The latest iteration of our agreement for network infrastructure and communication services, is launched

The new agreement builds on the success of its predecessor, Network Services 2, continuing to offer core network services such as site-to-site and site-to-cloud (wide area network), satellite and 5G connectivity, as well as local area wireless network access, and  unified communication solutions. 

The scope and lotting structure for Network Services 3 [RM6116] has been improved to reflect the marketplace, supporting buyers in their route to market for all network and communication services. It will incorporate a ‘requirements builder template’ for simple, public internet connectivity needs to enhance the buyer experience, and increase further competition of WAN/LAN services. 

As an added new feature, an additional Lot for emerging technologies related to Internet of Things (IoT) has been introduced, enabling users to procure solutions for smart, connected spaces. The Lot structure and associated ‘customer journey’ features have been designed in collaboration with key customer groups and Industry leading trade bodies: Innopsis and techUK. 

The lots will comprise:

  • Lot 1a: WAN – Data Access Services
  • Lot 1b: Commercial Radio
  • Lot 1c: Tactical Radio
  • Lot 1d: Critical Domain Services
  • Lot 2a: LAN – Local Connectivity Services
  • Lot 3a: IoT & Smart Cities
  • Lot 3b: Communication Platform as a Services
  • Lot 4a: Analogue Telephony
  • Lot 4b: Digital Communication Services (Unified Communications)
  • Lot 4c: Contact Centre
  • Lot 4d: Inbound Telephony
  • Lot 4e: Paging & Alerting

145 suppliers have been awarded a place on Network Services 3, 48% of which are SMEs. The framework will run for 2 years with the possibility of extending by up to 2 years. Call-off contracts no longer have a maximum length set by the framework. However, buyers are advised to consider their own policy guidance to ensure long term competitiveness. 

Philip Orumwense, Commercial Director and Chief Technology Procurement Officer, Crown Commercial Service says: 

This new framework will support the public sector to access ‘user-based’ communication solutions, such as integrated voice, data and video. Our aim is to contribute to an improved customer journey and better value for money, whilst supporting the promotion of “cloud-first” future networks for Government initiatives. 

It is yet another example of how CCS is helping the public sector to adapt and make the best use of technology and innovative solutions within the modern hybrid workspace.

Innovations and benefits

  • mobile services have now moved to a new agreement, Mobile Voice and Data Services [RM6261], offering greater competition on pricing 
  • simple user-centric requirements builder to support the Government’s “cloud first” initiative, enabling public internet connectivity solutions and migration off the Public Sector Network (PSN)
  • an evaluated pool of suppliers allowing customers to drive cost reductions, increase value for money through healthy competition and achieve higher levels of network optimisation and fully integrated communication solutions
  • cross-Lot competitions are enabled, which can help customers who plan to consolidate their WAN and LAN requirements under a single competitive bid

Find out more

To find out more about Network Services 3 visit the agreement webpage or contact the CCS Service Desk at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk or 0345 410 2222.

Don’t forget, you can find a full list of all the commercial agreements we offer, alongside details of how we can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.

CCS launches new Supply of Energy 2 agreement

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) is pleased to announce the award of our new and improved energy agreement – Supply of Energy 2. This agreement will become the biggest energy contract ever awarded in the public sector, and is expected to supply up to £51 billion of electricity and gas – saving central government and wider public sector organisations over £2 billion.

The new agreement will eventually replace CCS’ existing Supply of Energy and Ancillary Services (RM6011) agreement, and is designed to help organisations overcome many of the challenges presented by today’s complex energy market. 

Energy pricing options tailored to suit risk appetite and business needs 

The new agreement gives customers more control over rising costs, protecting them from pricing volatility. In addition, customers can benefit from our team’s extensive knowledge and expertise in the energy market.

