Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO) is carrying out preliminary market engagement for its proposed Specialist Vehicles (1347) Framework. The framework is estimated at £1 billion excluding VAT / £1.2 billion including VAT over four years and is intended to give public-sector organisations a compliant route to purchase, lease, hire, modify, convert, repair and maintain a wide range of specialist vehicles.
The opportunity is relevant to a broad vehicle supply chain. Likely participants include specialist vehicle manufacturers and dealers, bodybuilders and converters, emergency and municipal vehicle suppliers, fleet service and maintenance businesses, passenger-transport vehicle suppliers and organisations providing specialist ancillary or drivetrain solutions.
If you are assessing whether this opportunity fits your business, speak to Thornton & Lowe for an objective bid/no-bid review and practical support with the next steps.
Twenty-Five Proposed Lots
YPO's current proposed structure contains 25 lots. These span:
- refuse collection and food-waste vehicles
- sweeping and cleansing units
- winter maintenance vehicles and gully emptiers
- tractor units, trailers, tippers and chassis/cabs
- hook loaders
- fire appliances
- ambulance and patient-transport vehicles
- police and prisoner-transport vehicles
- minibuses, coaches and buses
- rail mass-transit vehicles and associated rolling stock
- commercial vehicle modification
- LCVs and vans
- micromobility solutions
- hire of specialist vehicles
- vehicle ancillary services
- repair, refurbishment and ongoing maintenance
- drivetrain conversion
The final structure may change following engagement, but it already shows that suppliers should focus on the individual lots that match their products and technical capability rather than treating 1347 as a single generic fleet competition.
Many likely users will be councils and other local public bodies. Our guide to finding and securing local council tenders and frameworks provides useful context on this market.
SME and VCSE Participation
The notice identifies SMEs and VCSEs as particularly suitable for the opportunity. That is helpful given the specialist nature of many lots, where a focused manufacturer, converter or service provider may have stronger evidence than a general fleet supplier.
Suppliers should still expect to demonstrate technical compliance, product or service capacity, after-sales support and the ability to meet public-sector requirements across their chosen lot.
How to Prepare During Market Engagement
- Identify your exact lots. Map your product range, conversions and services against the proposed 25-lot structure.
- Prepare technical evidence. Gather specifications, approvals, warranties, maintenance support and relevant vehicle or component standards.
- Show lifecycle support. The scope goes beyond vehicle purchase, so evidence for servicing, parts, refurbishment and fleet support may be important.
- Consider capacity and geography. Be clear on manufacturing or supply lead times, delivery coverage and support networks.
- Use the engagement process. YPO is actively seeking feedback on the scope, lot structure, sustainability and commercial models.
Quick Facts
- Buyer: Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO)
- Estimated value: £1bn excluding VAT / £1.2bn including VAT
- Proposed lots: 25
- Term: Four years
- Coverage: United Kingdom
- SME/VCSE suitability: Yes
- Supplier conference: 25 September 2026
- Engagement closes: 9 October 2026
- Estimated tender publication: 1 February 2027
- View the official Find a Tender notice
Prepare for the 2027 Tender
YPO has provided a long lead-in before the expected tender. Use it to decide which lots are viable, make sure your evidence is current and resolve any capacity or partnership questions before the formal procurement opens.
If you want support assessing the opportunity or planning your submission, contact Thornton & Lowe for a practical review of your framework strategy.
