The Authority intends to undertake Preliminary Market Engagement in relation to a potential contract for the provision of a comprehensive maintenance, inspection, repair and compliance management service for LGV trailers used to transport mobile MRI scanners and associated medical equipment. The fleet currently comprises two mobile MRI system trailers and associated systems, which must remain safe, roadworthy, operationally available and compliant with all applicable statutory, regulatory, manufacturer and industry requirements.
The anticipated scope of the service includes planned preventative maintenance, reactive breakdown attendance and repair, statutory inspection and certification, compliance administration, reporting, customer portal management and audit support. The successful supplier would be expected to provide all labour, supervision, inspection, testing, certification, call-out support, documentation and management information required to maintain the assets in a safe, reliable and legally compliant condition.
The equipment and systems in scope are expected to include LGV trailer structures, chassis, braking systems, suspension, tyres, wheels, lighting, electrics, bodywork, doors, coupling systems, stabilisation systems and other safety-critical components. The requirement also includes HVAC and chiller systems, refrigerant and F-gas compliance, temperature control, chilled water systems, lift systems, LOLER-regulated equipment, environmental monitoring systems, water hygiene and Legionella management, and associated digital reporting/customer portal arrangements.
Suppliers should be capable of supporting statutory and regulatory compliance, including but not limited to roadworthiness and trailer safety inspection requirements, LOLER thorough examination and certification, PUWER-related maintenance obligations, F-gas requirements for refrigerant systems, and water hygiene/Legionella management requirements. Suppliers should also be able to provide timely evidence of compliance, including inspection records, maintenance reports, LOLER certificates, F-gas records, calibration certificates, defect reports, repair completion records, compliance dashboards and monthly performance reports.
The Authority is particularly interested in engaging with suppliers who can provide a responsive service model, including a single helpdesk/contact route, fault logging, triage and prioritisation, emergency call-out arrangements, suitably qualified engineers, escalation for critical defects, temporary mitigation where immediate repair is not possible, and clear reporting on root cause, actions taken, parts used and residual risk. Critical issues may include trailer safety failures, lift failure, HVAC/chiller failure affecting scanner protection, environmental monitoring alarms, loss of remote monitoring, or defects preventing planned clinical or equipment transport activity.
The supplier will also be expected to provide and maintain a secure customer portal or equivalent digital platform, providing access to the asset register, planned maintenance schedule, compliance status, work orders, defect reports, certificates, inspection records, environmental monitoring data, alarm history, service history, KPI reports, engineer attendance records and audit trails. Reporting requirements are expected to include monthly performance and compliance reporting, defect and incident reporting, environmental monitoring reports, risk and issue registers, root cause analysis where required, quarterly contract review reporting and annual asset condition/lifecycle planning information.
The proposed contract will be for a period of up to three years, with an option to extend. This Preliminary Market Engagement exercise is intended to help the Authority understand market capability, supplier interest, service delivery models, mobilisation requirements, risks, timescales and any commercial considerations before determining its procurement strategy. Interested suppliers are invited to submit expressions of interest by midday on 7 August 2026.