John Malone, Deputy Director for Energy at Crown Commercial Service, explains:

Our Supply of Energy 2 agreement is the culmination of extensive market engagement between CCS, our customers, and UK energy suppliers. By addressing key pain points such as market volatility, contract complexity, cyber vulnerability and the various challenges associated with national net zero ambitions, we are well positioned to meet the evolving needs of our customers, now and in the future.

Users of the new agreement will benefit from:

  • buying through expert in-house energy traders with years of experience
  • procurement process and contract drafting supported by specialist legal advice
  • a suite of customer baskets to suit risk appetite and business needs
  • provides all site works and metering services
  • named account managers and a dedicated customer service team
  • highly competitive management and administration fees
  • full compliance with all of the latest procurement policy requirements

Supporting net zero goals

The new Supply of Energy 2 agreement aims to support customers throughout their decarbonisation journey. Our agreement gives customers access to vital resources, including energy saving advice, access to carbon offsetting credits and allowances, support with carbon reporting, plus a range of other decarbonisation services.

The new agreement also integrates Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), which allow customers to purchase a proportion of their electricity requirements directly from a renewable electricity generator, such as a wind turbine or solar farm. 

This agreement supports net zero ambitions by providing:

  • enhanced provisions for sleeving PPAs
  • clean zero carbon energy
  • energy saving advice
  • access educational energy webinars, bulletins and events 
  • carbon offsetting credits and allowances
  • data and portfolio management
  • support with carbon reporting
  • a range of other decarbonisation services

John adds:

Contracts that support PPAs can be notoriously complex. Our new energy supply agreement simplifies the process with a number of provisions that allow customers to integrate their PPAs directly into their supply contracts.

Let us add power to your energy procurement

To learn more about the new agreement, please visit our webpage.

Record £3.8 billion commercial benefits delivered though Crown Commercial Service agreements

CCS agreements provide public sector bodies with a choice of approved suppliers who offer the best value, leveraging the scale of public sector demand. By using these agreements, public sector customers can achieve commercial benefits such as reduced costs compared to market prices and better value in contract terms and conditions. 

Results

The newly published CCS annual report and accounts for 2022/23 show £3.8 billion of commercial benefits were achieved across the public sector, an increase of £800 million compared to the previous year. This includes £11.4 million in savings for 26 customers on 4 mobile and data aggregations services, such as voice calls, connectivity and applications. 

Throughout 2022/23, CCS has developed its procurement expertise more widely, and provided new commercial routes for customers, with 26 new agreements procured this year. For example, CCS launched its first of a kind, Big Data and Analytics agreement to help support the requirements of the government and the wider public sector as they continue to use data to innovate. 

Minister Alex Burghart – Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, said:

Getting commercial and procurement decisions right is critical to good government. Crown Commercial Service is helping central government and other public bodies get just those decisions right – improving services and saving the taxpayer money as they do.

Spending through CCS frameworks has also increased, reaching over £31 billion (all spend types) in 2022/23. This means CCS has already reached its target of £30 billion by 2024, more than doubling the spend through its agreements in 5 years, and represents growth of more than £3 billion compared to last year.

There has been continued progress with efforts to enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in commercial agreements, with £2.6 billion (14.4%) of central government spend directly with 1,541 SMEs. This represents an increase of £340 million in spend compared to 2021/22.

Simon Tse, CEO of Crown Commercial Service, said:

We want to continue to deepen our impact and bring our commercial expertise to bear across the entire public sector.

We have a clear vision for our future. Underpinning this vision is a comprehensive strategy that is focused on developing our products and services and ensuring that the customer is at the centre of everything we do.

CCS agreements have also supported public sector customers with policy priorities, such as net zero commitments and social value, for example by supporting SMEs access to public procurement opportunities and encouraging prompt payment practice.

The organisation has now identified 36 commercial solutions in areas that can help accelerate the transition to net zero. In September 2022, it launched a new carbon net zero (CNZ) funding page on the website, enabling users to see all open CNZ grants and funding opportunities from across the government in one place. The grants are mapped to appropriate routes to market offered by CCS, making it easy for customers to fund and operationalise net zero initiatives.

Chair of the CCS Board, Tony van Kralingen said:

I’m delighted to be able to reflect back on yet another successful year for the organisation. As a result of CCS’s growth over the last few years, we are now in a position to invest in programmes and projects to help further develop commercial capability across the public sector. 

I must give thanks to all of CCS’s customers and suppliers who continue to work closely with us to realise savings across the public sector.

The year at a glance

  • over £31 billion of public sector spend (all spend types) was channelled through CCS agreements
  • customers who have used CCS products and services have achieved commercial benefits equivalent to £3.8 billion
  • CCS’s employee engagement index, as measured by the Civil Service People Survey, remains high at 69% in 2022
  • £2.6 billion (14.4%) of central government spend directly with 1,541 SMEs. This represents an increase of £340 million in spend compared to 2021/22
  • the assisted procurement service helped deliver procurements for customers worth a total annual contract value of £2.3 billion

Read the full report

You can read CCS’s annual report and accounts on gov.uk.

You can find a full list of all the commercial agreements CCS offers, alongside details of how CCS can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.

New one-stop page for net zero grants and funding for public sector initiatives

Are you struggling to fund your carbon net zero and sustainability projects? Our new one-stop grants and funding page can help. 

The UK has cut carbon emissions by more than 40% since 1990. In line with commitments under the Paris Agreement, the UK is the first major economy to pass laws committing to net zero by 2050. 

Even though the UK is at the forefront of the fight against climate change, decarbonisation is not happening fast enough. Many public sector organisations are finalising plans on how they will meet their targets and the UK-wide goals set by the government. However, staying on top of emerging net zero obligations and opportunities can be challenging. 

Barriers include a lack of inter-departmental and stakeholder coordination, lack of access to affordable and readily available energy efficient technologies. Additionally,  as many local authorities and communities across England are still building capability and capacity to meet net zero, limited capacity and experience can hinder their ability to gather sufficient information about their energy performance. 

Funding net zero ambitions is also a constraint, A green transition requires a significant investment in cleaner technologies. With budgets already stretched, meeting the high up-front costs of net zero projects, such as energy efficiency upgrades and solar PV panels, is an extra burden.  

The challenge of finding net zero funding in the public sector

Under pressure to deliver carbon emission targets, public sector sustainability leaders and facilities management professionals need to find available funding sources. However, the process of identifying and securing reliable financial support for sustainability projects is cumbersome. 

Grant information is often scattered across multiple sites and in various formats. Many organisations lack the time and resources to find and apply for net zero grants. 

Even after finding the funding, it can be complicated to apply, often requiring already stretched resources to complete the application. Usually, there is fierce competition to secure them before they are oversubscribed. 

One-stop for open net zero grants and funding

We know that your ability to meet sustainability and carbon net zero goals depends on funding. So, to make it easier, we’ve launched a new web page that brings all open CNZ grants and funding opportunities from across the government into one place. We will regularly update the page as new funding becomes available.

“Until now, customers have had no single place to view available funding sources and grants to support CNZ projects and programmes. Our new grants and funding page lets customers quickly see what funding is available, which unlocks a considerable barrier to achieving their net zero aspirations,” says Simon Tse, Chief Executive at Crown Commercial Service.

The CNZ grants and funding opportunities page allows you to review available open funding and providers and identify dates for applications. You can then engage with us to understand available routes to market for projects and complementary agreements to help deliver your CNZ solution.

 

“CCS is trying to simplify how the public sector can finance its green ambitions. Creating an up-to-date, consolidated list of open CNZ grants and funding opportunities across the government will greatly benefit our customers. Not only is everything in one place, but we also matched the available funding opportunities to our agreements. That leaves one less thing for our customers to worry about,” explains Kristen Green, Central Government Senior Account Manager.

