Bidding opens for £800m Professional Services Framework

Liverpool-based Procure Partnerships Framework is inviting companies to tender for its second-generation Professional Services Framework for public works, worth around £800m.

The new professional services agreement will run for four years alongside its established national contractor framework.

The body has been operating and delivering successful frameworks across England for the past seven years, supporting the delivery of more than 400 public sector projects.

The tender documents have now been released after a successful market engagement session was delivered on April 22, attended by more than 350 professional services organisations.

The renewed Professional Services Framework will procure the following disciplines with separate sub-regional lots for each: Project Management, Quantity Surveying, Architectural Design, and Building Surveying. Project Management, Architectural and Building Surveying appointments will also offer the option to build multi-disciplinary teams at the project call stage.

Professional services organisations will be able to select which disciplines they tender within nine sub-regions across England, with a sensible approach to SME selection.

Public sector users of the Framework will have the flexibility to procure works and associated services based on not to be exceed fee percentages and established fixed hourly rates. Projects may be procured via Two Stage, Single Stage, and Direct Award procurement routes.

The deadline for tender documents to be received is Monday, June 24, with the framework set to run on a four-year term, launching in August 2024.

Documents can be accessed via the Atamis portal.

Faye Dolan, Framework Director at Procure Partnerships Framework, said: “After following rigorous market engagement sessions and taking in thoughts and opinions from consultants in the industry, bidding is now open for the renewal of the national professional services framework.

“The shared opinions from consultants on lotting structure and commercial set-up have certainly been taken on board and we will be taking their ideas forward in our procurement strategy.”

She added: “The renewed agreement will provide public sector bodies access to experienced project managers, quantity surveyors, architectural design firms, and building surveyors, whilst providing flexibility to build specialist, multi-disciplinary teams. This will improve value for money for clients whilst promoting collaboration with local SMEs, driving successful outcomes for all project stakeholders.”