Scope
Reference
SOL - 22932
Description
The Council's Licensing Team is responsible for a range of statutory services including hackney carriage/private hire (driver, vehicle and operator), scrap metal collector and street trader licensing. In addition, the Council issues personal licences for people wishing to sell or authorise the sale of alcohol. These licence holders all require some form of badge or licence plate to identify either themselves or their vehicle.
Therefore, the Council will be inviting Tenders for the necessary supplies, equipment, and any associated software/services required, to enable the Council to create, customise, issue and affix licences. The products will include (as a minimum), vehicle plates, brackets (or other fixings to secure the plates), licence cards/badges and any supplementary products such as lanyards/clips for the badges. Additional items such as the means of customisation may also be included in the scope (if required).
Total value (estimated)
- £160,000 excluding VAT
- £192,000 including VAT
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2028
- Possible extension to 30 September 2029
- 4 years
Main procurement category
Goods
CPV classifications
- 19520000 - Plastic products
- 34300000 - Parts and accessories for vehicles and their engines
- 35123400 - Identification badges
Contract locations
- UKG32 - Solihull
Engagement
Engagement deadline
14 July 2025
Engagement process description
The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) is to help the Council understand the products available in the licensing plate and badge supply market, that offer a more sustainable solution, such as (but not limited to) increased recyclability, reduction of carbon emissions, minimising physical waste and energy use, and avoiding single use plastic.
The Council is also interested in understanding any other innovative solutions regarding licensing materials, licensing service-related products, and associated services that may lead to efficiencies and increased sustainability. Innovations we are interested in (but are not limited to) include, security features, printing methods (ease, efficiency and sustainability) and the various types of fixing (their ease of use, and avoiding damage) etc.
The Council is also interested in understanding what other related products suppliers can provide, such as (but again not limited to), door decals and display operator signage.
To participate in the engagement Suppliers are invited to attend a face-to-face meeting to present their product and sustainability solutions. The meeting will start with an outline of the Council's objectives and intended tendering approach.
The supplier will then be invited to present their product (and any related service) innovations, which will be followed by questions from the Council officers attending, as well as an opportunity for the supplier to ask questions to the Council. The meeting is intended to be a conversation to facilitate our understanding of market developments, and suppliers are encouraged to bring sample products (and photographs of them in situ) to demonstrate how they function in practice.
For clarity, the purpose of the meeting is to help the Council understand innovations in the market to better inform our future requirements and approach to tendering. It is not a scored element of the tendering process and therefore will not be assessed as such or alter the evaluation of Tenders.
The Council is aware that some of the information shared during the meeting may be considered commercially sensitive, such information will not be shared with other Tenderers during the tendering process or at any time. However, the Council has an obligation to ensure the equal treatment of all Tenderers, so any non-sensitive outcomes from the meetings, or information shared by the Council during PME will be detailed in the Tender Pack.
Please be advised that to ensure competition will not be distorted, the future specification will be based upon the product/solution outcomes and not a prescribed product specification or service model shared by any supplier in the PME meetings. A transcript of the meeting will be recorded for reference by the Council. However, please be assured that the transcript will be stored securely and only accessible to Council officers directly involved in the procurement.
If you would like to attend a PME meeting, you are invited to email us with the names and roles (of up to two people you wish to attend), and your preferred dates and times from the following available meeting slots to procteam@solihull.gov.uk.
Monday 7 July 14.00, and Tuesday 8 July 10.00 or 12.00.
The Council may only be able to offer the above PME dates. Once all meeting slots have been filled then supplier requests to participate in the PME may be declined.
Meetings will take place at The Core, Theatre Square, Homer Road, Solihull, B91 3RG. Further meeting arrangements will be provided in a return email responding to your PME request.
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
18 July 2025
Contracting authority
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PGWC-7578-LYDG
Council House, Manor Square
Solihull
B91 3QB
United Kingdom
Email: procteam@solihull.gov.uk
Region: UKG32 - Solihull
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government