Official UK procurement notice
Preliminary Market Engagement Notice – Isles of Scilly Ambulance Boat Replacement
Authority: South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionEarly Market Engagement
Meet the Buyer Event: Monday, 3rd November 2025
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is seeking early engagement with the market regarding the future provision of the ambulance boat service for the Isles of Scilly.
The current vessel, which has served the islands for over 25 years, is approaching the end of its operational life. Maintenance costs are rising, and sourcing replacement parts is increasingly difficult. To ensure the continuity of a safe, reliable, and sustainable ambulance service for the Isles of Scilly, SWASFT is exploring options for either:
The procurement of a new replacement vessel, or
The engagement of a service provider to deliver an alternative solution that meets the operational and clinical needs of the community.
We are open to innovative proposals and welcome input from suppliers with relevant expertise in marine transport, emergency services, and remote healthcare logistics.
Meet the Buyer Event Details
Date: Monday, 3rd November 2025
Format: Virtual and/or in-person (details to be confirmed)
Purpose: To engage with potential suppliers, share background information, and gather market insight ahead of formal procurement.
How to Register Interest
Suppliers interested in attending the Meet the Buyer event or contributing to the market engagement process should contact:
Lewis Wells
Senior Procurement Contract Manager
Email: lewis.wells@swast.nhs.uk
Please register your interest by Friday, 25th October 2025.
CPV: Patient-transport vehicles · Water-tender vehicles
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedProcedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Past planning notice
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 22 Sept 2025, 20:28 BST
- Last source update
- 22 Sept 2025, 20:28 BST
- Authority reference
SWAST-5066-F- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-058714- Latest notice
- Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-059fb0Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
22 Sept 2025 → 1 Apr 2026 · 4 dates- Planning notice published400 days ago22 Sept 2025, 20:28 BST
- Market engagement361 days ago31 Oct 2025, 23:59 GMT
Meet the buyer event hosted by SWASFT.
- Tender notice expected269 days ago31 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract starts210 days ago1 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Preliminary market engagement notice published22 Sept 2025, 20:28 BSTUK2
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Pipeline notice- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender