A Zero Waste Mattress System for HM Prison Services (HMPS)

15/11/2006

A Zero Waste Mattress System for HM Prison Services (HMPS)

 

Her Majesty's Prison Service currently buys in the order of 60,000 highly flame retardant, polyurethane foam mattresses and pillows per year and dispose of around 40,000.  The combined cost of supply and disposal is estimated to be in excess of £3 million per year.

 

Although the current specification (for a solid foam mattress covered in calico, designed to rigorous safety and fire retardant requirements) is considered a success, the mattress has a short life span, and current disposal to landfill or as clinical waste is unsustainable.

 

Consequently, HMS Prison has put out a call for supply of mattress and pillow, looking for an entirely new innovative design.

 

This is a pre-procurement market consultation / stimulation exercise (no formal status such as preferred bidder can be achieved through participation).  However, involvement at this market consultation stage offers a number of advantages to potential suppliers such as:

 

- An opportunity to be included in a Contacts Directory

- An opportunity to influence the short to long term procurement strategy and future tender specifications

 

The Materials KTN will support any members interested in following up this application, either with advice on innovation or finding partners to add strength to any collaborative bid.  Visit www. materialsktn.net

 

More information about the call can be found at the HMPS website: http://procurement.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/ , under 'procurement initiatives' (http://procurement.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/about/procurementinitiatives/) and on the Materials KTN at http://www.materialsktn.net <http://www.materialsktn.net/>