Scope
Reference
RFI P3468
Description
Birmingham City Council ("the Council") intends to undertake market research to inform the future procurement of a new long‑term Civil Parking Enforcement ("CPE") services contract, currently anticipated for award in Autumn 2026. Through this Request for Information ("RFI"), the Council is seeking market views on capability, capacity, innovation, risks, and delivery models that could support the next generation of CPE services in Birmingham.
The purpose of this engagement is to understand the market's ability to deliver a modern, resilient and cost‑effective service aligned with the Council's strategic aims. These include dynamic and data‑led deployment models, KPI‑linked remuneration frameworks, effective technology integration, interoperability and open standards, sustainability measures, and value‑for‑money outcomes consistent with the Procurement Act 2023.
The existing service operates with approximately 115 Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) supported by 9-10 Supervisors, and suppliers are asked to consider how they would deliver a service of comparable scale across Birmingham's on‑street and off‑street enforcement areas. This includes CEO deployment, statutory PCN issuance, back‑office integration, use of enforcement technology, workforce resilience, TUPE transfer considerations, and innovation that enhances operational efficiency. Mobilisation, Implementation and TUPE activities are forecast to take approximately 3-4 months, with Full Service targeted to commence on 1 February 2027.
This RFI does not form part of any call for competition and does not request pricing. Information gathered will be used to shape the Council's future specification, commercial model and procurement strategy, ensuring that any eventual tender is well‑structured, market‑tested, and fully aligned with statutory obligations and best practice.
Contract dates (estimated)
- 23 September 2026 to 22 September 2030
- 4 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 98351110 - Parking enforcement services
Contract locations
- UKG - West Midlands (England)
Engagement
Engagement deadline
20 March 2026
Engagement process description
Interested suppliers are invited to participate in Soft Market Testing by reviewing the Request for Information ("RFI") documentation and completing the SMT Questionnaire.
The SMT pack consists of the following documents:
- 1 - RFI_CPE_SMT Bham_vF
- 2 - RFI_CPE_SMT_Questionnaire_vF
- 3 - RFI_CPE_Clarification Template_vF
Clarification Process
Clarification requests must be submitted through the Council's e‑tendering portal at https://in-tendhost.co.uk/birminghamcc messaging function by Thursday 5 March 2026. Clarifications submitted after this date will not be considered.
Submission Method
Completed questionnaires must be submitted to the Council in writing via the Council's e‑tendering portal at https://in-tendhost.co.uk/birminghamcc by 20 March 2026. Under no circumstances should Council officers be contacted directly, whether verbally or electronically.
Disclaimer
This notice is issued for preliminary market engagement only. It does not constitute a call for competition, and participation in this Soft Market Testing exercise will not affect any future procurement opportunity. The Council gives no guarantee that a procurement activity will follow, and makes no representation regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information shared as part of this process.
Contracting authority
Birmingham City Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PCJJ-4826-QMLZ
Council House, 1 Victoria Square
Birmingham
B1 1BB
United Kingdom
Region: UKG31 - Birmingham
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government