French Fire Services Buying Group Awards €2.2 Million Framework for Firefighter Helmets and Helmet Lamps

SDIS 17, the fire and rescue service of Charente-Maritime, has awarded a re-run tenderworth €2.18 million in confirmed orders, and up to €5.66 million over the life of the framework, for Type A and B protective helmets and helmet-mounted lamps used by fire services across France's Centre-Ouest-Atlantique region. Four suppliers were named across two lots, with Rosenbauer France and Gallin Sas splitting the helmets lot and Intersignaletic Sécurité and Gallin Sas again splitting the lamps lot.

Introduction

Firefighters depend on their protective helmets and helmet-mounted lighting every time they respond to a call, which makes a steady, competitively sourced supply of both a quiet but essential procurement task. SDIS 17, the fire and rescue service covering Charente-Maritime on France's Atlantic coast, has now secured that supply on behalf of an interdepartmental purchasing group of fire and rescue services across the wider Centre-Ouest-Atlantique region.

The contract covers two lots that were declared unsuccessful in an earlier competition and had to be re-tendered: Type A and B protective helmets, and the lamps that attach to them. Both have now been awarded, split between several suppliers under a multi-supplier framework structure.

Why This Contract Matters

Interdepartmental purchasing groups allow individual fire and rescue services (SDIS) across a region to combine their equipment needs into a single, larger procurement rather than each department negotiating separately with helmet and equipment manufacturers. That aggregation is particularly relevant for safety-critical, standardised equipment like helmets, where consistent specification and reliable long-term supply matter as much as price.

That two of the four winning tenders came from the same supplier, Gallin Sas, across both lots also shows how a single manufacturer can secure a meaningful share of a multi-lot, multi-supplier framework by competing successfully in more than one category.

Contract Timeline

●        Framework agreement established under prior notice: 8125-2026

●        Contract award notice published: 10 July 2026 (OJ S 131/2026)

●        Winners selected: 25 June 2026

●        Lot 2 contracts concluded: 8 July 2026 (both winners)

●        Lot 1 contract concluded with Gallin Sas: 8 July 2026

●        Lot 1 contract concluded with Rosenbauer France: 9 July 2026

●        Contract duration: 42 months from the effective start date

Contract Overview

SDIS 17 ran an open procedure under EU Directive 2014/24/EU on behalf of the interdepartmental purchasing group of fire and rescue services for the Centre-Ouest-Atlantique region, covering the acquisition, supply and delivery of clothing and associated articles across multiple sites. This particular notice concerns only Lots 1 and 2 of that wider consultation, Type A and B helmets and helmet lamps, both of which had been declared void for lack of suitable bids in an earlier round of the same competition.

Each lot is structured as its own framework agreement, divided into call-off orders under France's Code de la commande publique, with a maximum value set per participating fire service rather than a single fixed contract sum. Both frameworks were awarded without reopening of competition, and no dynamic purchasing system was used.

Key Contract Details

Lot-by-Lot Breakdown

Project Scope

Lot 1 covers Type A and B protective helmets, along with related accessories, training on their use, and the removal and revalorisation of used, end-of-life or non-conforming helmets. Two electronic tenders were received, ranging from €949,390 to €997,729. Rosenbauer France sarl was ranked first, with a tender of €997,729 and the larger framework tranche of up to €4,828,000, while Gallin Sas was ranked second, with a lower tender of €949,390 against a smaller €522,000 tranche.

Lot 2 covers battery-powered and rechargeable helmet lamps, together with accessories, optional training and take-back of used equipment. The lot drew a wider field of tenders, with admissible bids ranging from €109,089 to €136,948. Intersignaletic Sécurité was ranked first with a tender of €124,589, and Gallin Sas was ranked second with the lowest admissible tender of €109,089; both were awarded a framework tranche of up to €522,000.

Both lots run for 42 months and were awarded as separate framework agreements without reopening of competition, meaning ranked suppliers deliver call-off orders directly rather than facing repeated mini-competitions.