Supporting your net zero journey

No matter where you are on your net zero journey, we can help. We have many solutions that can help you with decarbonisation across your procurement portfolio, from the obvious areas, such as energy and fleet, to places you might not even consider, such as technology hardware and food and catering. 

Don’t let funding issues deter your net zero ambitions. Visit our new carbon net zero grants and funding page today.

Microsoft licence aggregation saves customers £1 million

The requirement

11 Scottish councils recently took part in a CCS Microsoft aggregation. 

The customers required a wide range of Microsoft licences, including: 

  • M365 (E3 and E5)
  • CIS and SCCM Data Centre
  • CIS and SCCM Standard
  • SQL Server
  • Visual Studio
  • Visio
  • Project
  • Teams
  • Azure

The solution

Our technology aggregation team helps customers save time and money by combining their requirements and helping them harness the power of bulk buying. They run Microsoft aggregations 4 times a year. 

Taking part in an aggregation means many of the usual further competition procurement steps are handled by us, saving participants precious time and resources. We draft all documents, build the specification and run the procurement. 

Following the aggregation, the customers that took part will now place call off contracts for the number of licences they want to buy.  They will have their own standalone contract and can also discuss any extra services they need with the supplier. 

The aggregation was run through lot 3 of the Technology Products and Associated Services agreement. The outcome is underpinned by the Digital Transformation Arrangement 21 (DTA21) with Microsoft.

The results

The 11 customers that took part have saved £1 million. This was an average saving of 4.5%.

Scotland Digital Office is now exploring projects that would help them to centralise Microsoft based services across all 32 councils. This has the potential to multiply these results even further.

Let us help you add power to your procurement

Our next Microsoft aggregation is now open. You have until Friday 15 December 2023 to submit your requirements, with a formal contract award set to take place in February 2024.

Get involved

If this timetable doesn’t work for you, we are also offering aggregations with closing dates of Friday 15 March 2024 and Friday 14 June 2024.

Explore all our upcoming aggregations or visit our web page to find out more about how aggregation works.

July customer newsletter

Welcome to our July customer newsletter – read it here.

If you don’t currently receive our monthly customer newsletter, you can sign up by completing this short form. Each month, we’ll send you our latest news stories and case studies, as well as information on upcoming aggregation opportunities, events, webinars and much more.

You will also find a full list of all the commercial agreements we offer, alongside details of how we can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.

Changes to our agreements in June

Welcome to our monthly framework update to help you with your procurement planning. We will publish it online each month and also share it in our newsletters and on our social media channels.

The update provides a brief summary of what has been awarded, extended or expired during the previous month. It also outlines what is due to expire in the next 3 months.

You can also get an overview of all of our live frameworks in our interactive digital brochure.

Agreements awarded in June

No agreements were awarded in June.

Agreements extended in June

Agreements that expired in June

Agreements due to expire in the next 3 months

Further information

If you need further details about any of these agreements please get in touch.

You can also find out what new procurements we are working on by exploring our upcoming deals page.

If you don’t currently receive our monthly customer newsletter why not also subscribe to receive these updates and more directly to your inbox? Just fill in this short form.

When and how to run a further competition in procurement

NB: This article was originally published on 27 May 2023. All information was correct at the time of writing, but may not be fully applicable following the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023.

Running a further competition ensures you get the best solution and competitive pricing for what you need. 

As discussed in a previous article in this series, frameworks help public and third sector buyers source goods and services from a list of pre-approved suppliers, with agreed terms and conditions and legal protections. 

Once you’ve decided that using a framework is the best way for your organisation to buy what you need, you can ask all the suppliers listed on it to bid. This process is called a further or mini-competition and can be run under most frameworks. Please check the customer guidance for each framework.

Why run a further competition?

Frameworks provide specific goods or services but individual customer needs may vary, which makes it difficult for suppliers to provide a ‘one size fits all’ approach to pricing and requirements. 

