The Framework will provide fully compliant, flexible and streamlined access to pre-qualified construction partners for the delivery of capital works projects across the education and wider public sectors throughout the UK. It will support a broad range of new-build construction and refurbishment schemes from schools, colleges and universities to healthcare and civic infrastructure using a variety of standard forms of contract (including JCT and NEC) to suit employer preference. The Framework covers a full range of construction and infrastructure works, including but not limited to: - - New build projects across all parts of the public sector (e.g. education, healthcare, housing, civic, blue light) - Refurbishment, remodelling, and retrofit - Planned and reactive maintenance - Enabling and demolition works - Infrastructure and external works. The Framework has an advertised value of £9.5billion over its 8-year term and covers projects of all values (there is no minimum or maximum value of project that can be procured through the framework). The Framework is designed to reduce procurement burden at call-off, enable regional and project specific delivery through a lotting structure, and ensure alignment with the Procurement Act 2023, National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS), the Construction Playbook and Gold Standard principles.

Procurement Act 2023

Competitive flexible procedure

There are four routes to market for this framework which are the following - 1. Direct Award Methodology - Ranking This is the quickest route to contract award and is suitable where the Employer is satisfied that the highest-ranked Contractor within the relevant lot can meet the project requirements. The Employer engages the top-ranked Contractor and, subject to agreement, proceeds directly to contract award. If the Contractor declines the opportunity, the Employer may approach the next-ranked supplier. 2. Direct Award Methodology - Desktop Assessment This option allows Employers to refine the original framework evaluation criteria to better reflect the specific requirements of their project whilst remaining within the framework's permitted parameters. Contractors are rescored based on the adjusted criteria and the highest-scoring Contractor is identified for direct award before progressing to contract award. 3. Further Competition - Full Contractor List This approach invites all Contractors appointed to the relevant framework lot to compete for the opportunity. The Employer develops project-specific requirements and award criteria before issuing an invitation to tender. Contractors submit bids, which are evaluated against the Employers published award criteria, to identify the most advantageous tender before progressing to contract award. 4. Restricted Further Competition This option enables Employers to undertake a targeted competition with a reduced number of Contractors. A desktop assessment is used to shortlist Contractors before inviting the selected organisations to submit bids. This provides a proportionate approach where a full competition may not be necessary.