Ends Feb 2027
Security Service Across Multiple NNC Properties
North Northamptonshire Council · East Midlands · 8-month contract
Held by 1st Reaction Security
Key holding tenders and contracts
UK public sector, covering 600+ buyer sites
364 key holding tenders and contracts, 91 this year.
Updated 4 November 2026 · compiled by BidSkim Limited · How we count
- Awarded a month£200k
- Contracts a month1.6
- Won by SMEs72%
- Renewing in 6 months7
- Frameworks and DPSs14
- Live now3See them →
Key holding contracts
Tap a region to see its contracts. Pick as many as you like.
How many key holding contracts do keyword alerts miss?
In the last year, a "key holding" alert would have missed 17 of 27 key holding contracts (63%) and an expert list of 14 phrases 7 (26%). How we measured this
Keyword alert"key holding"
63% missed
17 of 27
Expert list14 phrases
26% missed
7 of 27
Expert list: key holding, keyholding, key holder, alarm response, alarm activation, call-out service, out of hours call-out, security call-out, mobile patrol, key storage, emergency response security, intruder alarm response, lock and unlock service, first responder service
BidSkim reads every notice in full and matches the work, not the words.See what BidSkim finds for you
39 contracts across the UK, of any size
Live now
3 key holding opportunities are open now
- OpenCloses in 2 daysSecurity servicesGreat Places Housing GroupEst.£3m
- Pre-market16 Sep 2026Fire Safety and Alarm MonitoringNorth Yorkshire Council · Yorkshire and the HumberEst.£175k
- Awarded29 Sep 2026Security Service Across Multiple NNC PropertiesNorth Northamptonshire Council · East MidlandsWon by 1st Reaction Security
- Awarded12 Aug 2026RBC - THE KEYHOLDING AND CALL-OUT SERVICES FOR HOLLY TREES FAMILY HUBBromsgrove District Council & Redditch Borough Council · West MidlandsWon by Cava Security Services Limited
- Awarded29 Jul 2026Keyholder and Office Cleaning ServicesB3Living · East of EnglandWon by Clean Green Cleaning Services
- Awarded20 Jul 2026Pre-Market Engagement - Lock and Unlock Services for Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council · Northern IrelandWon by Cobra Specialist Security Services and 2 more
- Awarded26 Jun 2026Provision of Out of Hours Man Guarding, Services Overlee House & Key Holding, Fire Alarm Re-set Services 8 Sheltered HousingEast Renfrewshire Council · ScotlandWon by OCS
- Awarded18 Jun 2026Contract for Security Services Including Static Guarding, Emergency Response and KeyholdingGateshead Council · North EastWon by T3 Security Limited£377k
- Awarded17 Jun 2026Sheltered Housing Fire Panel Reset Out of Hours SecurityAberdeenshire Council · ScotlandWon by OCS£40k
- Awarded11 Jun 2026QW Keyholding and SecurityQualifications Wales · WalesWon by SGD Guarding LTD£61k
- Awarded18 May 2026AP25020 - Security Services ContractSCAPE · East MidlandsWon by Delta Force Group£1.3m
- Awarded5 May 2026Sea View and Kingston Road Keyholding and Access ControlBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council · South WestWon by K9 Security (Guarding) Limited
- Awarded1 May 2026ITT - Security Guarding for Brooklands House, Cambridge (UID 58)Historic England · East of EnglandWon by Delta Force Group£40k
- Awarded21 Apr 2026Key Holding ServicesRiver Clyde Homes · ScotlandWon by Comharra Solutions Ltd£160k
- Awarded16 Apr 2026Key Holding, Property Inspections and First Responder ServicesWarwickshire County Council · West MidlandsWon by Delta Force Group£150k
- Awarded14 Apr 2026Security Services at East Northants House.North Northamptonshire Council · East MidlandsWon by Security and Surveillance UK Limited£10k
- Awarded13 Apr 2026Security Services for Alarm Maintenance of Closed Protocol Systems.North Northamptonshire Council · East MidlandsWon by Chubb Fire & Security
- Awarded13 Apr 2026Security Services including key holding, lock‑up services, alarm response, CCTV monitoring and maintenance, and mobile patrols.North Northamptonshire Council · East MidlandsWon by Scorpion Security and Guarding Services£20k
- Awarded8 Apr 2026Security Keyholding, Lock and Unlock and Call Out Services – Tanner Row, York - UID 34Historic England · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by Gough and Kelly
- Awarded6 Mar 2026Provision of Keyholding and out of Hours' Services for West Lindsey District CouncilWest Lindsey District Council · East MidlandsWon by Static Security Services£10k
- Awarded20 Feb 2026Security Services (including Key holding, intruder alarm, manned guarding, lone working)General Medical Council · North WestWon by Delta Force Group£458k
- Awarded27 Jan 2026ME0533 KeyholdingManor Estates Housing Association Limited · ScotlandWon by Keyholding Response UK Limited£88k
- Awarded27 Jan 2026CA16239 - Security Access & Keyholding Services TrustwideAvon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS trust · South WestWon by Chase Services Group Ltd and 1 more£134k
- Awarded22 Jan 2026Security ProvisionsCity of Bradford Metropolitan District Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by Leon Guarding & FM Limited and 2 more
