How to win security contracts in the UK
Security buyers change supplier at renewal and after incidents. Learn who to phone, what accreditations they expect, and how an AI calling agent can make the introduction calls and flag prospects with a contract renewal coming up.
Why winning security contracts is harder than it looks
The UK manned guarding and electronic security market is competitive. Most contracts are awarded for 12 to 36 months, and buyers rarely switch supplier mid-term unless something goes wrong. That means the window to win a new contract is short: the weeks around a renewal date, or the days after an incident that shakes confidence in the current provider.
If you are not in front of the buyer at that moment, someone else is. The firms that win consistently are the ones that reach the right people at the right time. Cold calling is the most direct route, but spending hours on the phone takes you away from running your business.
Who awards security contracts and how to reach them
The decision-maker depends on the type of site:
- Facilities management companies — they manage security for office buildings, retail parks and industrial estates. They subcontract guarding and need suppliers on an approved list.
- Site managers and construction firms — construction sites need temporary guarding, CCTV and access control. The site manager or project director decides.
- Block management and property managers — residential blocks and commercial estates need concierge, patrol and keyholding services.
- Warehouses and logistics operators — high-value stock means guarding, alarm response and CCTV monitoring are ongoing needs.
- Venues, hotels and event organisers — door supervisors, event stewarding and overnight security are booked regularly.
These people are busy. They rarely respond to cold emails. A phone call, timed to their renewal window, gets a conversation started where an email would be deleted.
What buyers ask before they award a contract
Before you pick up the phone, know what questions they will ask. Almost every security buyer checks the same things:
- SIA licensing — are your guards SIA-licensed for the services you offer (door supervision, security guarding, CCTV public space surveillance, keyholding)?
- ACS approval — SIA Approved Contractor Scheme status is not legally required, but many corporate and public-sector buyers treat it as a minimum.
- Insurance — public liability, employer liability and professional indemnity at levels appropriate to the contract value.
- References and track record — similar sites, similar scope, recent enough to be relevant.
Your AI agent's calling script should mention your accreditations and key services upfront. That way the prospect knows in the first thirty seconds whether you are worth a longer conversation. You can write or adapt your own calling script to cover these points.
Using an AI calling agent to find contracts
FoxEra's AI calling agents (Cass, Alex or Andrea) phone your prospect list, introduce your security business, ask whether they have a contract renewal coming up or any current needs, and log every answer with a full transcript and recording.
You upload your list, approve the script, and the agent works through it during permitted calling hours. Calls cost from 12p per connected minute with no subscription, and new accounts start with £7 of free calling credit.
The real value is in what the agent captures: contract end dates, pain points with the current supplier, upcoming projects. That intelligence goes straight into your pipeline so you can follow up with a proposal at the right moment. Read the transcripts, prioritise the warm leads, and call them back yourself with context.
Building a prospect list for security contracts
A focused list produces better results than a long one. Start with the types of site where you already have experience and can reference similar work:
- Search Companies House for facilities management firms and property management companies in your region.
- Check local council tender portals for organisations that have previously advertised security requirements.
- Look at construction project databases for sites that will need guarding in the next six months.
- Use commercial property listings to find landlords and managing agents of multi-tenant buildings.
Group your leads into folders by type — FM companies, construction sites, block managers — so you can tailor each campaign. See the full guide on how to build a UK cold calling list for more detail.
Connecting your AI assistant to manage campaigns
If you use ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor or another AI assistant, you can connect it to your FoxEra account and run campaigns without logging into the dashboard. Your assistant can add leads, choose the calling agent, preview the campaign cost and launch it after you approve.
This is useful when you are on site or in meetings and want to set up the next round of calls from your phone. Tell your assistant which types of prospect to call, approve the preview, and check outcomes later. Nobody is phoned without your explicit approval. Visit the developer guide to connect in three steps.
You can also review call results through your assistant — ask it to pull the latest transcripts, filter by outcome, and highlight the leads that mentioned a contract renewal.
Following up warm leads from AI calls
The AI agent makes the first contact and captures interest. Your job is to follow up personally with the prospects who asked for more information or a quote.
Read through the call transcripts to understand what each prospect said. If they mentioned a renewal date, put it in your diary. If they asked for a written proposal, send it the same day. Speed matters — the first supplier to respond with a tailored quote is usually the one that gets the meeting.
For prospects who said to try again later, set up a follow-up sequence so they hear from you again at the right time. The AI handles the volume; you handle the relationships that turn into contracts.
Frequently asked questions
How much does AI cold calling cost for security companies?
Calls are priced from 12p per connected minute with no subscription or monthly fee. New accounts receive £7 of free calling credit, enough to test a small campaign. You only pay for minutes where someone answers.
Can the AI agent explain my security services properly?
Yes. You write or approve the calling script before any calls go out. The agent follows your script, mentions your accreditations and services (guarding, CCTV, keyholding, alarm response), and logs the full conversation.
Is cold calling legal for security companies in the UK?
Business-to-business cold calling is legal in the UK. You should screen your list against the TPS and CTPS registers for sole traders or individuals. FoxEra provides guidance on screening. Read more on UK cold calling rules.
How do I find out when a prospect's security contract renews?
Ask during the call. The AI agent can include a question about contract end dates in the script and log the answer in the transcript. You then follow up with a proposal timed to the renewal window.
What types of security work can I win through cold calling?
Manned guarding, mobile patrol, keyholding, alarm response, CCTV installation and monitoring, event stewarding, door supervision and construction site security. Tailor each campaign to the type of prospect you are calling.