A Penrith-based courier firm has secured a major public sector contract worth £375,398.40, after coming out on top in a competitive council tender.
Hart Distribution Limited beat off competition from eight other firms to win the contract, which covers the internal courier service for Westmorland and Furness Council, as well as work for Cumbria Police and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.
The contract will run for an initial two years from February 2026, with the option of being extended by a further two one-year periods, taking the potential length of the deal to four years. Over that period, the total value is £312,832 excluding VAT, or £375,398.40 including VAT.
As part of the arrangement, around £55,000 of the cost will be recharged to the Fire and Rescue Service, with approximately £85,000 recharged to the Police and Crime Commissioner.
The tender was run as a full open competition, with bids judged on quality, price and social value. Hart Distribution scored highest overall, with evaluators recognising the firm’s strong local knowledge, understanding of delivery routes and experience handling sensitive documents.
Council officers said the decision to go out to open tender rather than use a national framework was deliberate, noting that “the courier service is currently provided by a local SME” and that “going to open tender rather than through a national framework has ensured it was still available to SMEs.”
The courier service plays a key behind-the-scenes role in keeping public services running, ensuring documents are moved securely between council departments, police teams and fire stations across the area.
While the new contract is slightly higher in cost than previous years, the council said this reflects inflation and the fact the earlier agreement had not been reviewed or updated for several years having been put in place by the former Cumbria County Council.
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