagement For the purpose of this market engagement, the Authority is describing the current requirement by reference to five potential service areas. These are provided to assist suppliers in understanding the current operating model and should not be interpreted as the Authority’s final lotting strategy or preferred future delivery model: 1. Scheduled Mail Conveyance — routine inbound and outbound Forces mail services to static and enduring overseas locations using commercial air carriers or express couriers. 2. Non-scheduled / Ad Hoc Mail Conveyance — inbound and outbound mail services to worldwide locations, including HM Ships, where taskings may be un-programmed, unpredictable or infrequent. 3. Road Trunking — current road movement requirements associated with BFPO mail operations, including: o Airport road trunking between HQ BFPO and London Heathrow, or another pre-arranged Southeast airport, for delivery and collection of mail to/from commercial air carriers and express couriers; and o UK road trunking, including Royal Mail Greenford Mail Centre, HQ BFPO, RAF Brize Norton and Defence Mail Centre movements as currently described in the Draft Statement of Requirement (StOR). 4. Witness Loading — freight-forwarding support for the booking, coordination and witness loading/unloading of Protectively Marked Materiel (PMM) moved by AKE between London Heathrow and Dulles International Airport, Washington. 5. Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) / Import Control System 2 (ICS2) Filing — third-party IT service provider support to access the EU customs electronic data interchange and submit ENS filings for relevant mail movements. The Authority is specifically seeking market feedback on whether these service areas should be procured together, separately, in different combinations, or through an alternative structure that better reflects market capability, competition, operational resilience, accountability and value for money. Suppliers interested in participating in this RFI should: 1.Register via: https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=61397 2. Access the RFI documentation 3. Submit responses by: 16:00 on 23 Sep 2026. Clarification Questions by 16:00hrs on 14 Sep 2026 to DESOD-DRDTContractRelet@mod.gov.uk The Authority reserves the right to: • Amend or discontinue this engagement • Use information gathered to inform any future procurement • This notice is not a call for competition. Estimated date for Tender documents is November 2026 – This date may be subject to change

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06dfea
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084787-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

64 - Postal and telecommunications services

CPV Codes

60112000 - Public road transport services

60161000 - Parcel transport services

60411000 - Scheduled airmail transport services

60421000 - Non-scheduled airmail transport services

64111000 - Postal services related to newspapers and periodicals

64113000 - Postal services related to parcels

64114000 - Post office counter services

64121000 - Multi-modal courier services

64121200 - Parcel delivery services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£12,060,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Sep 20264 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
23 Sep 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2029 2-3 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
Ministry of Defence
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
RUISLIP, MIDDLESEX
Postcode
HA4 6DQ
Postcode Area
Harrow
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI7 Outer London - West and North West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI74 Harrow and Hillingdon
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Hillingdon
Electoral Ward
South Ruislip
Westminster Constituency
Uxbridge and South Ruislip

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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