- Awarded21 Jan 2026Corporate Security ServicesCity of Bradford Metropolitan District Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by Kings Guarding Solutions Limited
- Awarded9 Dec 2025Security ServicesCheshire East Council · North WestWon by SSG Support Services Group
- Awarded7 Oct 2025T2537 - Security guarding and event stewarding servicesBelfast City Council · Northern IrelandWon by Eventsec Ltd and 2 more
- Awarded3 Sep 2025Interim Contract: Keyholding, Alarm Response and Venue Security ServicesWirral Council · North WestWon by Oculus FM£249k
- Awarded23 Jul 2025Security Services - Birmingham officeArts Council England · North WestWon by Assure Security (WM) Limited£17k
- Awarded15 Apr 2025Key Holding, Alarm Response and Venue Security ServicesWirral Council · North WestWon by Chase Services Group Ltd£900k
- Awarded31 Mar 2025St Peter's Key-holding SecurityMid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust · East of EnglandWon by Chase Services Group Ltd£55k
- Awarded21 Feb 2025Provision of Security Services Bedford Borough Council 2025 - AWARDBedford Borough Council · East of EnglandWon by MPD FM
- Open to joinApply by 24 Feb 2029South East DPS2 suppliers on it
Where to bid
Where key holding tenders are run
In-Tend6 40%
Delta eSourcing3 20%
ProContract2 13%
East Midlands Tenders1 7%
Open (NEPO)1 7%- Other portals (2)2 13%
Tenders published in the last year that name the bid portal they run on.
Frameworks and DPS
14 frameworks and DPSs for key holding work are running. 1 is open to join now.
Delta Force Group won the most key holding contracts
It also won the most by value. Each dot is one contract, coloured by who bought it.
CouncilsCentral governmentHousingNHS and healthOther buyers
| Rank | Contractor | Contracts won, by buyer | Contracts | Value won | Buyers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delta Force Group North West · SME · See every contract | 4 | £1.8m | 4 | ||
| 2joint | Chase Services Group Ltd North West · SME · 7 framework places · See every contract | 3 | £955k | 3 | ||
| 2joint | Mitie 6 framework places · See every contract | 3 | Not published | 2 | ||
| 4joint | Gough and Kelly North East · SME · 1 framework place · See every contract | 2 | £43k | 1 | ||
| 4joint | OCS Scotland · 3 framework places · See every contract | 2 | £40k | 2 | ||
| 4joint | Cava Security Services Limited West Midlands · See every contract | 2 | Not published | 1 | ||
| 4joint | Cobra Specialist Security Services Northern Ireland · SME · See every contract | 2 | Not published | 2 | ||
| 4joint | Kings Guarding Solutions Limited Yorkshire and the Humber · SME · See every contract | 2 | Not published | 1 | ||
| 4joint | SSG Support Services Group North West · SME · 7 framework places · See every contract | 2 | Not published | 2 | ||
| 4joint | The Keyholding Company 4 framework places · See every contract | 2 | Not published | 1 |
22 more key holding contractors ranked. See the full ranking →
Win key holding contracts? Share your ranking.
Who buys
Councils award 56% of key holding contracts
Contracts with a published value in the last 2 years, from the type of buyer to the size of the contract.
7 buyers bought key holding more than once in the last 2 years
Each dot is a buyer, by how many key holding contracts it awarded in the last 2 years.
See who they are and when they usually buy →
Few and big, or many and small
Each dot is a buyer: how many key holding contracts it awarded against what they were worth. The busiest and biggest are named.
CouncilsCentral governmentHousingNHS and healthOther buyers
Top buyers by contracts awarded
| Rank | Buyer | Contracts | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Northamptonshire Council | 4 | £29k |
| 2 | Historic England | 3 | £83k |
| 3 | Wirral Council | 2 | £1.1m |
| 4 | BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) | 2 | Not published |
| 5 | Bromsgrove District Council & Redditch Borough Council | 2 | Not published |
| 6 | City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council | 2 | Not published |
| 7 | Leicester City Council | 2 | Not published |
| 8 | SCAPE | 1 | £1.3m |
| 9 | General Medical Council | 1 | £458k |
| 10 | Gateshead Council | 1 | £377k |
117 key holding contracts awarded since 2021
- 172021
- 202022
- 202023
- 212024
- 142025
- 252026 so far
Prices
Half of key holding contracts are worth less than £75k
CouncilsCentral governmentHousingNHS and health
The 10 biggest key holding contracts
- SCAPEDelta Force Group · 18 May 2026
- Wirral CouncilChase Services Group Ltd · 15 Apr 2025
- General Medical CouncilDelta Force Group · 20 Feb 2026
- Gateshead CouncilT3 Security Limited · 18 Jun 2026
- Wirral CouncilOculus FM · 3 Sep 2025
- River Clyde HomesComharra Solutions Ltd · 21 Apr 2026
- Warwickshire County CouncilDelta Force Group · 16 Apr 2026
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS trustChase Services Group Ltd, Venture Security · 27 Jan 2026
- Manor Estates Housing Association LimitedKeyholding Response UK Limited · 27 Jan 2026
- Qualifications WalesSGD Guarding LTD · 11 Jun 2026
Renewing contracts
10 key holding contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months
7 in the next 6 months. The 3 ending soonest are shown in full.