About the Contracting Authority

SDIS 17 is the departmental fire and rescue service (Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours) for Charente-Maritime, a body governed by public law active in public order and safety, based in Périgny. It ran this procurement on behalf of the wider interdepartmental purchasing group of fire and rescue services covering the Centre-Ouest-Atlantique region.

About the Winning Companies

Rosenbauer France sarl, based in Meyzieu near Lyon, is the French arm of the international firefighting equipment manufacturer Rosenbauer, and was awarded the larger share of the Lot 1 helmets framework.

Gallin Sas, based in Montluel in the Ain department, was awarded the second-ranked share of both Lot 1 (helmets) and Lot 2 (helmet lamps), making it the only supplier to win a place on both frameworks.

Intersignaletic Sécurité, based in Corbas near Lyon, was awarded the first-ranked share of the Lot 2 helmet lamps framework.

Procurement Analysis

Procedure: An open procedure was used for both lots, re-run after the original competition for these two lots was declared void for lack of suitable tenders.

Competition: Lot 1 drew two electronic tenders, both admissible and both awarded a share of the framework. Lot 2 drew a wider field, with tenders ranging from €109,089 to €136,948, of which the two lowest-priced bids were awarded.

Evaluation criteria: Both lots used an identical weighting: technical value of the offer at 45%, price at 40%, after-sales service at 10%, and environmental and sustainability characteristics at 5%, meaning quality-related criteria collectively outweighed price by 60% to 40%.

Framework structure: Both lots were awarded as multi-supplier framework agreements without reopening of competition, with each winning supplier assigned a ranked position and a maximum order value, allowing participating fire services to place call-off orders directly.

Additional Procurement Facts

●        Both lots were previously declared void for lack of suitable tenders before being re-run under this consultation.

●        Neither lot is covered by the WTO's Government Procurement Agreement.

●        Neither lot is financed with EU funds.

●        No dynamic purchasing system was used for either lot.

●        Disputes or review requests fall to the Tribunal Administratif de Poitiers, subject to standard French pre-contractual and contractual referral deadlines.

●        Gallin Sas is the only supplier awarded a place on both lots, giving it exposure to both the helmets and helmet-lamps categories.

Market & Industry Perspective

Firefighter personal protective equipment is a specialised but recurring category of public procurement, sustained by regular replacement cycles and evolving safety standards. That this particular competition had to be re-run after an unsuccessful first attempt suggests a relatively narrow field of qualified suppliers able to meet the technical and sample-testing requirements set out for Type A and B helmets and their lighting accessories.

The multi-supplier, ranked structure used here, rather than a single winner-takes-all award, gives the purchasing group a built-in second source for both helmets and lamps, useful for maintaining continuity of supply for safety-critical equipment.

Economic Significance

At €2.18 million in tenders awarded against a combined framework ceiling of €5.66 million, the contract leaves considerable headroom for participating fire services across the Centre-Ouest-Atlantique region to place further call-off orders over the 42-month term as replacement needs arise.

For the winning suppliers, a ranked, multi-year framework of this kind offers a predictable, if not fully guaranteed, revenue stream, since actual spend depends on how many call-off orders participating fire services place over the contract term.

Future Procurement Opportunities

As the 42-month term progresses, participating fire services across the Centre-Ouest-Atlantique group will place call-off orders against the ranked suppliers on each lot, with Rosenbauer France taking the larger share of helmet orders and Gallin Sas and Intersignaletic Sécurité sharing the lamps category. When the framework expires, a further re-tender is likely, giving other equipment manufacturers a future opportunity to bid, particularly if the field of qualified suppliers remains narrow.

Opportunities for Suppliers

Firefighting equipment manufacturers active in the French market should note that technical value, weighted at 45%, and combined quality criteria at 60% overall, mattered more than price in this award. Suppliers able to demonstrate strong sample and testing performance, robust after-sales arrangements, and credible environmental and take-back practices for used equipment appear best positioned for frameworks of this kind.

