Defence Online

Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Ref: 022325/S 000-2026
Nature of contract: Service contract
Procedure: Not specified
Regulation of procurement: Not applicable
Type of bid required: Not applicable

UKPGA UK2: Preliminary Market Engagement Notice

I) Contracting Authority/Entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Official name: Ministry of Defence
National registration number: PHVX-4316-ZVGZ

Postal address: Army Headquarters, Blenheim Building, Marlborough Lines, Monxton Road, Andover
Town: Andover
Region: Central Hampshire
Postal code: SP11 8HJ
Country: United Kingdom

Contact Person: Benjamin Hibbs
Telephone: 44 303 386 2044
Email: Benjamin.Hibbs101@mod.gov.uk

Internet address

I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Public authority – central government

II) Object
II.1.1) Title
The Provision of Grass Rest for Military Working Horses at HCMR
Reference number: 715823474

II.1.3) Type of contract
Services

II.1.4) Short description
Description
The provision of a managed temporary grass rest solution for military working horses (MWHs). This will deliver the associated animal enrichment necessary to provide up to 3000 grazing days within 60 minutes of Hyde Park Barracks for short respite periods.
Total value (estimated)
Ex VAT: £333,750.00
Inc VAT: £400,500.00
Contract dates (estimated)
From 01 May 2026 to 31 October 2031
6 Months per year.
Main Procurement category
Service
Engagement process Description
External Weekend Grass Rest for Military working horses (MWHs) -UK2 Preliminary Market Engagement.
The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement Notice (PMEN) is to notify the market of an upcoming tender for a service to provide External Weekend Grass Rest for Military working horses
Please note the following general conditions:
• This PMEN will help us to refine the requirement and conduct market research.
• We reserve the right not to proceed with this procurement. Nothing shall constitute a commitment to instigating a formal procurement process.
• Any and all costs associated with the production of such a response either to the PMEN or any resultant competition must be borne by the Supplier. The Authority will not contribute in any way to meeting production costs of any response.
• Information contained within this document is confidential and must not be revealed to any third party without prior written consent from us.
• No down-selection of Potential Providers will take place as a consequence of any responses or interactions relating to this PMEN.
• We expect that all responses to this PMEN will be provided by Potential Providers in good faith to the best of their ability in the light of information available at the time of their response.
• No information provided by a Potential Provider in response to this PMEN will be carried forward, used or acknowledged in any way for the purpose of evaluating the Potential Provider, in any subsequent formal procurement process that may take place.
• Should a Potential Provider fail to respond to this Supplier Questionnaire, it will not affect any further participation in any possible future procurement for this capability.
OUR AIMS – WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE
• Provide Industry with a greater understanding of the requirement allowing reduced timescales for tender returns. Potentially reducing the number of clarification questions meaning reduced timescales for procurements.
• Have a higher chance of creating a competitive tendering environment and ensuring a higher level of response to your resultant procurement.
• Understand Industry’s viewpoints on significant risks and reducing the need for future amendments and associated costs.
• Determine the most appropriate tender evaluation criteria and terms and conditions.
REQUIREMENT INFORMATION
Once all documentation is finalised, the Authority expect this requirement to be acquired through a competitive procurement run under the Procurement Act 2023.
The contract is valued at £333,750.00 over a term of 6 months once a year over a 5 year period.
Anticipated Contract Start Date – 01st May 2026
This requirement will require a supplier to be located within a 60 minutes’ drive of hype park.
The service provider is expected to employ personnel with the knowledge, skills, and experience to provide animal husbandry support for the care and maintenance of MWHs:
– The contracted support should have commensurate qualifications, aligned with approved governing bodies.
– All contracted workers qualified to either British Horse Society Stage 2 ride and care standard, or equivalent riding and care ability (with proof).
– MWH records (passports) are to be maintained and stored securely within the workplace.
– The service provider follows UK Government information sharing guidance.
The requirement is for a short term grass rest solution which includes the following:
To provide and maintain a facility that enables the operation of a closed herd, where all horses on site have been subject to strangles screening and have received the appropriate vaccinations in accordance with the British Horse Racing Authority. Equine influenza updates and reminders | November 2022 | British Horseracing Authority
A military official will determine the fitness category of each MWH in conjunction with the Regimental Veterinary Officer (RVO). This will be reviewed weekly, to ensure the appropriate level of fitness is maintained.
To provide access to daily paddock turnout when required and allocate adequate grazing (minimum of 0.6 acres per MWH in summer, and 1 acre in Winter) when MWHs are on their scheduled grass rest. Supplementary feeding to be provided when required. Horses may be turned out in small groups of two or four on a daily/medium term basis either shod or unshod.
To provide feed and water for MWHs in accordance with their respective needs, and to ensure that an MOD approved mixture of hard feed, associated supplements and hay/haylage is provided daily.
To provide sufficient work force to ensure the daily grooming of all HCMR MWHs to an agreed standard (free from sweat and saddlery marks, quartered, groomed, and set fair daily). The routine trimming, clipping, mane and tail pulling of all HCMR MWHs, is to be completed as required and when in full time work, MWHs are to be at a parade ready standard at all times. They will be routinely checked by a military official and must be available for veterinary supervision and checks on demand. Livery yard to provide all grooming equipment, tail bandages to go on daily post exercise, to maintain shape. Manes and tails to be pulled as required. Mane and tail spray, fly spray, hoof oil etc to be supplied and applied as required.
To provide WF to assist in the presentation of MWHs for veterinary inspection and for the administration of treatments as instructed by veterinary staff.
In consultation with the RVO the livery yard is responsible for the maintenance of an individual feeding plan for all HCMR MWHs (as per Saracens / HCMR feed scales) and the preparation of all feeds, and to ensure all approved oral medication is administered as directed by the RVO. The MWH condition body score should be maintained at 3.5, with minor variation permitted by horse. An HCMR MWH weight record is to be maintained.
To provide a suitable area for MWHs to be shod, have foot trims, dental reviews and associated veterinary treatments to aid in their well-being.
To provide on-site security commensurate with that of a military establishment. Preferred provider should have an entry-controlled system, CCTV coverage and onsite groom/veterinary provision to provide 24/7 welfare assurance.
The intended impact is to provide sufficient enrichment support to MWHs during the ceremonial season.
What we are looking for
Where possible, are you able to provide a submission of a rough order of magnitude in regard to how much it would cost to fulfil this requirement in full, for 5 years.
2. Do any potential providers have the current capacity to deliver the capabilities? If a potential provider has a solution or is willing to develop a solution that fulfils the requirement, please provide a summary of the solution.
3. Are there any major pit falls, issues or risks with the requirement?
4. What are the most applicable social value missions and outcomes that be achieved in fulfilment of the requirement? (Please see )
5. Are there any outcomes that provide tenderers the best opportunity to deliver greater benefit to social, economic and the environment missions and outcomes through the performance of the potential contract than other outcomes listed in the above link?
POTENTIAL PROVIDER QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
• To ensure that all Potential Providers have equal access to information regarding this Procurement, responses to questions raised by Potential Providers will be published in a questions and answers document, which will be available through the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) .
• Responses to questions will not identify the originator of the question.
· If a Potential Provider wishes to ask a question or seek clarification without the question and answer being published in this way, then the Potential Provider must notify us and provide its justification for withholding the question and any response. If the Authority does not consider that there is sufficient justification for withholding the question and the corresponding response, the Potential Provider will be invited to decide whether:
– the question/clarification and the response should in fact be published; or
– It wishes to withdraw the question/clarification.
Contracting authority
Ministry of Defence
Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHVX-4316-ZVGZ
Blenheim Buliding, Monxton Road,
Andover,
SP11 8HT
United Kingdom
Contact name: Benjamin Hibbs
Email: Benjamin.Hibbs101@mod.gov.uk
Website:
Region: UKJ36 – Central Hampshire
Organisation type: Public authority – central government

II.1.5) Estimated Total Value
Value (including VAT)
400,500
Value (excluding VAT)
333,750
Currency
GBP

II.2) Description
II.2.1) Title
Contract/Lot No
1

II.2.2) CPV codes
Main CPV code
77500000

II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
UKI – LONDON

II.2.7) Contract dates (estimated)
Start
2026-05-01 00:00
End
2031-10-31 23:59
Duration
5 years 6 months

II.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
2026-03-23 23:59

III) Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

VI) Complementary information
Link to source/bidding documents

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
2026-03-12 13:30

VI.6) Engagement information
Engagement deadline
2026-03-19 23:59
Engagement process description
The engagement period is estimated to be from 12/03/2026 to 19/03/2026 and it will include the UK 2 notice.