Open22 days left · closes midday, Thursday 22 October 2026

Ground Care, Agricultural and Plant Equipment for Defra Group Fleet Services

Environment Agency · Central government

In brief

Environment Agency is looking for suppliers for this contract (UK-wide).

The estimated value is £69,876,145 excluding VAT.

The contract runs for 4 years, up to 6 years with extensions, starting 1 March 2027.

It is split into 4 lots, so a supplier can bid for part of the work.

The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Bids close at midday, Thursday 22 October 2026.

Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.

Can I win this?

Key dates

Questions by: midday, Thursday 10 September 2026
Bids by: midday, Thursday 22 October 2026

How bids are scored

Technical 30% · Sustainability 20% · Commercial 50%

A balance of quality and price.

Competition

Usually low: a median of 2 bids per contract for this buyer (from 29 awards in the last 12 months).

The buyer expects to buy this again around July 2032.

What the notice says

Defra Group Fleet Services requires modern, sustainable, and optimised ground care, agricultural and plant equipment to support operational delivery across the group. The purpose of this project is to establish long-term, Defra group-wide contract(s) for the supply of ground care, agricultural and plant equipment, led by the Environment Agency (as the main customer), with access available for the whole group. The contract(s) will provide a consistent, streamlined, and effective approach to sourcing ground care, agricultural and plant assets, ensuring operational readiness across Defra group sites. The procurement is split into 4 lots. The Authority is committed to supporting SME participation. Regional lotting was considered during procurement design but was not adopted due to operational, commercial and contract management considerations. Bidders may bid as a consortium and subcontracting arrangements are permitted. Regional suppliers are encouraged to collaborate where appropriate to deliver the requirement.

Should I bid?

Tick what applies to you. Nothing is saved.

Can you prepare a good bid in 22 days?Leave time for clarification questions and sign-off.
Is a contract of about £69,876,145 a size you can deliver?Buyers often check that your turnover is comfortably larger than the yearly contract value.
Can you deliver in locations across the UK?Check the delivery locations in the tender documents.
Is one of the 4 lots a good fit?You can usually bid for one lot without bidding for the others.
Are you registered on the Central Digital Platform?You need to be registered to take part under the Procurement Act 2023.
The buyer says this suits small businesses.A good sign if you are an SME, but check the requirements.

How to bid

Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
Register your organisation on the Central Digital Platform (through Find a Tender) if you have not already. Suppliers need to be registered to take part in procurements under the Procurement Act 2023.
Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.
Send clarification questions before midday, Thursday 10 September 2026.
Make sure your bid arrives before midday, Thursday 22 October 2026. Late bids are usually rejected.

Lots

Lot	Trade	Value
Plant and Towable Plant 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2031 What this lot covers General purpose trailers, plant trailers, tipper trailers, box trailers, trailers up to 3.5 tonnes, water bowsers, pressure washers, mobile lighting towers, generators, messing units, welfare units, aerators/oxygenators, fuel bowsers and compressors.	—	£4,393,468
Agricultural Equipment 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2031 What this lot covers Pedestrian flail mowers, all-terrain mowers, robotic frail mowers, remote-controlled mowers, remote-controlled flail mowers, quad bikes, woodchippers, tractors, reach mowers, ride-on and ride-in mowers and tractor winches.	—	£39,057,686
Heavy Plant 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2031 What this lot covers Tracked dumpers, telehandlers, excavators, mini excavators, compact excavators, 11.5 tonne excavators, 12 to 18 tonne excavators and over 18 tonne excavators.	—	£13,558,516
Aquatic Plant 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2031 What this lot covers Weed harvesters and weed boat track and paddles.	—	£12,866,475

Timeline

23 March 2026Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 026488-2026
4 June 2026Pipeline notice · UK1, notice 053062-2026
19 August 2026Tender notice · UK4, notice 079052-2026
19 August 2026Tender notice · UK4, notice 079057-2026
8 September 2026Tender notice · UK4, notice 084861-2026

About the buyer

Environment AgencyLast 12 months

Procurements

151

Awards

101

Suppliers it has used most

Jeremy Benn Associates Limited9 contracts
AECOM Limited5 contracts
WSP UK Limited5 contracts
Water Research Centre Limited5 contracts
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology3 contracts
CAB International2 contracts
Eunomia Research and Consulting Ltd2 contracts
HR Wallingford2 contracts

All tenders and awards from Environment Agency

From notice 026488-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 23 March 2026, last updated 8 September 2026. We last checked for changes on 28 September 2026.