Fire Alarm Panel, Detectors and Sounders Replacement

Due to the specialist and proprietary nature of the fire alarm panels and associated components, a direct award is considered the most appropriate and compliant procurement route. The award will be made in accordance with Section 41 (Direct Award in Special Cases) of the Procurement Act 2023.

Given the extensive coverage of the University estate by Protec alarms, and the need for the whole system to be integrated, there would be technical and operational difficulties for a different supplier to replace this part only of the whole system.

The existing fire alarm installation is a Protec addressable system, and replacement works require Protec-specific software, programming capability and commissioning by appropriately trained engineers to maintain system continuity. Use of an alternative contractor would necessitate Protec involvement for commissioning or redesign of the system onto a different manufacturer platform, increasing cost, complexity, programme risk and downtime. A change of manufacturer would also require redesign of detection zoning, introduce compatibility and operational risks, increase commissioning and training requirements, and create long-term inefficiencies by adding another fire alarm platform to the estate, with higher ongoing maintenance costs.

A direct award is therefore considered proportionate and justified due to technical compatibility requirements, the absence of genuine alternative solutions without substantial redesign, the disproportionate cost and programme implications of changing manufacturer platform, and the need to mitigate operational and compliance risk within an appropriate timeframe.