Big Framework Tenders Launching – Are You Ready to Bid?
By Lisa Reece, Senior Bid Consultant
Public sector procurement is experiencing significant growth, evidenced by the launch of major framework tenders valued in the billions. These frameworks offer substantial opportunities for contractors and consultants, provided they can successfully navigate the competitive selection process to secure a position within these contracts.
Below we feature four major frameworks across the construction and highways sectors. Due to the expected high level of competition, creating thorough and persuasive submissions to the tender requirements will be essential.
If any of these tenders align with your business goals, our bid writing team is ready to help you develop a persuasive and accurate proposal.
LHC Public Buildings Frameworks (£1.85 billion)
LHC Procurement Group has kicked off the next generation of its Public Buildings Construction and Infrastructure frameworks across England, Scotland, and Wales. Combined, these regional frameworks are expected to channel up to £1.85 billion of public sector construction projects.
They replace several expiring regional agreements and broaden the scope to include new-build public facilities, refurbishment of listed buildings, associated civil infrastructure (roads, drainage, sewers), demolition, and even hard facilities management services. Lots are structured by project type and value (from under £750k to over £25m), meaning firms of various sizes can participate in relevant bands.
Procurement is now underway for these frameworks: In Scotland, a contract notice went live on 20 October 2025 (valued around £1 billion for the Scottish portion), with deadlines in November–December 2025 and awards expected in early 2026. Wales has issued a prior notice with an indicative 4-year term (2026–2030) and will run its tender via LHC’s portals. An England framework is expected to follow a similar timeline and structure.
Interested contractors (building contractors, civil firms, FM providers, etc.) should review the regional lots and prepare their prequalification submissions.
National Highways Scheme Delivery Framework 2 (£14.5 billion)
For highways contractors, National Highways’ Scheme Delivery Framework 2 (SDF2) is one of the decade’s biggest opportunities. SDF2 is a massive framework to “renew and enhance” England’s strategic road network from 2027–2035.
With an anticipated spend of £14.5 billion and 12 workstreams, this framework will cover everything from general civil works and drainage to pavements, tunnels, design, traffic management, structures, landscaping, road markings, signage, and more. There is even a national “main contractor” lot for complex high-value projects requiring self-delivery capability.
The first stage of SDF2 procurement is now live, using a new “Competitive Flexible” procedure under the UK Procurement Act 2023. This stage – the Selection Questionnaire phase – has a deadline for initial submissions on 14 November 2025.
Bidders must provide case studies, references, a carbon reduction plan, and details of resources for their chosen lots. Only a limited number of top-scoring suppliers per lot (e.g. 4–20, depending on lot size) will progress to the ITT stage, making this highly competitive. National Highways has signalled that quality will dominate evaluation – the ITT stage will weight 70% quality vs 30% price.
Firms in highways construction or maintenance should act now to complete the SDF2 PQQ before the deadline.
If your bid team is stretched, we can assist in drafting high-scoring answers that demonstrate your experience, approaches, resource capacity, and other key competencies.
National Highways Maintenance & Response Contracts (£9.6 billion)
Looking a bit further ahead, National Highways has announced plans for new Maintenance & Response (M&R) framework contracts covering the entire Strategic Road Network. These will replace the existing asset maintenance contracts and are set to run for 8 years from March 2028 to February 2036 (with a possible extension to 2037).
The scope is broad – suppliers will be responsible for cyclic and reactive highway maintenance, incident and severe weather response, operational technology upkeep, and asset renewal works under the new M&R arrangements. The total value is forecast up to £9.6 billion (approx. £8 billion core, plus contingency) across all regions.
National Highways has only published a pipeline Prior Information Notice so far (in August 2025) to engage the market. Interesting points from that early notice are that National Highways may divide the tender into two tranches and possibly multiple lots, but details will emerge after supplier feedback. The formal contract notice is expected in February 2027, giving the industry time to prepare.
Although bidding is not open yet, highway maintenance firms should begin positioning for this. Early engagement can influence the procurement approach and capture planning can help to focus on strengths and weaknesses for strategising and planning the bid writing process before the tender is released.
Our team is tracking this closely – we can help you interpret the pre-tender requirements and get ready well in advance – such as developing a capture plan or key case studies.
Pagabo Major Works 2026 Framework (£6 billion)
Procurement specialist Pagabo is gearing up to renew its major works framework. A Prior Information Notice indicates an upcoming £5 billion (excl. VAT) framework over 4 years (2026–2030), expected to formally launch in Q4 2025.
Pagabo has run extensive market engagement (webinars in Oct 2025) and is positioning this framework to capture the anticipated rebound in construction demand. This will be a national framework for major construction projects with multiple lots by region and value. Contractors should watch for the Pagabo tender notice imminently.
How BWL can help
Getting a place on a major frameworks can provide a steady flow of contracts for years to come. However, the bar for quality is high, and submission processes can be demanding (complex lots, tight deadlines, detailed questionnaires and evidence requirements).
This is where BWL can assist you. Our expert bid writers have a proven track record of securing framework appointments; We understand what evaluators seek in these major tenders.
If you plan to pursue any of these opportunities, contact us for professional bid writing and strategy support. We’ll help you navigate the requirements, highlight your strengths, and maximise your scoring – so that your business can capitalise on big framework wins.
Get in touch today to discuss how we can enhance your next bid.
Email us at enquiries@bwlgroup.co.uk or visit Professional Bid Services to explore our services.