Further competitions enable you to outline your own specific requirements and identify the best solution for your organisation. Suppliers can then consider your requirements and submit a bid that outlines how exactly they can meet your needs. 

When should you run a further competition?

Further competitions work best for more complex goods and services. For example, installing fire protection sprinklers and alarms within a school or a refurbishment or construction project. 

They don’t work for low-value, ad-hoc purchases, where the time and cost of running a further competition is disproportionate to the goods and services supplied. For example, a school or college purchasing one-off tail spend items such as a box of calculators or sports equipment. They are also not ideal when you have urgent requirements, because of the time it can take to complete the process.

In some instances, you can choose to place a direct award without further competition. This is only possible where it is stated as an allowed option in the guidance notes for the framework.

For some agreements, such as a Dynamic Purchasing System, there is no direct award option and you can only award a contract following a further competition.

How to get it right

Running a further competition can be daunting if you’ve never done it before, and it’s not part of your normal day to day job. 

Here are our top tips on how to make the process easier:

Stage 1: define your requirements and invitation to tender

The first step in the process is to do your research and determine exactly what you want to achieve from the contract. This is your opportunity to set out your specific requirements. For example, how long do you want the contract with the supplier to last? Is it a one-off purchase or a long-term arrangement? 

Your specification shouldn’t significantly change what suppliers originally signed up to provide when bidding to join the framework, but it will enable you to detail what you need, when and how. Read more about writing a specification.

You’ll also need to prepare an Invitation to Tender (ITT) along with a draft contract and specification (which may be provided in template format as part of a framework’s schedules). An ITT is a formal procurement document that is issued by the buyer, inviting suppliers to bid. Your ITT should include:

  • a covering letter
  • a timetable
  • how to ask questions
  • how to submit a bid
  • your specification 
  • your award criteria
  • specific levels of service you want
  • your terms of appointment

Tip: Make sure you allow sufficient time for suppliers to respond to your further competition. This way you’ll get more (and better quality) responses. Three weeks is generally considered to be the minimum timescale required for a supplier to respond to an ITT. 

Stage 2: invite suppliers on the specified framework and lot by issuing the ITT, requirements document and draft contract

At this stage, and using the example of a school construction project, it might be beneficial to allow the potential suppliers to carry out a site visit so that they can assess the work that needs to be done. 

Tip: If you want to find out how many suppliers are interested in bidding then you can send an expression of interest (EOI) to them all. After doing this, you only need to send your ITT to suppliers who responded. Check the framework rules first – not all of them allow this.

Stage 3: evaluate suppliers’ responses

When the deadline for submissions has passed, you can begin to evaluate the supplier responses. Your chosen supplier should be the ‘most economically advantageous’ – the one that best combines price and quality (and, for some frameworks, social value). 

Make sure you don’t deviate from the award criteria that you previously set in your ITT (and that are set out for competitions in the framework). This makes sure you are  fair and transparent and helps avoid any potential challenges.

Tip: Make sure your evaluators are clear on the bid evaluation process from the start and what your requirement is. 

Stage 4: award a contract to the successful supplier and notify unsuccessful suppliers

You should now be able to identify a winner from the scores you’ve given at the evaluation stage. At this point it’s time to notify all the suppliers of the result. 

The most appropriate way to do this is by letter. Some CCS frameworks have example letters that you can use. 

Tip: The award letters and letters to unsuccessful bidders should all be dispatched at the same time.

Stage 5: 10 day standstill period 

The standstill period should be at least 10 calendar days. During this time the contract award process is suspended. This gives unsuccessful bidders an opportunity to consider feedback, request further information or call for a review of the decision. 

Once the standstill period has passed you can begin your contract with the winning supplier.

Speak to your commercial team / legal advisors if you need advice to decide if this is appropriate for your procurement or not.

Tip: During the standstill period, a single point of contact is critical. Other members of your evaluation team should not engage in direct communication with any bidder. 

