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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Provision of Worldwide Conveyance Services of HM Forces Mail

Ministry of Defence · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 24 Sept 2026, 08:37.

Opportunity overview

The Ministry of Defence, acting through the British Forces Post Office (BFPO), intends to procure a comprehensive global mail conveyance service to support the delivery and return of Forces mail and courier services worldwide. BFPO's mission is to provide an efficient, effective and resilient postal and courier service in order to sustain the fighting power of UK Armed Forces worldwide. BFPO delivers postal services to Service Personnel, Defence Civil Servants and entitled family members located across the globe through a combination of military and commercial transportation networks. The Authority is considering a requirement that may include some or all of the following service elements: Scheduled Worldwide Mail Conveyance International inbound and outbound mail conveyance services. Freight forwarding through commercial air carriers and express courier networks. Customs management and associated documentation. Provision of tracking and tracing services. Non-Scheduled (Ad Hoc) Worldwide Mail Conveyance Urgent and operational mail movements. Support to HM Ships and deployed military operations. Flexible worldwide collection and delivery capability. Airport Road Trunking Routine movement of mail between BFPO Headquarters and designated airport cargo facilities. Handling, storage and secure transportation of military mail consignments. UK Road Trunking Collection and delivery services between BFPO, Royal Mail facilities, RAF Brize Norton and other Defence locations. Provision of suitable vehicles, drivers and associated operational support. Witness Loading and Specialist Freight Forwarding Services Support for secure international movement of designated consignments. Airport handling and customs liaison activities. Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) Filing Services Submission and management of customs declarations and associated regulatory requirements. Support for BFPO requirements relating to the movement of mail into EU territories. Key Requirements Potential suppliers should be capable of demonstrating: Proven experience in international freight forwarding, mail conveyance or logistics services. Access to worldwide transportation networks. Appropriate aviation, freight forwarding and customs accreditations. Robust track and trace capabilities. Ability to operate within secure and sensitive government environments. Compliance with all applicable UK transport, customs, security and health and safety legislation. Business continuity and resilience arrangements capable of supporting operational military requirements. Experience supporting public sector or defence customers is desirable.

Classification

  • CPV60112000 — Public road transport services
  • CPV60161000 — Parcel transport services
  • CPV60411000 — Scheduled airmail transport services
  • CPV60421000 — Non-scheduled airmail transport services
  • CPV64111000 — Postal services related to newspapers and periodicals
  • CPV64113000 — Postal services related to parcels
  • CPV64114000 — Post office counter services
  • CPV64121000 — Multi-modal courier services
  • CPV64121200 — Parcel delivery services

Lots

  • Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
715913500
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
Yes
Status
planned

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Communication

Future Notice Date
23 Sept 2026, 23:59

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Has Renewal
Yes
Status
planned

Suitability

Sme
Yes

Contract period

Starts
1 Apr 2027, 00:00
Ends
31 Mar 2029, 23:59
Max Extent Date
31 Mar 2031, 23:59

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
60112000
Description
Public road transport services
Entry 2
Scheme
CPV
Id
60161000
Description
Parcel transport services
Entry 3
Scheme
CPV
Id
60411000
Description
Scheduled airmail transport services
Entry 4
Scheme
CPV
Id
60421000
Description
Non-scheduled airmail transport services
Entry 5
Scheme
CPV
Id
64111000
Description
Postal services related to newspapers and periodicals
Entry 6
Scheme
CPV
Id
64113000
Description
Postal services related to parcels
Entry 7
Scheme
CPV
Id
64114000
Description
Post office counter services
Entry 8
Scheme
CPV
Id
64121000
Description
Multi-modal courier services
Entry 9
Scheme
CPV
Id
64121200
Description
Parcel delivery services

