Public sector security is a large and consistent market. Councils, NHS trusts, universities and government buildings all need manned guarding, CCTV monitoring and access control services.
Government security contracts cover manned guarding, CCTV monitoring and installation, access control, key holding and alarm response, and body worn camera services. Work is available through open tenders and through dedicated security frameworks run by CCS and ESPO.
Security divides into two quite different markets, and it is worth being clear which one you are bidding into. Manned guarding is people-intensive, heavily affected by TUPE and wage rates, and priced tightly. Electronic security — CCTV, access control, intruder alarms — is project-based, more technical and generally carries better margins.
For manned guarding, the economics are dominated by staff costs. An increasing number of public buyers specify the Real Living Wage as a contract condition, and some require enhanced rates for night and weekend cover. Because almost all of your cost is wages, small differences in the assumptions you make about rostering, absence cover and holiday accrual determine whether the contract is profitable.
In electronic security, certification is the main gatekeeper. NSI Gold or SSAIB approval is treated by buyers as the baseline quality signal, and many tenders make one of them a mandatory requirement rather than a preference. Achieving certification takes months, so it needs to be started well before you see a contract you want.
University and NHS contracts are often the most accessible entry points. Both procure independently in large numbers, both have continuous security requirements, and both frequently let contracts at values below the level that attracts the national providers.
£25,000 to £1M+
Yes. SIA licensing is a legal requirement for manned guarding, door supervision and CCTV operation in the UK, not simply a contract condition. Licences must be current and cover the correct activity for the role being performed.
NSI Gold is a certification covering both quality management and security-specific standards. Along with SSAIB it is the accreditation public buyers most commonly recognise, and for electronic security contracts it is frequently mandatory rather than desirable. Certification typically takes several months.
Where there is an incumbent provider, their security officers normally transfer to you on their existing terms including pay, service length and holiday entitlement. You must obtain the employee liability information and price the contract using those inherited costs rather than your own standard rates.
Many do. A growing number of councils, universities and NHS trusts specify the Real Living Wage as a contract condition, sometimes with enhancements for unsocial hours. Because wages dominate the cost base of a guarding contract, always confirm the position before pricing.
It is generally less price-driven and carries better margins, because it is evaluated more on technical capability and certification than on hourly rates. The barrier is certification — NSI or SSAIB approval is usually required — rather than scale.
Single-site guarding contracts and electronic security installation projects between roughly £25,000 and £250,000 are the realistic entry point. University and NHS sites are good hunting grounds because they procure independently and often below the threshold that attracts national providers.