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Published 20 Mar 2026, 11:52 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

Building Standards Research and Technical Services Framework

Official notice

Authority: Scottish Government (Central government)

Framework agreement7 lotsServicesOpen procedure
Framework ceiling (notional)Value not publishedframework ceiling, not attributable revenue
Submissions closed 17 Aug 2026
Lots 7see the lot list below

What is being bought7 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

The Authority intends to establish a multi-supplier Framework Agreement for the provision of research and technical services across seven lots. The Framework Agreement will be available for use by Scottish Government, Building Standards Division only and will enable the procurement of specialist support in the following areas:

Lot 1: Fire

Lot 2: Safety/Accessibility

Lot 3: Energy (Software, Tools and Methodology)

Lot 4: Energy (Policy and Research)

Lot 5: Environment and Sustainability

Lot 6: Structure

Lot 7: Non-technical

Economic operators may bid for one, several, or all lots. No guarantee is given as to the volume or value of services that may be awarded under the Framework Agreement.

Call-off contracts will be awarded in accordance with the terms of the Framework Agreement.

The estimated maximum framework value is GBP 4,000,000.

Call-off contracts under the Framework Agreement may be awarded by either direct award or mini-competition in accordance with the framework terms and conditions. The Authority reserves the right to use either method as appropriate to the specific requirement.

CPV: Advisory and consultative engineering services · Building consultancy services · Civil engineering consultancy services · Energy and related services · Energy-efficiency consultancy services · Environmental engineering consultancy services · Fire and explosion protection and control consultancy services · Hazard protection and control consultancy services · Research and development services and related consultancy services · Research consultancy services · Research services · Social research services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Places
up to 3 suppliers

Lots and requirements (7)Procurement structure

7 lots · no lot values published · same evaluation weights on every lot
Lot #1FireRenewal

Lot 1 covers the provision of research, analysis, and technical advisory services to support the development, review, and amendment of fire safety standards and associated technical guidance within the Scottish building standards system, particularly Section 2 (Fire) of the Domestic and Non-Domestic Technical Handbooks.

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: Two periods of 12 monthsVariant bids: not allowed
Lot #2Safety/AccessibilityRenewal

Lot 2 covers the intended research and outputs to support the development standards and guidance contained under Section 3 ‘Environment’ and Section 4 ‘Safety’ in relation to the accessibility and safety of new domestic and non-domestic buildings. Services will support the regulatory development, options appraisal, and cost impact modelling and assessment of the above themes. Outputs will inform the production of policy and consultation materials as well as amendments to regulations and updated technical handbook guidance.

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: Two periods of 12 monthsVariant bids: not allowed
Lot #3Energy (Software, Tools and Methodology)Renewal

Lot 3 covers the provision of technical services relating to energy related software, tools, and methodologies supporting compliance, modelling, and assessment within the Scottish building standards system.

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: Two periods of 12 monthsVariant bids: not allowed
Lot #4Energy (Policy and Research)Renewal

Lot 4 covers policy focused research and analytical services relating to energy use, decarbonisation, and energy performance of buildings. This lot focuses on Section 6 of the of the Domestic and Non-Domestic Technical Handbooks. Outputs may inform amendments to regulations, updates to Technical Handbooks, supporting guidance, related policy, and consultation material.

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: Two periods of 12 monthsVariant bids: not allowed
Lot #5Environment and SustainabilityRenewal

Lot 5 covers consultancy and research services relating to environmental performance and sustainability of buildings and the built environment. This lot focuses on Section 3 and Section 7 of the Domestic and Non-Domestic Technical Handbooks. Outputs may inform amendments to regulations, updates to Technical Handbooks, supporting guidance, and related policy and consultation material.

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: Two periods of 12 monthsVariant bids: not allowed
Lot #6StructureRenewal

Lot 6 covers structural engineering and structural safety consultancy services supporting building standards, technical guidance, and regulatory compliance. This lot focuses on Section 1 of the Domestic and Non-Domestic Technical Handbooks. Outputs may inform amendments to regulations, updates to Technical Handbooks, supporting guidance, and related policy and consultation material. Research within this lot will support the development of guidance and policy in relation to matters relating to building safety and structural integrity.

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: Two periods of 12 monthsVariant bids: not allowed
Lot #7Non-technicalRenewal

Lot 7 covers the provision of overarching business and policy support services for Lots 1 to 6 to enable informed decision‑making and effective policy development. The scope includes the delivery of detailed options appraisals to assess the feasibility of approaches against strategic objectives, alongside robust cost impact and benefit analysis to evaluate the financial, economic, and value‑for‑money implications of policy and technical proposals. 1.2. The Lot also encompasses stakeholder survey design, delivery, and engagement activities to gather evidence, insights, and feedback in support of policy development and refinement for Lots 1 to 6. In addition, suppliers will support the development and authoring of clear, accessible draft guidance and supporting materials, ensuring outputs are well‑structured, evidence‑based, and suitable for consultation, approval, and implementation within relevant organisational or regulatory contexts.

Delivery: Scotland
Extensions: Two Periods of 12 monthsVariant bids: not allowed

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored · same split on all 7 lots
Quality: 70%Price: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Quality: 70
  • Price: 30
Conditions of participation2
  • Economic & financial standing

    Insurance: Professional Risk Indemnity, Employer's (Compulsory) Liability and Public Liability.

    Minimum: Professional Risk Indemnity: GBP1,000,000.00 Employer's (Compulsory) Liability: in accordance with any legal requirements for the time being in force, and Public Liability: GBP1,000,000.00 Economic operators must demonstrate sufficient financial standing to perform the contract. …
  • Technical & professional ability

    Requirement: Relevant supplies and/or services delivered within the last three years. Examples may be from public, private, or third sector organisations and may include work delivered through partnerships, consortia, or grant-funded activity.