Planning and budget

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
This is a Preliminary Market Engagement Notice (UK2) issued to inform the market of early engagement activities in a Request for Information (RFI). Participation in this exercise: • Is voluntary • Will not be formally evaluated • Will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement The British Forces Post Office (BFPO) provides postal services in support of UK Armed Forces personnel, civil servants and their families stationed or deployed worldwide. BFPO’s operational requirement is to enable the reliable, secure, compliant and resilient movement of mail and parcel traffic between the UK and its global network of permanent locations, deployed operations, HM Ships and other Defence activities. The Authority is undertaking this RFI to understand current market capability, available delivery models, commercial and pricing approaches, supplier appetite, risk allocation, resilience, innovation and potential procurement structures for the future provision of worldwide mail conveyance services. The Authority is also seeking industry views on how the future requirement could best be structured, packaged, routed and priced before determining any future procurement approach. This RFI is intended to test the market’s view of the requirement and is not intended to confirm that the current service architecture, routes, lots or pricing structure will be adopted in any future procurement. Responses may inform the future Statement of Requirement, procurement strategy, commercial model, lotting strategy, evaluation approach and contract documentation. Requirement Overview The future requirement is expected to involve the collection, movement, processing, handling and delivery of BFPO mail, including letters, large letters, small packets and parcels, between designated UK and overseas locations. The service must support a diverse range of operational and non-operational destinations, including permanent overseas bases, deployed operations, exercises, HM Ships and remote locations, whilst maintaining compliance with applicable postal, customs, security, aviation, road transport and wider regulatory requirements. The Authority welcomes responses from organisations with relevant experience in international logistics, freight forwarding, postal conveyance, courier and parcel services, defence support services, regulated air cargo, customs and compliance services, IT customs filing solutions, road trunking or related sectors. Respondents may provide information in relation to all or part of the requirement. Current service structure being tested through market engagement For the purpose of this market engagement, the Authority is describing the current requirement by reference to five potential service areas. These are provided to assist suppliers in understanding the current operating model and should not be interpreted as the Authority’s final lotting strategy or preferred future delivery model: 1. Scheduled Mail Conveyance — routine inbound and outbound Forces mail services to static and enduring overseas locations using commercial air carriers or express couriers. 2. Non-scheduled / Ad Hoc Mail Conveyance — inbound and outbound mail services to worldwide locations, including HM Ships, where taskings may be un-programmed, unpredictable or infrequent. 3. Road Trunking — current road movement requirements associated with BFPO mail operations, including: o Airport road trunking between HQ BFPO and London Heathrow, or another pre-arranged Southeast airport, for delivery and collection of mail to/from commercial air carriers and express couriers; and o UK road trunking, including Royal Mail Greenford Mail Centre, HQ BFPO, RAF Brize Norton and Defence Mail Centre movements as currently described in the Draft Statement of Requirement (StOR). 4. Witness Loading — freight-forwarding support for the booking, coordination and witness loading/unloading of Protectively Marked Materiel (PMM) moved by AKE between London Heathrow and Dulles International Airport, Washington. 5. Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) / Import Control System 2 (ICS2) Filing — third-party IT service provider support to access the EU customs electronic data interchange and submit ENS filings for relevant mail movements. The Authority is specifically seeking market feedback on whether these service areas should be procured together, separately, in different combinations, or through an alternative structure that better reflects market capability, competition, operational resilience, accountability and value for money. Suppliers interested in participating in this RFI should: 1.Register via: https://contracts.mod.uk/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=61397 2. Access the RFI documentation 3. Submit responses by: 16:00 on 23 Sep 2026. Clarification Questions by 16:00hrs on 14 Sep 2026 to DESOD-DRDTContractRelet@mod.gov.uk The Authority reserves the right to: • Amend or discontinue this engagement • Use information gathered to inform any future procurement • This notice is not a call for competition. Estimated date for Tender documents is November 2026 – This date may be subject to change
Due
23 Sept 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled

Documents

Entry 1
Id
084787-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Published
8 Sept 2026, 11:24
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
Ministry of Defence
Id
GB-PPON-PHVX-4316-ZVGZ

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PHVX-4316-ZVGZ

Address

Street Address
HQ BFPO, RAF Northolt, West End Road
Locality
Ruislip, Middlesex
Postal Code
HA4 6DQ
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKI74

Contact

Name
Jenny Price

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthorityCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - central government

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Ruislip, Middlesex · UKI74 · HA4 6DQ · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

2 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

2 VERSIONS
  1. 075644-2026Pipeline notice on Find a Tender ·
  2. 084787-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·