Bespoke and delivered around your procurement and contract management needs
Security is a high-exposure category. Get it right and you protect people, places and reputation while controlling costs. Get it wrong and you invite risk, overtime premiums and contract drift. Our security services procurement consultancy gives councils, housing associations, NHS and care providers, education trusts, ALBs and charities the extra capacity and specialist expertise to run a defensible process, secure value for money and mobilise a contract that works on the ground.
We cover the full spectrum: static and mobile guarding, reception and concierge, keyholding and alarm response, CCTV monitoring and video verification, events and door supervision, control room and ARC services, lone worker and patrol technologies, access control, and small works for cameras and alarms where these are integral to service delivery.
What we deliver
We start with a costed options appraisal that compares frameworks, further competitions and a full competition. You will see total cost, timeline, market appetite, delivery risk and how each route supports your objectives under the Procurement Act 2023 including transparency notices and a Most Advantageous Tender outcome. Where speed matters, we set out compliant direct award scenarios and any risks. We then run soft market engagement so you can test service models, technology choices and sustainability expectations without distorting competition.
Specifications are outcome based and site specific. We translate risk assessments into clear assignment instructions, zoning, patrol frequency, response windows and escalation flows. For guarding we define workable supervision ratios, fatigue and roster rules, handovers and incident reporting. For CCTV we set monitoring protocols, false alarm handling, quality thresholds and evidence packs that stand up to audit. Pricing schedules separate labour, supervision, TUPE on-costs, training, equipment, technology, vehicles and control room fees so you can see and influence the drivers.
Evaluation is practical. Quality criteria focus on service design, risk control, SIA licensing and BS standards compliance, mobilisation discipline and continuous improvement. We brief your panel, moderate consistently and document every step. Commercial evaluation checks arithmetic and assumptions, tests wage and productivity sustainability, models indexation to National Living Wage and fuel, and compares hourly rate models with outcome or fixed-price models where appropriate. Post award, we negotiate commercial schedules and KPIs, then run a mobilisation plan that covers TUPE, vetting, uniforms and PPE, radios and devices, route design, key control, system integrations and stakeholder communications.
If you need continuing support, we can act as your outsourced contract management partner through year one and beyond. We complete monthly assurance, challenge MI and convert improvement pledges into actions.
Typical local requirements and how we make them work
| Security service | Common risks | What we build into the spec and contract |
| Manned guarding and concierge for civic buildings, campuses and housing schemes | Roster gaps, overtime spirals, weak assignment instructions, skill mismatch | Verified staffing and supervision ratios, fatigue and Working Time rules, detailed assignment instructions, training matrices, relief pools, time and attendance with proof of presence, clear change control |
| Mobile patrols, keyholding and alarm response | Missed patrols, slow response, opaque control room fees | Geo-fenced patrol routes, QR or NFC checkpoints, minimum and stretch response windows, per-key and per-response pricing transparency, abort rules and credit triggers |
| CCTV monitoring and video verification | False alarms, poor evidence quality, vendor lock-in | Protocols aligned to BS 7958 and BS 8418, ONVIF and open standards where feasible, recording quality and retention rules, incident pack format, clear per-camera and per-event tariffs |
| Events, door supervision and ad hoc cover | Licensing errors, safeguarding lapses, uncontrolled premiums | SIA and BS 7960 compliance, safeguarding standards, advance booking windows, capped premium multipliers for nights, weekends and bank holidays, emergency call-off rules |
| Access control and small security works tied to service delivery | Proprietary lock-in, unplanned downtime | Vendor neutral requirements, change windows, method statements, warranty and spares, simple handover and rollback plans |
Commercial clarity that protects your budget
We de-risk pricing. Labour and supervision are separated from management overhead, vehicles and technology. We set explicit rules for indexation linked to defined wage components and agreed indices. Premium multipliers for unsocial hours are capped and visible. We remove the hidden margins from control rooms, consumables and equipment by agreeing rate cards, refresh plans and ownership models. For mobile patrols we demand a clear picture of the route plan and drop-in availability so you do not pay for phantom cover.
Where suppliers propose AI analytics, remote guarding or robotics, we insist on a business case with before and after measures, change control and gainshare. You benefit from innovation without paying twice.
Compliance and assurance that hold up in audit
Security procurement must line up with the Procurement Act 2023 and with category standards. We build the following into your process and contracts as appropriate:
- SIA licensing and Approved Contractor Scheme expectations
- BS 7858 for vetting, BS 7499 for static guarding, BS 7984 for keyholding and response, BS 7958 for CCTV management, plus sector-specific standards where relevant
- TUPE data packs in the right format and timelines that reduce bidder risk premiums while protecting staff
- Data protection by design for CCTV, incident logs and body-worn video including retention, access and subject access request processes
- Health and safety discipline including site-specific RAMS, lone working, patrol safety and incident escalation
- Safeguarding and professional boundaries for housing, schools and health settings
Mobilisation that lands smoothly
Security transitions can fail in the first thirty days. We run a structured plan that covers:
- TUPE consultation and onboarding, DBS where required, uniforms and PPE, radios and mobile devices
- Vetting against BS 7858 with backlog burn-down plans and interim controls
- Time and attendance set-up, relief pools and call-out rules
- Assignment instructions, patrol routes, keys and access control handover
- ARC and control room integrations, alarm lists and escalation trees
- Resident, staff and stakeholder communications
- Early life support with daily then weekly checkpoint reviews and a measured readiness gate before go live
Technology choices that avoid lock-in
For CCTV and access control we specify open protocols where feasible, clear ownership of data and a route to exit. We define minimum recording quality, retention, remote access security and audit trails. For guard tour systems and incident reporting we require portable data formats and administrator access. If body-worn video is used, we define evidential handling and redaction methods that align with data protection and disclosure obligations.
Social value, carbon and community safety
Security teams are visible in communities. We build credible social value plans into the procurement. Typical commitments cover local recruitment, apprenticeships and accredited training, community safety initiatives with neighbourhood teams, and targeted employment for priority groups. Carbon reduction is addressed through EV transition for patrols, idling rules, route optimisation, efficient control rooms, and reuse or recycling of uniforms and equipment. Reporting is standardised so progress is evident.
Contract management that keeps performance on track
We design a simple but robust scorecard. Typical KPIs include roster fulfilment and avoidable overtime, patrol completion and proof of presence, alarm response and first-time fix, incident reporting timeliness and quality, false alarm reduction, customer satisfaction, social value delivery and carbon metrics. We include rectification and improvement plans rather than defaulting to punitive credits that drive the wrong behaviour. Monthly governance is supported by accurate MI that you can trace back to source.
In house, outsourced or hybrid
Some clients retain concierge and front-of-house in house, and outsource patrols, response and monitoring. Others want a managed service. We analyse cost, risk and management effort for each option, then help you make the right call. If you insource, we can recruit supervisors, write SOPs, set up T&A and incident systems, and put a compliant supply chain in place for surge and specialist needs.
Flexible engagement
Engage us for the end-to-end journey or for a defined stage. Popular interventions include writing outcome based specifications and pricing schedules, moderating quality evaluations, running commercial and terms negotiations, and delivering year-one contract management to embed behaviours.