What Clients Should Include in a Fire Risk Assessment Tender Pack

The tender pack should explain whether the project involves new assessments, reviews or replacement reports.

The project may involve:

• New assessments for buildings without a current FRA
• Replacement of outdated or inconsistent reports
• Reviews following refurbishment, change of use or a near miss
• A standardised programme after a change of managing agent
• Additional properties being added to an existing contract
• A portfolio-wide review of outstanding compliance actions

A 30-building programme may need a common template, central action register and phased delivery plan. A single office assessment may need far less administration.

Where the current report remains suitable, a review may be enough. Significant changes to layout, use or risk may require a new assessment.

The property schedule is one of the most important FRA tender requirements. It should be supplied in a consistent format, normally as a spreadsheet.

For each building, include where available:

• Full address and postcode
• Building use and approximate floor area
• Number of storeys, flats, units or bedrooms
• Occupancy type and operating hours
• Approximate construction age
• Known vulnerable occupants or access considerations
• Existing evacuation approach or fire strategy
• Date and type of the current FRA
• Site contact and access arrangements
• Known limitations, defects or areas of concern

A mixed portfolio cannot be priced reliably from addresses alone. An occupied twelve-storey block may require far more inspection time than a small industrial unit.

Where information is unavailable, state that clearly so bidders do not make different assumptions about missing data.

The fire risk assessment scope of works should state what the assessor is expected to examine and deliver.

The scope may require the assessor to:

• Identify fire hazards and people at risk
• Review escape routes and evacuation arrangements
• Consider fire detection, emergency lighting and firefighting equipment
• Review visible fire doors and compartmentation
• Check management procedures, training and maintenance records
• Review previous recommendations where relevant
• Record significant findings and prioritised actions
• Identify where specialist investigation is needed

The tender should make clear whether the assessor must verify every outstanding action or assess only the current condition of the premises.

It should also define what sits outside the FRA. A standard assessment does not automatically include a detailed fire-door survey, intrusive compartmentation inspection, alarm design or external-wall appraisal. Where compartmentation requires separate investigation, Compartmentation Surveys Explained provides a useful cross-cluster reference.

Some buildings need a more specific assessment scope. For blocks of flats, the tender may need to state whether the requirement is for a Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 or Type 4 assessment, an FRAEW, a person-centred assessment or a review of an existing report.

Avoid asking bidders to select the assessment type without supplying enough building information. This can result in different companies pricing fundamentally different services.

The specification should also explain:

• Whether flats, roof spaces, risers or plant areas must be accessed
• Whether opening-up is permitted
• Who is responsible for making good
• How asbestos information will be provided
• How inaccessible areas should be reported

Where the correct assessment type is uncertain, the tender can include a clarification stage or request separately priced options against defined assumptions.

Existing documents affect both assessment time and report quality.

Relevant information may include:

• Previous fire risk assessments and action registers
• Fire strategies and building plans
• Evacuation arrangements
• Alarm, emergency-lighting and extinguisher records
• Fire-door or compartmentation survey reports
• Enforcement correspondence
• Refurbishment or change-of-use information

Files should be organised and clearly labelled rather than issued as an unstructured collection of attachments. The tender should also state whether document review is expected before the site visit.

Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 strengthened requirements to record fire risk assessments and fire safety arrangements. The commissioned output should therefore be suitable for ongoing management rather than becoming an isolated report with no usable action structure.

Different assessors use different report formats, priority systems and terminology. For portfolio work, the tender should require a consistent format across every building.

The report requirements may include:

• An executive summary and building description
• The assessment methodology and limitations
• Photographic evidence and location references
• Significant findings and prioritised recommendations
• Target completion periods
• A separate action-plan schedule
• A summary of urgent issues
• A spreadsheet or data export for portfolio reporting

The action plan should identify the building, deficiency, required outcome, priority and recommended timescale. Understanding a Fire Risk Assessment Action Plan explains how findings should be converted into trackable actions.

The tender should state the mobilisation date, completion deadline, priority properties and expected report turnaround time.

It should also cover:

• Appointment booking and site contacts
• Resident or tenant liaison
• Evening or weekend access where required
• Aborted visits and return-visit charges
• Procedures for inaccessible areas
• Progress reporting and management information

For a large portfolio, a pilot group can test the report format, property data and access process before full mobilisation.

The tender should ask bidders to demonstrate suitable competence without creating disproportionate barriers.

Relevant evidence may include:

• Assessor qualifications and continuing professional development
• Professional memberships or third-party certification
• Experience with comparable premises
• Quality-assurance and independent review procedures
• Professional indemnity and liability insurance
• References or relevant contract examples

For regulated public procurement, conditions of participation should relate to legal or financial capacity or technical ability and should be proportionate to the contract. These are separate from the award criteria used to score the quality of the tender response.

The pricing format should prevent bidders from submitting totals based on different assumptions.

Depending on the project, request:

• A fixed price for each property
• Prices by building-size band
• Separate rates for different FRA types
• Rates for return visits and additional work
• Aborted-visit charges
• Portfolio management or reporting fees
• Optional and provisional services

Ask bidders to identify inclusions, exclusions and assumptions beside their prices. This makes it easier to understand whether a low total represents better value or simply missing scope.

How to Compare Fire Risk Assessment Quotes explains how to evaluate scope, competence, exclusions and report quality alongside the headline total.

The tender pack should explain how submissions will be assessed, including competence, methodology, quality, programme, contract management and price.

Scored questions should ask for evidence. Instead of asking whether a bidder has sufficient capacity, request details of the proposed team, weekly output, quality-review process and contingency arrangements.

The pack should also state:

• How clarification questions must be submitted
• The deadline for questions
• How answers and revised documents will be shared
• Who is authorised to issue tender information
• How document versions will be controlled

How Commercial Fire Protection Tendering Works explains how one controlled record for documents, clarifications and submissions supports fairer comparison.

Frequent problems include:

• Providing addresses without useful building information
• Failing to specify the assessment type or access level
• Issuing outdated or poorly labelled documents
• Combining FRAs with undefined specialist surveys
• Omitting report and action-plan requirements
• Using an unstructured pricing request
• Setting disproportionate competence requirements
• Failing to explain evaluation and clarification procedures

A clear specification does not need to predict every site condition. It should define the known requirement, identify uncertainties and explain how changes will be controlled.

Should Previous FRAs Be Included?

Yes, where they are relevant and available. They help bidders understand the building history, known findings and likely document-review requirements. The tender should still state whether outstanding actions must be verified.

Should the Tender Specify the FRA Type?

Yes, particularly for residential buildings. Where the correct type is uncertain, provide enough information for clarification or request separately priced options.

How Should FRA Prices Be Requested?

Use a structured schedule showing each property or building category. Require bidders to identify assumptions, exclusions and optional charges.

Should Report Samples Be Requested?

A sample report can demonstrate whether the proposed output is clear and usable. The requirement should be proportionate and should not ask bidders to complete unpaid project-specific assessment work.

Is the Assessment Programme Ready to Procure?

Use Fire Risk Assessment Tenders to issue the property schedule, scope, deadlines and pricing requirements through one structured commercial brief.

Does the Requirement Need More Market Input?

Review suitable Fire Risk Assessment Companies to understand the services, competence and building experience available before finalising the tender pack.