    The example(s) provided should demonstrate experience that is similar or relevant in nature, but does not need to be of the same scale or value as this contract.

    The Authority will accept proportionate and equivalent experience demonstrating the skills and capability required to deliver the contract.

    Tenderers must demonstrate the extent to which they meet the Purchaser ‘s minimum requirements in respect of Cyber Security for this contract by completing the relevant Supplier Assessment on the Supplier 25 System via the URL inserted below:

    app.supply25.com/applications/LuDtf5h… ↗

    Minimum: Minimum number of relevant examples: The Authority is seeking at least one example of relevant supplies and/or services delivered within the last three years. Lots 1 to 6 shall be assessed at a Moderate cyber security level, reflecting the anticipated handling of digital informat…
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
  • “Building Standards Research and Technical Services Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 3 suppliers, not a single contract.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record · publisher note attached
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Closed
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Framework agreement
Who may use this agreement
Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
20 Mar 2026, 11:52 GMT
Last source update
6 Jul 2026, 09:27 BST
Award evaluation window
17 Aug 2026 – …
Authority reference
CASE/817752
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-063063
Classification (CPV)
Advisory and consultative engineering servicesBuilding consultancy servicesCivil engineering consultancy servicesEnergy and related servicesEnergy-efficiency consultancy servicesEnvironmental engineering consultancy servicesFire and explosion protection and control consultancy servicesHazard protection and control consultancy servicesResearch and development services and related consultancy servicesResearch consultancy services
+2 moreResearch servicesSocial research services
Delivery area
Scotland (UKM)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06702c Find a Tender
Contract terms
Electronic trading
e-invoicing allowed · electronic payment

Publisher note: 4c.4 Requirement - Supply chain management Please provide a statement of the relevant supply chain management and/or tracking systems used: 4C.7 Requirement - Environmental Management Production and submission of evidence of steps taken to build awareness of the climate emergency and consideration of how the organisation plans to respond to it. This should include details of planned projects and actions to reduce the bidder’s carbon emissions. It is a requirement of this Contract that the Contractor shall pay staff that are involved in the delivery of services under this Contract at least the real Living Wage. Technical Evaluation Scoring Criteria: Score Definition Description 0 Unacceptable Nil or inadequate response. Fails to demonstrate an ability to meet the requirement. 1 Poor Response is partially relevant but generally poor. The response addresses some elements of the requirement but contains insufficient/limited detail or explanation to demonstrate how the requirement will be fulfilled. 2 Acceptable Response is relevant and acceptable. The response addresses a broad understanding of the requirement but may lack details on how the requirement will be fulfilled in certain areas. 3 Good Response is relevant and good. The response is sufficiently detailed to demonstrate a good understanding and provides details on how the requirements will be fulfilled. 4 Excellent Response is completely relevant and excellent overall. The response is comprehensive, unambiguous and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the requirement and provides details of how the requirement will be met in full. Technical Award Criteria: Section Title Weighting A Understanding of Policy and Technical Context 20% B Management, Staffing and Resourcing 30% C Delivery 25% D Contract Management 10% F Sustainable Procurement 10% G Fair Work First 5% 100% The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 32243. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343 A sub-contract clause has been included in this contract. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2363 Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/ A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows: Community Benefits will apply on a per‑Supplier basis, based on cumulative spend earned by each Supplier across all call‑off contracts awarded under the Framework. Cumulative spend per Supplier Requirement Below GBP 250,000 No mandatory Community Benefits (voluntary provision encouraged) GBP 250,000 reached Core Community Benefits requirement applies GBP 1,000,000 reached Enhanced Community Benefits requirement applies Once a spend threshold has been triggered, the Supplier must deliver Community Benefits by selecting activities from the Community Benefits Menu set out Annex 8 of the Specification. The Community Benefits Menu is structured around the following themes: -Employability and Skills in Building Standards -Community and third sector support -Promoting Inclusion and Reducing Inequalities -Environmental and Sustainability Contributions (Additional) (SC Ref:836511)

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Public Contracts Scotland · Who buys & how to bid on PCS
Supplier login requiredLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free single registration for Scotland; PCS-Tender (Jaggaer) for full bidding

Tender documents are also served through a separate tool: https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/go/63271052019F36458374 ↗

Appointment period ends
17 Aug 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
{"electronicSubmission"}
Accepted languages
en
Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
document
Bid validity
180 days from the deadline
Bids opened
17 Aug 2026, 14:00 BST
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

20 Apr 2026 → 17 Aug 2026 · 4 dates
  1. Next notice expected191 days ago
    20 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
  2. Notice published113 days ago
    6 Jul 2026, 09:27 BST
  3. Admission / appointment period ends71 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown
    17 Aug 2026, 12:00 BST
  4. Bids opened71 days ago
    17 Aug 2026, 14:00 BST

Notice history

3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 6 Jul 2026
  1. Status changed to active
    6 Jul 2026, 09:27 BST
  2. Procurement method changed
    6 Jul 2026, 09:27 BST
  3. Deadline published: 17 Aug 2026, 12:00 BST
    6 Jul 2026, 09:27 BST

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Scottish Government

Contracting authorityCentral GovernmentMinistry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisionsGeneral public services 5 Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw, Glasgow, Scotland, G2 8LUContact name, email, phone Published organisation website ↗

Dispute resolution & review bodies

  • Edinburgh Sheriff Court & Justice of the Peace CourtReview body Edinburgh

Official documents & specifications

Official links; attachments are not copied

No document links were published on the notice.