FOI_26-237 Fire safety equipment maintenance contracts
Date of response: 14 October 2026
We have now considered your request of 18 September 2026 for the following information:
Question 1. Does the University currently have a formal contract in place for fire extinguisher provision across:
b) its corporate estate (e.g. lecture rooms, offices, halls of residence, catering)?
a) any housing stock, staff accommodation, etc
Our response:
a) Yes.
b) Yes.
Question 2. Does the University currently have a formal contract in place for fire extinguisher servicing across:
a) its corporate estate (e.g. lecture rooms, offices, halls of residence, catering catering)?
b) any housing stock, staff accommodation, etc
Our response:
a) Yes.
b) Yes.
Question 3. Does the University currently have a formal contract in place for C02 and Carbon Monoxide detectors
a) its corporate estate (e.g. lecture rooms, offices, halls of residence, catering)?
b) any housing stock, staff accommodation, etc
Our response:
a) Yes.
b) Yes.
Question 4. Does the University currently have a formal contract in place for fire door installation and servicing/testing
a) its corporate estate (e.g. lecture rooms, offices, halls of residence, catering)?
b) any housing stock, staff accommodation, etc
Our response:
a) Yes.
b) Yes.
Question 5. If a contract is in place:
What is the name of the supplier or suppliers appointed to deliver each service/product?
Our response:
Extinguishers and C02 and Carbon Monoxide detectors: OCS
Lot 1 – Fire Safety Works
Supplier
Bell Decorating Group
Aspect Group Services
Ventro Group
Lot 2 – Professional Services
Supplier
Walker Fire
Airey Miller
Global HSE Solutions Ltd
Lot 3 – Fire Remedial Work
Supplier
Bell Decorating Group
Aspect Group Services
Ventro Group
Fire door installation and servicing testing: University Estates Maintenance Team.
Question 5. 1. What is the scope of the contract? (e.g. number of units, types of product, class of product)
Our response:
An internal UEA framework was developed, covering the following LOTs:
• Lot 1 – Fire Safety Works: Covers the supply and installation of fire door sets, fire detection and alarm systems, firefighting equipment, etc.
• Lot 2- Professional Services: Covers various types of fire risk assessments ensuring compliance with PAS 79:2020 standards, creating fire safety strategies and fire management plans.
• Lot 3 - Fire Remedial Work: Covers the delivery of repairs/ upgrade to fire related products and systems, identified through Fire Risk Assessments and/or other means.
Please note that there is no committed spend associated with any of the suppliers awarded a contract under this framework.
Question 5.2. What is the contract duration, including start and end dates and any extension options?
Our response
3 Years with the option to extend for a further 12 months.
Start date: 02 January 2025.
Question 5.3. What is the pricing structure — including the current rate per door inspection?
Our response:
Exempt - s.43(2), Prejudice to commercial interests.
Question 5.4. Was this contract awarded via a framework or dynamic purchasing system? If so, which one?
Our response:
PURCON 2131 is an internal UEA framework which covers fire safety works, professional services, and fire remedial works.
Question 6. If no contract is in place:
Are there any plans to tender for provision or servicing within the next 12 Months, 24 months, 36 months?
Our response:
Not applicable.
Question 5.3 Exemption explanation:
On this occasion, it is not possible to provide all the requested information. The Act contains a number of exemptions that allow public authorities to withhold certain information from release. We have applied the following exemption to part of your request.
Exemption - s.43(2), Prejudice to commercial interests
Reason - Disclosure of information would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of a person as defined by the Act
We have applied this exemption to the pricing structure, including the current rate per fire door. It is our belief that release of this information would prejudice the commercial interests of third parties provided the contracts for Fire door maintenance and servicing.
The s.43(2) exemption applies to information provided during the bidding, tendering and procurement process (the pricing structure). It is our belief, supported by direct evidence provided by that release of this information would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the third party suppliers noted in response to question 5.
The servicing of fire safety equipment and the pricing structure is undoubtedly a commercial activity.
This commercial activity is conducted in a competitive environment. Companies bidding for such contracts need to show competitive pricing, and providing information given during the tendering process would give other parties hoping to compete for this contract in the future an advantage – meaning their pricing could be undercut in a bid to procure this contract.
It is our position that the pricing structures of these contracts is commercially sensitive. Disclosure of this information would be likely to reveal information about the pricing model and unit costs of fire door servicing and fire safety servicing in this competitive environment, such information is important to distinguishing competitors in this market and of great value to such competitors.
We would also maintain that there is likely to be damage to the commercial interests of the third party suppliers. Under FOI, release to one requester can be considered as release to the world. It is our position that release of this information would, in effect, competitors of those third parties with information that would be prejudicial to the commercial interests of the companies.
Use of such information by competitors would put third party suppliers (noted in response to question 5) at a distinct disadvantage in competing for trade in this field and release of the exempted information would detrimentally impact their competitiveness in this market.
Given the competitive nature of the market in question, the commercial sensitivity of the information, we are confident that there is a strong possibility that this information would be used, and that the prejudice would occur.
The application of this exemption requires an examination of the public interest in disclosure as opposed to that in non-disclosure.
The factors in favour of disclosure would include:
• Increasing public understanding of the bidding process, information provided during the tendering and bidding process
• Enhancing the transparency and openness of the procurement process
• Increasing public confidence in the integrity and probity of the procurement process
Factors in favour of withholding the information are largely laid out in the explanation for the use of the exemption above but would include:
• Ensuring there is fair competition for public sector contracts
• Protecting the ability of bidders to compete on a level playing field
• Preventing a distortion of the tendering and procurement process that would have the potential effect of raising costs to the public sector and/or reducing the quality of services procured
After consideration of the above factors, we believe, on balance, that the public interest lies in maintaining in the exemption.