Security Services Tenders UK
Find, track and win UK public sector security services contracts. Updated daily from 600+ procurement sources.
341 live tenders right now
Security services is one of the most consistently active categories in UK public procurement. Councils, NHS trusts, universities, the government estate, and blue-light organisations rely on professional security providers to protect their people, assets, and premises. The category spans manned guarding, CCTV and surveillance, access control, mobile patrols, cash handling, and event security, and because public bodies must advertise contracts above prescribed thresholds, opportunities appear on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder throughout the year.
Winning public-sector security contracts requires more than competitive pricing. Buyers expect SIA licensing compliance, TUPE planning, Real Living Wage commitment, and scored social value. This guide explains how the market works, which routes matter, and how to position your business to win.
Security Services tender activity
How security services tenders are trending
Share of all UK public sector opportunity notices each month (awards excluded). Share is coverage-robust: it is not skewed by the number of sources we monitor, so it reflects genuine market composition.
Latest Security Services tenders
Maritime Spares Transformation Programme
TIQUILA Programme Mini-Uncrewed Air Systems (MUAS) Notice
Provision of Security Guarding Services for the British Embassy Luanda, Angola
CEFAS26-115 ITT for a Small Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
Pulse Oximetry, Capnography and Related Monitoring Technologies
Multi-Column Continuous Chromatography System and Automated Viral Inactivation System
Security Provision
Enfield Town Park Fireworks Event Management
Uniforms, Workwear, PPE, Clothing and Associated Services
The Supply of Mixed PPE - Lot 10
Top Security Services buyers
Security Services tenders by region
1,026 security services contracts expiring in the next 12 months
Worth an estimated £28413.0bn. Pro shows you the contracts in this sector due back out to tender. Upgrade to Pro
Recent awards in Security Services
- ASHLEY & MCDONOUGH LIMITED; ABCA SYSTEMS LIMITED; SEVERNSIDE SECURITY LTD · Salvation Army Homes Door Entry, Gates, Security and CCTV Systems Services Contracts, Salvation Army Housing Association · £3,266,666 · 30 Oct 2026
- Ragnar Security · Enfield Town Park Fireworks Event Management, London Borough of Enfield · £54,000 · 24 Oct 2026
- SSG Support Services Group LTD · Manned Guarding, Front of House & Security Concierge Services, Lancashire County Council · £10,000,000 · 22 Oct 2026
- Protecx Medical Ltd · Protective Lead Aprons, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust · £13,387 · 22 Oct 2026
- Churches Fire Security Ltd · CA17680 - North Warwickshire & South Leicestershire College - Maintenance, Servicing & Monitoring of Fire & Intruder Systems, North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College · 22 Oct 2026
Security Services procurement in the UK
The security services procurement landscape
Public-sector security buyers in the UK are large in number and varied in character. Local authorities procure manned guarding for civic buildings, council offices, and leisure centres, as well as CCTV monitoring and mobile patrol contracts. NHS trusts and NHS Property Services are among the highest-volume buyers, running security operations across hospital sites that operate around the clock, where access control, lone worker protection, and control room staffing are all critical. Universities commission guarding and CCTV across campuses that mix student accommodation and teaching buildings, often with complex shift patterns and a need for conflict resolution capability.
Central government departments have significant requirements spanning access control, gatehouse operations, and counter-terrorism protective security measures at sensitive sites. Police forces, fire and rescue services, and housing associations complete the buyer picture, with housing bodies particularly active in mobile patrols and CCTV monitoring across residential estates.
SIA licensing is a core requirement in virtually every public-sector security tender. The Security Industry Authority licence is mandatory for all frontline operatives providing licensable activities, and buyers require bidders to confirm compliant staffing before commencement. Corporate Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) status is not always mandated but is widely used as a quality signal at evaluation.
How public bodies procure security
Most public bodies use established frameworks rather than running a full open procurement from scratch. The Crown Commercial Service Security Services framework (RM6089) covers manned guarding, keyholding and alarm response, mobile patrol, CCTV monitoring, access control, and event security, and is available to the entire public sector. NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) operates frameworks for health trusts. Regional purchasing organisations including ESPO and NEPO carry security frameworks used by councils, schools, and blue-light services in their areas.
TUPE is a defining feature of security services procurement. Guarding contracts involve substantial site-based workforces and the Transfer of Undertakings, Protection of Employment regulations apply when a contract changes hands. Buyers share employee liability information during the tender process, and incoming suppliers must price the inherited workforce accurately and plan a credible mobilisation.
Real Living Wage compliance and social value weighting are now standard. Many public bodies require all deployed staff to be paid at least the independently accredited Real Living Wage rate. Social value criteria are commonly scored at 10 to 20 per cent of the quality mark, with buyers seeking commitments on local employment, apprenticeships, SME supply-chain spend, and environmental pledges.
Security work beyond the guarding contract
- Fire safety: fire alarm installation and maintenance, fire risk assessments and fire safety training.
- Intruder alarms: alarm installation, monitoring and emergency response.
- Access control: door entry systems, ID badge management and visitor management for secure sites.
- CCTV and surveillance: installation, monitoring and maintenance across public spaces and buildings.
- Key holding and response: out-of-hours key holding and alarm response for public premises.
Know where the specialist work sits
The Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Justice are among the largest buyers of security services in the UK. Courts, prisons and immigration centres need specialist providers with the right clearances, and local authorities buy town centre security alongside building security. Fire safety and alarm work is regularly bundled into wider facilities management contracts, and many councils and NHS trusts fold security into their FM tenders. Look beyond the security label and you find contracts your competitors walk straight past.
How to win Security Services tenders
How to win security services contracts
Framework membership is a significant competitive advantage. Being listed on the CCS Security Services framework or a regional equivalent removes a material barrier for each call-off competition and signals that your SIA compliance and operational systems have already been independently assessed. Apply to the frameworks whose lot structure and geographic coverage best match your service lines.
SIA and ACS compliance must be airtight before you bid. Public buyers will not award contracts to providers who cannot demonstrate an auditable system for tracking licence status, expiry, and renewal across their workforce. Investment in workforce management technology that gives buyers real-time assurance of licence compliance is increasingly a differentiator.
TUPE preparation separates stronger bids from weaker ones. Analyse the employee liability information carefully, model the true cost of the inherited workforce including any enhanced terms, and produce a mobilisation plan specific to the contract rather than generic. Method statements should be grounded in the buyer's own context: reference their estate, shift requirements, and published priorities. On social value, quantify your commitments with measurable targets and explain how you will evidence delivery during the contract term.