Find out more

Read all of our Procurement Essentials articles in one place on our website. 

Download our latest digital brochure for the latest information on our frameworks and how we can help you add power to your procurement.

Driving towards net zero: top tips for building transport sustainability into your procurement

NB: This article was originally published on 3 April 2023. All information was correct at the time of writing, but may not be fully applicable following the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023.

Adapting your travel and transport procurement strategy can significantly impact the environment through helping staff, people and goods move around in an easier, healthier and more sustainable way.

Why procure your transport solutions sustainably?

Transport is the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK. It is estimated that poor air quality could cost health and social care services in England £5.3 billion by 2035.

There is huge potential for public sector transport procurement solutions to be a force for good. Tackling air pollution through increasing the efficiency of public and fleet travel, and encouraging the transition to cleaner modes of transport will create better places for us all to live and work in, with quieter and less congested streets. 

Practical steps to decarbonisation of transport

We know that building sustainability into your procurements and staying on track for net zero can be complex. Knowing where to start can be the biggest challenge. 

Begin with a deep dive into the interlinking elements of your transport emissions to help you assess what aspects of your procurement strategy can be altered to reduce the impacts of climate change, including:

Reviewing your fleet

As part of your fleet management you should regularly review your fleet size, vehicle types and fuel usage. Time invested in reviewing your fleet now and continuous monitoring will help to ensure you have an efficient, cost-effective, and low-emission fleet that is fit for the future.  

The alternatively fuelled vehicle market has grown extensively in recent years. As a result, you now have more vehicle choices, including hybrid, fully electric and other ultra low emission vehicles. Ask yourself which vehicles may be suitable for replacement with electric vehicles.

Fleet managers may wish to consider replacing diesel fleet with electric or hybrid ones to reduce carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) emissions per year.  For example, the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust replaced its diesel fleet with 51 RAV4 fully converted vehicles that are more environmentally efficient, yet equally capable of carrying crews and equipment. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid was selected for its qualities to serve as a new rapid response vehicle for NHS paramedic teams. The Trust chose to use CCS (now GCA) to source the vehicles using the vehicle purchase framework agreement (RM6060). The new SUVs will be covering up to 40,000 miles a year, working the length and breadth of Wales. 

Once vehicles suitable for replacement with an equivalent zero-emission model have been identified, the next step is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the switch on a whole life cost basis to formulate your procurement strategy. Our Fleet Portal can estimate whole life costs for fleets including its purchase or lease cost, residual value, maintenance costs, fuel costs, fuel consumption and taxation.

Make commuting and incidental miles less harmful

Simple solutions can help you make a bigger impact on incidental miles travelled for business and commuting or for journeys carried out in employee-owned vehicles, also known as grey fleet. You can maximise journeys and encourage electric vehicle use in a number of ways including:

  • making car share vehicles near convenient travel hubs and meeting spaces widely available
  • making newer and less harmful pool or daily rental vehicles readily available to more staff and at an appealing cost
  • installing telematics to collect and transmit data about the vehicle’s speed, fuel consumption, driver routes and behaviour
  • offering green car salary sacrifice schemes to employees as a benefit

A green salary sacrifice scheme gives employees access to newer, cleaner, safer vehicles, making commutes and incidental miles less harmful. Hiring newer vehicles also allows employees to choose a hybrid or fully electric vehicle.

For example, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, accelerated their carbon reduction plans and fast tracking fleet electrification by offering a green employee salary sacrifice scheme to staff.  The Trust employs more than 14,000 staff and provides services across 7 key hospital sites, in addition to further settings across the local community

Create a scalable charging infrastructure to meet multiple user needs

With proper workplace charging implementation, employers can help increase the convenience and affordability of driving electric for their employees. Workplace charging can demonstrate a commitment to adopting advanced vehicle technologies.

