IN Brief:
- NHS Shared Business Services is preparing a £750m Public Sector Construction Works 2 framework.
- A bidder webinar is scheduled for 17 June, with the tender notice expected on 7 September.
- The framework will cover minor, intermediate, and major works for NHS and wider public-sector clients.
NHS Shared Business Services is preparing to bring forward its second-generation Public Sector Construction Works framework, creating a £750m route for healthcare, local authority, housing, education, and wider public-sector projects.
The procurement body has scheduled a bidder webinar for 17 June ahead of the formal tender process. The tender notice is expected on 7 September, with the clarification deadline set for 28 September and tender submissions due by 19 October. Award decisions are expected in July 2027, before the framework starts in September 2027.
The agreement will replace the current PS-Works framework, which runs until December 2027. It is expected to cover construction, refurbishment, demolition, civil engineering, and associated works across the UK, supporting NHS trusts and other approved public-sector organisations.
The framework will be structured around three principal value bands. Lot 1 will cover regional projects up to £5m, Lot 2 will cover schemes between £5m and £15m, and Lot 3 will provide a national route for projects above £15m. The split creates space for major national contractors and regional delivery businesses, with smaller companies able to compete for lower-value packages.
Tender scoring is expected to place substantial weight on quality, which will account for 60% of the assessment. Commercial weighting will account for 30%, while sustainability and social value commitments will make up the remaining 10%. The balance reflects the direction of public-sector procurement, where clients are using frameworks to secure compliance, consistency, local value, and whole-life performance alongside cost control.
The existing PS-Works framework supports a broad range of activity, including new builds, refurbishment, mechanical and electrical works, civil engineering, demolition, remediation, asbestos handling, enabling works, and associated design services. It allows call-off through further competition and direct award, giving public-sector clients flexibility when selecting suppliers.
The NHS estate continues to face heavy pressure from ageing facilities, backlog maintenance, reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete remediation, net zero commitments, and changing healthcare delivery models. Construction frameworks remain one of the main procurement routes for public bodies seeking compliant access to suppliers without running a full standalone competition for every project.
Healthcare construction also carries specific delivery challenges. Works often take place around live clinical environments, with infection control, phasing, temporary services, decanting, access restrictions, and stakeholder coordination shaping programme and cost. Those pressures have increased the value of suppliers that can demonstrate repeatable processes, robust site management, and experience in operational estates.
The next PS-Works competition is likely to place strong emphasis on evidence. Bidders will need to demonstrate collaborative working, social value delivery, carbon reduction, quality assurance, Modern Methods of Construction capability, and cost certainty across complex sites. Framework access will not guarantee work, but it will create a route into one of the most important public-sector construction pipelines in the UK.
