Specification template for a free access outdoor fitness area
There is no up to date, freely available model technical specification for an outdoor fitness area anywhere in the French public sector: the only official functional specification for sports equipment dates from 11 May 2004 and was written for secondary schools. We publish a template to fill that gap. It is a fifteen article technical specification for an EN 16630 outdoor fitness area, supplied as an editable Word file, with no registration, no form and no email address to leave.
Download the template in Word format. The file is drafted in French, since it follows French contract document conventions, but the structure and the technical clauses transfer directly to any European tender. The English clause wording below can be used as it stands in an English language specification.
What the document contains
| Article | Subject |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Subject of the contract, reference documents, scope of the works |
| 4 | Normative requirements and proof of conformity, the article that eliminates undocumented offers |
| 5 | Materials and corrosion protection matched to site exposure |
| 6 to 8 | Layout, free and falling spaces, impact attenuating surfacing, anchoring and foundations |
| 9 | Signage and regulatory display |
| 10 and 11 | Warranties broken down by component, and spare part supply undertaking |
| 12 and 13 | Documents delivered at handover, maintenance and operator training |
| 14 | Environmental performance condition, compulsory in France since 22 August 2026 |
| 15 | Delivery periods and liquidated damages |
| Annex | Proposed scoring grid out of 100 points |
The four wordings that make the difference
A specification that says “compliant with applicable standards” binds nobody and eliminates no offer. Four articles turn each requirement into something you can check against a document at tender analysis.
- Normative proof. Article 4 requires a third party test report naming the edition of the standard and listing by name the stations covered. A statement issued by the manufacturer about its own products is not admissible. This is the clause that separates declared conformity from proven conformity.
- Warranty broken down. Article 10 requires separate durations for the structure, wear parts, electronic components and surfacing. A single global warranty figure prevents any comparison between offers because bidders define its scope differently.
- Surfacing scored on performance, not thickness. Article 7 requires a measured critical fall height under EN 1177 equal to or greater than the free height of fall of the equipment protected. Thickness alone says nothing about impact attenuation.
- Spare parts committed. Article 11 asks for a supply period after withdrawal from sale, a dispatch lead time and an illustrated parts schedule. This is what determines the real service life of the installation.
English clause wording you can copy
The following four clauses reproduce the substance of the key articles in English, for buyers drafting outside France.
Proof of conformity. The tenderer shall provide, with its offer, a test report issued by an independent third party body stating the edition of EN 16630 applied and listing by name each item of equipment covered. Statements of conformity issued by the manufacturer in respect of its own products will not be accepted as sole evidence.
Warranties. The tenderer shall state separate warranty durations for the load bearing structure, for wear parts, for electronic components and for the surfacing. Each duration shall be expressed in years from handover and shall be reproduced in the contract.
Impact attenuating surfacing. The surfacing shall have a critical fall height, measured in accordance with EN 1177, equal to or greater than the free height of fall declared for each item of equipment it protects. The test report shall state the thickness tested and the build up to which the result applies.
Spare parts. The tenderer shall undertake in writing to supply spare parts for a stated period following withdrawal of the product from sale, shall state the dispatch lead time for a part held in stock, and shall provide an illustrated parts schedule at handover.
A deliberately neutral template
The document names no brand, imposes no proprietary process and cites no certification scheme by name. That is a condition of lawfulness: under European procurement law, a requirement reserved for one named label without the possibility of equivalent proof is discriminatory and exposes the procedure to challenge. The template may be used, modified and circulated freely, including by a buyer who goes on to select a different supplier from us.
Suggested scoring grid
The annex proposes a grid out of 100 points, to be adapted and then reproduced in the tender rules rather than in the technical specification itself.
| Criterion | Points | Basis for scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 40 | Priced schedule, compared on the same scope |
| Technical value | 25 | Layout, station mix, quality of the conformity evidence produced |
| Structural warranty duration | 20 | Committed contractual duration, capped at the best offer received |
| Environmental performance | 15 | Spare part supply period, repairability, material durability, take back |
The split reflects the fact that price can no longer be the sole criterion, and that warranty duration is the environmental criterion easiest to make objective on this purchasing family. The reasoning is developed on environmental award criteria.
What the template does not cover
- It covers technical clauses only. Administrative clauses belong in the administrative conditions of the contract, and award criteria belong in the tender rules.
- It targets an outdoor fitness area under EN 16630. A children’s area falls under the EN 1176 series, an indoor room under EN ISO 20957, and a multi-sport area under EN 15312. Clauses for those families are on technical specifications for a sports equipment tender.
- It does not replace review by your own procurement or legal team, and it does not address national planning or building consents.
Frequently asked questions
Is the template really free and registration free?
Yes. The file downloads directly, with no form, no email address to leave and nothing expected in return. We publish it because a badly drafted specification produces bad offers, which wastes the buyer’s time and ours.
Can it be used while selecting another supplier?
Yes. The document is neutral and names no brand. It is designed to be used, modified and circulated freely, and a buyer who runs a fair procedure on the back of it may well award to someone else.
Why require a third party report rather than a manufacturer statement?
Because a statement is a declaration by a company about itself. A third party test report covers references identified by name and states the edition of the standard applied, so it can be checked. On outdoor equipment, where the consequence of non conformity is an injury, that difference matters.
Is the scoring grid compulsory?
No, it is offered as an example and should be adapted before being reproduced in the tender rules. It reserves 20 points for structural warranty duration and 15 points for environmental performance, which is above the 10 per cent commonly treated as a reasonable minimum.
Does the template include the compulsory environmental criterion?
Yes. Article 14 provides drafted environmental performance conditions, and the annex proposes the breakdown of an environmental award criterion. Both are usable under article 67 and article 70 of Directive 2014/24/EU wherever you procure in the Union.
Is a template available for other equipment families?
Clause text for each family is set out on our technical specifications page, and further complete templates will be published in the same place. If you need clauses for a specific family before then, ask us and we will send the relevant wording.
Have your specification reviewed
Send us your draft. We will tell you which evidence manufacturers in this market can genuinely produce, so you avoid a clause that returns no compliant offer or that invites challenge. Quotations are issued within 24 working hours.
Download the template, see clauses by equipment family, browse outdoor gym equipment, or use request a quote.