Assess how your charging infrastructure can meet the needs of fleet users, employees, and the general public in various ways, including: 

  • providing dedicated networks for operational commercial vehicles 
  • facilitating in-car park / at work charging offerings for staff
  • adopting a hybrid approach using a charging infrastructure model that can also be made available to the general public at cost

Put innovative technology and data to work

Deploying innovative technology to do the work for you can help reduce carbon emissions. Across the UK, traffic management is helping tackle many sources of air pollution. SMART technologies can be used to incentivise and regulate driver behaviour and create Clean Air Zones to improve the air we breathe and how we navigate our cities. 

Using roadside furniture, such as number plate recognition, vehicle charging infrastructure, sustainable street lighting, and traffic monitoring CCTV systems, can further extend your green impact, helping to establish and maintain clean air zones.

We recently worked with Bristol City Council to introduce a clean air zone, which improved traffic flows and increased priority for buses at traffic signals. Innovative technology enabled enforcement of restrictions on the highest polluting vehicles and encouraged the use of cleaner vehicles and helped motivate people to walk, cycle or use public transport more.

Find out more

You can now find all of our Procurement Essentials articles in one place on our website. 

Download our updated Cityscape interactive guide to learn how small changes to the public sector’s transport and travel strategy can help us reach carbon net zero.

Our new offsite construction agreement has been awarded

The Offsite Construction Solutions (RM6184) agreement reflects continuous Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) innovations and will broaden the premanufactured building solution provision currently available to public sector buyers through CCS agreements. It will have an increased scope to include more MMC categories, specifically 2D panelised structural systems and panelised external building retrofits, as specified within the new MMC Definition Framework.

The agreement will continue to align with the policies outlined in the Construction Playbook on offsite construction adoption. It replaces our Modular Buildings Agreement, which closes on 1 April 2023. It has been designed to assist all public sector customers, with a specific focus on the health, housing, education, justice and defence sectors.

In a bid to help the public sector to continue to meet their carbon net zero targets, a specific lot (Thermal Efficiency Upgrades) has been introduced to address the increasing demand to retrofit existing estate portfolios with thermally efficient external systems.

The new agreement aims to build on the progress made on making it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to become suppliers. It includes 29 suppliers, 18 (62%) of which are SMEs. 

The agreement will run for 4 years with the possibility of a 3-year extension and there is no maximum duration for call off contracts

John Welch, Deputy Director – Construction, Crown Commercial Service says:

This new framework will support the public sector in the design, delivery and commissioning of a whole range of offsite construction projects in the coming years, including social housing, new schools and hospital extensions. These projects, and the many more which will come, have the potential to improve services and the lives of millions of people.  

“It is yet another example of how CCS is helping the public sector to support the government’s construction strategy and further supports the recently published refresh of the Construction Playbook with its MMC guidance note.

Innovations

  • a simple 6 lot structure, encompassing an increased range of premanufactured building turnkey solutions within a single, consolidated agreement
  • promotes the standardisation of building design across large portfolios of government infrastructure, therefore enabling greater efficiencies of time and cost savings through the project lifecycle, saving the taxpayer money
  • the new agreement aims to make it easier for clients to contract with SME organisations, with 62% of suppliers being classed as an SME. 
  • public sector contracting terms and conditions create an easier, more flexible route to market, tailorable to customers’ specific operational needs.
  • an evaluated pool of suppliers allowing customers to drive cost reductions and increase value for money through healthy competition

Lotting structure

The lots are:  

  • lot 1: Built Estate including Education
  • lot 2: Healthcare
  • lot 3: Residential
  • lot 4: Justice
  • lot 5: Defence
  • lot 6: Thermal Efficiency Upgrades

Find out more

To find out more about Offsite Construction Solutions (RM6184) visit the agreement webpage or contact the CCS Service Desk at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk or 0345 410 2222.

Don’t forget, you can find a full list of all the commercial agreements we offer, alongside details of how we can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.