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Lost Property

LONDON NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY LIMITED

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

26 Oct 2026 at 11:03

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is planning a redesigned lost-property service for its 13 managed stations. The proposed service has two complementary parts: a digital platform to register, categorise and track items, communicate with customers, match items to owners and support collection, courier arrangements and payments; and a physical service to collect items from stations, transport them securely, store and manage inventory, and return items to customers. The digital system is intended to connect with the physical provider and other relevant LNER systems. The physical service would include secure handling, custody tracking, specialist care for unusual or fragile items, and responsible disposal of unclaimed property. Delivery is across LNER’s managed stations, with centralised storage and logistics forming part of the proposed model.

This procurement is at the planning stage: LNER has set out its intention to procure, but has not invited tenders. It is exploring two lots, one for a digital lost-property management solution and one for logistics, centralised storage and physical item management. The estimated total value is £300,000 excluding VAT (£352,500 including VAT). The proposed contract period is 18 May 2027 to 17 May 2030, with a possible extension to 17 May 2031. LNER expects to hold a supplier engagement session on 16 November 2026 and anticipates publishing a further notice on 1 December 2026. These are planning expectations, not bid deadlines. The indicative physical operating model keeps items in local station arrangements for up to 10 days before transfer to a central provider; LNER prefers a hub-and-spoke approach but welcomes alternatives with demonstrated benefits.

The proposed lots may suit different supplier profiles: digital-platform providers, logistics and storage operators, or businesses able to deliver both parts in coordination. LNER welcomes established digital platforms as well as innovative or alternative technologies. Relevant digital capability includes accessible customer self-service, secure case management, search and automated matching, reliable reporting and audit trails, and integration with other systems; responsible use of artificial intelligence is also of interest. Physical-service suppliers should be able to manage scheduled station collections, secure transport and storage, inventory, chain of custody, customer collection and delivery, and specialist items. The buyer is also looking for responsible reuse, recycling or donation of unclaimed property, sustainable and efficient logistics, and resilient business-continuity arrangements. Small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises are identified as suitable for the proposed lot.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Lost Property

Notice Description

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is exploring opportunities to transform its Lost Property service through the introduction of an innovative, customer-focused and digitally enabled operating model. LNER is seeking to develop an integrated, end-to-end Lost Property service that improves the experience for customers, reduces administrative activity for frontline colleagues and supports the efficient management and repatriation of lost items. Our proposed procurement approach comprises two complementary lots: * Lot 1 - Digital Lost Property Management Solution * Lot 2 - Logistics, Centralised Storage and Physical Lost Property Management The proposed solution would support LNER's 13 managed stations and integrate with a separately provided physical Lost Property management service. Areas of interest include: * Customer experience: Accessible online reporting, self-service tracking, proactive communications and clear customer information. * Operational functionality: Simple item registration, categorisation, photographic records and secure case management for colleagues. * Intelligent matching: Search capabilities, automated matching and opportunities to responsibly apply artificial intelligence. * Integration: Secure information exchange with logistics providers and other relevant LNER systems. * Repatriation: Digital support for ownership verification, customer collection, courier arrangements and payments where applicable. * Management information: Reliable data, performance reporting, audit trails and operational dashboards. * Future development: A scalable, technology-agnostic solution capable of supporting innovation and future railway requirements. LNER welcomes engagement with suppliers offering established digital platforms as well as those providing innovative or alternative technology solutions. LNER is exploring the appointment of a supplier to manage the physical Lost Property journey following transfer from LNER's local station arrangements. The proposed service would cover LNER's 13 managed stations, with the flexibility to support future developments. Under the indicative operating model, items would ordinarily remain within local LNER arrangements for up to 10 days before transferring to a centralised management provider. LNER's initial preference is to explore a hub-and-spoke logistics approach, although alternative solutions that demonstrate operational, customer or commercial benefits would be welcomed. Areas of interest include: * Station and hub logistics: Scheduled collections, consolidation, secure transportation and efficient transfer arrangements. * Centralised storage: Secure receipt, processing, inventory management and storage of lost property. * Chain of custody: Comprehensive tracking, accountability and audit arrangements throughout the physical journey. * Customer repatriation: Convenient collection, courier and delivery options, including appropriate ownership verification. * Specialist handling: Appropriate management of valuable, sensitive, fragile and unusual items. * Retention and disposal: Responsible management of unclaimed property, including recycling, reuse, charitable donation and other approved disposal methods. * Digital integration: Effective interaction with the appointed digital Lost Property platform, ensuring accurate and timely item-status updates. * Sustainability and resilience: Efficient logistics, responsible environmental practices and robust business continuity arrangements.

Planning Information

LNER will be holding a Pre Market Engagement session via teams on 16th November at 13:00hrs - if you would like to attend this session please contact procurement@lner.co.uk - with the title Pre Market Engagement Lost Property solution with the names of your attendees and an invitation to this event will be sent to you.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078fe7
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100898-2026
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, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

63121000 - Storage and retrieval services

72222300 - Information technology services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£300,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Oct 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Dec 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
18 May 2027 - 18 May 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
LONDON NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY LIMITED
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
YORK
Postcode
YO1 6GA
Postcode Area
York
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE2 North Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE21 York
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
York
Electoral Ward
Micklegate
Westminster Constituency
York Central

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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