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Supply of Heavy Lift Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Drones

Lancashire Combined Fire Authority

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

20 Oct 2026 at 17:14

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Lancashire Combined Fire Authority procured up to four heavy-lift uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, to assist firefighters on the ground. The requirement is for firefighting equipment, rather than a general drone service: the buyer sought aircraft capable of supporting operational fire crews. Delivery locations cover areas across England, from the North East and North West through the Midlands and East of England to London and the South West. The buyer is based in Preston and the procurement is associated with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. The stated purchase scope was four drones; no further operational tasks or technical specifications are described in the procurement information.

The procurement is recorded as complete, with an active award and active contract to Colena Ltd. The contract was signed on 7 July 2026 and is valued at £122,693.36. The process used a limited procedure without prior publication of a competition call; the stated rationale was that the procurement was outside the relevant directive’s scope. A framework agreement was involved. Price was the sole stated award criterion. Four bids were received, including three from small and medium-sized enterprises, and all four were submitted electronically. The procurement describes two optional 12-month extensions: 15 July 2028 to 14 July 2029, then 15 July 2029 to 14 July 2030. The purchase was described as four drones, under one lot.

For suppliers of heavy-lift uncrewed aircraft, this award shows a fire authority buying a small fleet for direct support to firefighters. A credible competitor would need to supply aircraft suited to operational use by ground crews and to serve a buyer whose stated delivery coverage spans multiple areas of England. The price-only award basis makes competitive pricing important alongside meeting the requirement; the four bids, three from SMEs, show that smaller suppliers participated in this procurement. The awarded supplier was Colena Ltd. The available description does not establish particular aircraft specifications, certifications, support services or supplier qualifications, so these cannot be treated as demonstrated requirements. The opportunity is most relevant to drone suppliers able to provide heavy-lift systems for firefighting use, rather than firms offering unrelated drone applications.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Supply of Heavy Lift Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Drones

Notice Description

Supply of Heavy Lift Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Drones up to 4 drones

Lot Information

Lot 1

Purchase for 4 drones to assist Fire Fighters on the ground.

Options: 2 X 12 month extensions From 15th July 2028 to 14th July 2029 From 15th July 2029 to 14th July 2030

Procurement Information

Not on any Register

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078c48
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099204-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

35 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment

CPV Codes

35111000 - Firefighting equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£122,693 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Oct 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Lancashire Combined Fire Authority
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
PRESTON
Postcode
PR2 3LH
Postcode Area
Preston
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD4 Lancashire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD45 Mid Lancashire
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Preston
Electoral Ward
Greyfriars
Westminster Constituency
Ribble Valley

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Colena Ltd

Further Information

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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