What Businesses Should Watch

●        How call-off order volumes develop across the 42-month term, and whether either lot's framework ceiling is approached before the term ends.

●        Whether other French interdepartmental fire service purchasing groups adopt a similar ranked, multi-supplier framework structure for safety-critical equipment.

●        Whether the narrow field of bidders seen in Lot 1 (two tenders) persists in future re-tenders, or whether a wider pool of suppliers emerges.

TendersOnTime Procurement Intelligence

This award illustrates how French public buyers handle a failed procurement: rather than leaving a critical equipment gap, SDIS 17 re-ran the competition for the two affected lots and secured a multi-supplier outcome that spreads risk across more than one manufacturer per lot. For safety equipment used daily by frontline firefighters, that redundancy is arguably as important as the price achieved.

The consistent 45/40/10/5 evaluation weighting across both lots also shows a deliberate, unified approach to sourcing related equipment categories, prioritising technical performance and after-sales support over the lowest headline price, even for a relatively standardised product like a safety helmet.

Supplier Takeaways

●        Technical value and combined quality criteria outweighed price 60% to 40% in this award; suppliers should lead with sample performance, testing results and service arrangements.

●        Multi-supplier, ranked frameworks allow more than one manufacturer to win a share of the same lot, rather than a single exclusive award.

●        A supplier that competes credibly across related categories, as Gallin Sas did for both helmets and lamps, can secure a foothold in more than one lot.

●        Re-tendered lots that previously failed for lack of suitable bids may indicate a narrow qualified supplier base, and therefore a real opportunity for capable new entrants.

●        Actual contract value depends on call-off orders placed over the term, so suppliers should weigh the framework ceiling against realistic drawdown expectations.

Key Takeaways

●        SDIS 17 awarded a re-tendered, two-lot framework worth up to €5.66 million for firefighter helmets and helmet lamps, with €2.18 million already committed in tenders.

●        Lot 1 (Type A and B helmets) was split between Rosenbauer France sarl and Gallin Sas.

●        Lot 2 (helmet lamps) was split between Intersignaletic Sécurité and Gallin Sas.

●        Both lots were evaluated on the same 45% technical value / 40% price / 10% after-sales / 5% environmental weighting.

●        Both frameworks run for 42 months and were awarded without reopening of competition.

Conclusion

This contract will not make national headlines, but it ensures firefighters across France's Centre-Ouest-Atlantique region continue to receive properly certified helmets and helmet lighting after an earlier attempt to source the same equipment fell through. By spreading each lot across two ranked suppliers, SDIS 17 and its partner fire services have built in a degree of supply security for equipment that frontline crews rely on every time they respond to a call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why was this competition re-run?

Lots 1 and 2 of the wider clothing and equipment consultation were declared void after an earlier round produced no suitable tenders, prompting SDIS 17 to re-launch the procurement for these two lots specifically.

Q2. Who won the helmets lot?

Rosenbauer France sarl was ranked first with a tender of €997,729 and a framework tranche of up to €4,828,000; Gallin Sas was ranked second with a tender of €949,390 and a tranche of up to €522,000.

Q3. Who won the helmet lamps lot?

Intersignaletic Sécurité was ranked first with a tender of €124,589; Gallin Sas was ranked second with a tender of €109,089. Both were awarded a framework tranche of up to €522,000.

Q4. How were suppliers evaluated?

Both lots used the same criteria: technical value of the offer at 45%, price at 40%, after-sales service at 10%, and environmental and sustainability characteristics at 5%.

Q5. Is this contract funded by the EU?

No. Neither lot is financed with EU funds, and neither is covered by the WTO's Government Procurement Agreement, though both follow EU Directive 2014/24/EU.

Source: EU Official Journal, Contract Award Notice 476470-2026-EN, OJ S 131/2026, published 10 July 2026.