NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) launched on 1 April a new Construction Consultancy Services Framework, which it says is expected to save the public sector some £16 million over the next four years.
Enabling NHS and wider public sector organisations to access services such as quantity surveying, civil engineering, and architecture, it provides a fully compliant route for public sector purchasing teams to access a comprehensive range of construction consultancy services. It replaces the current Agreement that has been in place since 2014, and has saved the public sector over £12 m, ‘thanks to typical savings of between 10-15% compared with buying direct’.
The new Framework includes over 200 suppliers – ranging from SMEs to national providers; new specialisms added for 2018 include Fire Safety, Energy Efficiency Products and Services, and Principal Designer Services.
Last year over 300 organisations purchased construction consultancy services via the NHS SBS Framework, with almost two-thirds non-NHS organisations. The new Framework allows organisations to award contracts directly, or to hold a mini-competition, and provides a range of pricing options and discount structures, plus the option for volume spend rebates
Existing Framework customers will be able to access the former Construction Consultancy Services Framework for a further six months, if needed, to allow them to renew contracts under its terms and conditions.
Phil Davies, NHS SBS Acting Procurement director, said: “The Construction Consultancy Services Framework enables clients from the NHS and other public sector organisations to commission construction consultancy services in a simple, streamlined, and cost-effective manner. The major benefit is the breadth and depth of suppliers we work with, including many smaller suppliers that public organisations may otherwise struggle to identify.”