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WNC Security Services - Core Guarding

West Northamptonshire Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

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11 Aug 2026 at 14:40

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

West Northamptonshire Council is procuring professional manned guarding services across its council-owned and managed estate, including high-profile, public-facing and critical premises. The service is intended to protect council employees, contractors, service users, visitors, vulnerable individuals, children, members of the public, buildings and other assets. Delivery covers varied sites and shift patterns of up to 12 hours, with security coverage required for up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The requirement includes core guarding, continuity of coverage and relief provision. This is a security services opportunity for providers able to operate across a multi-site local authority estate and maintain reliable, customer-focused guarding standards.

The procurement is complete and was awarded by direct award to 1ST REACTION SECURITY LIMITED. The award date is 11 August 2026, for a contract running from 11 August 2026 to 10 August 2027. The awarded value is £1,033,510.75 excluding VAT, or £1,240,212.90 including VAT. The council used the direct award route because extreme and unavoidable urgency required immediate replacement security provision and continuity following recent service incidents. The arrangement is intended as a 12-month interim contract while mobilisation, stabilisation and a longer-term competitive procurement are completed. Additional hours may be required for late building use, meetings, training and maintenance. The single lot was suitable for SMEs.

This procurement indicates sustained demand from West Northamptonshire Council for a security provider capable of mobilising quickly across multiple operational and public-facing sites. A credible competitor would need robust recruitment, screening and vetting, including enhanced checks and DBS checks where required, with all personnel holding current Security Industry Authority licences and role-relevant accreditations. The service model also requires ongoing training and professional development, a pool of trained and authorised relief staff, and the operational capacity to cover planned and unplanned absence. Providers should be able to maintain shifts of up to 12 hours and continuous coverage throughout the week, while demonstrating service continuity, consistent security standards, local operating knowledge, suitable infrastructure and minimal disruption during mobilisation.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

WNC Security Services - Core Guarding

Notice Description

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) requires the provision of professional Manned Guarding Services across its estate. Services will be delivered at a range of Council-owned and managed premises, including high-profile, public-facing locations. The effective delivery of these services is critical to maintaining the security of Council premises and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Council employees, contractors, service users, visitors, vulnerable individuals, children, and members of the public. WNC require a reliable, customer-focused and professional security service, operating across a variety of sites with shift patterns ranging up to 12 hours and covering requirements of up to 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. They shall demonstrate robust recruitment, screening and vetting procedures and ensure that all security personnel, hold the appropriate current Security Industry Authority (SIA) licences and accreditations relevant to their role and are subject to enhanced recruitment checks, including DBS checks where required. * The Service Provider shall ensure ongoing training and professional development for all personnel assigned to the Contract. * The Service Provider shall maintain a pool of appropriately trained and authorised relief staff capable of covering planned and unplanned absence. * The Service Provider must provide assurance that service continuity, security standards and contractual obligations will be maintained at all times.

Procurement Information

The Council determined that continuation of the existing contractual arrangements was no longer appropriate.The resulting requirement to secure replacement security services at short notice has created a situation of extreme and unavoidable urgency.The need to secure immediate replacement security provision was not reasonably foreseeable and has arisen from the occurrence of recent service incidents rather than any act or omission of the Council. The Council must ensure that appropriate security arrangements are in place immediately upon termination of the existing contract in order to avoid any gap in service provision which would create unacceptable risk of interruption to service. Any interruption to security provision would create unacceptable risks to public safety, the security of Council employees, members of the public, Council property and other assets. West Northamptonshire Council requires the uninterrupted provision of security guarding services across a number of operational, public-facing and critical Council sites. The Council therefore considers it strictly necessary to implement replacement arrangements without delay in order to ensure continuity of security services and maintain appropriate security coverage across its estate. The direct award is considered strictly necessary for a 12-month term to ensure continuity of critical services, allow for sufficient time for mobilisation, operational stabilisation, implementation of the replacement arrangements and completion of a longer-term compliant competitive procurement exercise. The Council has considered a shorter contract duration but concluded that a shorter period would create a significant risk of procurement activity needing to commence before service delivery has stabilised following transition from the incumbent provider. The contract does not include extension options and is intended solely as an interim arrangement pending implementation of a longer-term procurement solution. The Council does not have sufficient time to undertake a competitive procurement process, including an accelerated competitive procedure available for urgent competitive procedures under section 54(3)-(4) of the Procurement Act 2023, before replacement arrangements are required. A direct award is therefore being made pursuant to section 41 and paragraph 13 of Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 on the basis that it is strictly necessary on the grounds of extreme and unavoidable urgency. 1st Reaction has been identified as a supplier capable of mobilising within the required timescales and maintaining continuity of service. Currently they are delivering services to the Council Lot 4 - out of hours, monitoring and maintenance provision. The supplier possesses the operational capability, local knowledge, infrastructure and resources required to mobilise and deliver the services from commencement of the contract with minimal disruption to service delivery.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e17f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076292-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
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Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79713000 - Guard services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,033,510 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
11 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
11 Aug 2026 - 10 Aug 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
West Northamptonshire 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
NORTHAMPTON
Postcode
NN1 1ED
Postcode Area
Northampton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF24 West Northamptonshire
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
West Northamptonshire
Electoral Ward
Castle
Westminster Constituency
Northampton North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

1ST REACTION SECURITY LIMITED

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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