Ends Feb 2027
Security Services including key holding, lock‑up services, alarm response, CCTV monitoring and maintenance, and mobile patrols.
North Northamptonshire Council · East Midlands · 10-month contract
Held by Scorpion Security and Guarding Services
Ends Feb 2027
Security Services for Alarm Maintenance of Closed Protocol Systems.
North Northamptonshire Council · East Midlands · 10-month contract
Held by Chubb Fire & Security
Key holding contract for a councilEast MidlandsUnder £100kEnds Feb 2027
Key holding contract for a councilWest Midlands£100k to £1mEnds Feb 2027
Key holding contractSouth West£1m or moreEnds Mar 2027
Key holding contract for a councilWest MidlandsUnder £100kEnds May 2027
Key holding contract for an NHS bodyUK-wide or not statedUnder £100kEnds Jul 2027
Key holding contract for a councilLondon£1m or moreEnds Sep 2027
Where and when
The East Midlands awards the most key holding contracts
Contracts by region and by month awarded. Click a region to filter the page.
FewerMore contracts
The regions as a table
| Region | Open now | Contracts | Value | Typical contract | Won the most | Bought the most | Renewing in 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 0 | 9 | £1.4m | £15k | – | North Northamptonshire Council (4) | 4 |
| North West | 0 | 5 | £1.6m | £354k | – | Wirral Council (2) | 0 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 1 | 4 | Not published | – | Kings Guarding Solutions Limited (2) | City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (2) | 0 |
| East of England | 0 | 4 | £95k | – | – | – | 1 |
| Scotland | 0 | 4 | £288k | £88k | OCS (2) | – | 0 |
| West Midlands | 0 | 3 | £150k | – | Cava Security Services Limited (2) | Bromsgrove District Council & Redditch Borough Council (2) | 2 |
| North East | 0 | 2 | £420k | – | – | – | 0 |
| South West | 0 | 2 | £134k | – | – | – | 1 |
| Northern Ireland | 0 | 2 | Not published | – | Cobra Specialist Security Services (2) | – | 0 |
| Wales | 0 | 1 | £61k | – | – | – | 0 |
| London | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 1 |
| South East | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
Often bought with key holding
Related services
Key findings
- £200k a month
of key holding contracts awarded.
Typical contract £88k x 2.3 contracts a month, last 12 months. - 1.6
key holding contracts are awarded in a typical month.
39 contracts in the last 2 years. - 7
key holding contracts come up for renewal in the next 6 months.
Recurring contracts with a named supplier and a published end date before 4 May 2027. - 14
frameworks and DPSs are running for key holding work.
1 open to join now. - 72%
of key holding contracts are won by SMEs.
As recorded by the buyer, on 32 award notices.
How many key holding tenders and contracts are there?
| Last 12 months | Since November 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Notices published | 91 | 364 |
| Contracts awarded | 27 | 104 |
31 key holding contracts and frameworks end in the next 12 months, 30 of them recurring services. In the last two years, 29 buyers awarded key holding contracts to 32 suppliers.
Source: Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI, to 4 November 2026. By Seamus White. How we count
Questions
How many key holding contracts does the UK public sector award?
39 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, from 29 public buyers.
How long are key holding tenders open for?
The median key holding tender is open for 28 days from publication to deadline.
How much is a typical public sector key holding contract worth?
The median is £75k, and 78% are worth less than £250k.
Who wins the most public sector key holding contracts?
Delta Force Group won the most (4), and the most by value (£1.8m).
Which buyers award the most key holding contracts?
Councils award 56% of them.
Which part of the UK awards the most key holding contracts?
The East Midlands: 9 of 39 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, then the North West (5) and Yorkshire and the Humber (4).
How many key holding contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months?
10 contracts end and are likely to be re-let, the first on 10 February 2027. Another 1 ending is one-off work.
Are there frameworks or DPSs for key holding work that are open to join?
14 frameworks and DPSs for key holding work are running. 1 is open to join now.
What is included
A licensed provider holds the buyer's keys and attends intruder, fire or panic alarm activations and other out-of-hours incidents, checking and securing the building, resetting alarms and waiting for engineers or emergency services.
- Key holding and secure key storage
- Attendance at alarm activations
- Out-of-hours emergency call-outs
- Reactive security call-outs to buildings
What is not included
- Scheduled patrols (see Security patrols)
- Timed opening and closing (see Lock and unlock services)
- Alarm signal monitoring by an alarm receiving centre (see Alarm receiving centre monitoring)
- Remote CCTV monitoring (see CCTV installation)
- Alarm engineer call-outs and repairs (see Intruder alarm systems)
- Electronic key cabinets (see Electronic key cabinets)
- Lone worker alarm response (see Lone worker devices)
- Telecare alarm response (see Telecare)