Social Housing Framework Announcement: Places for People £162.8m Major Works 2027

Places for People has launched a new £162.8 million Major Works Framework, offering construction, refurbishment and property maintenance contractors the opportunity to secure a place on its four-year planned investment programme.

Covering 11 geographical regions across England and Scotland, the framework is divided into 33 lots, encompassing window and door replacements, roofing components, kitchen and bathroom refurbishments, electrical rewires, and heating installations.

With up to three contractors expected to be appointed to each lot, the opportunity is particularly relevant to businesses working within the social housing, planned maintenance and property improvement sectors.

The deadline for tender submissions is 12:00pm on 18 November 2026.

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Places for People Major Works Framework: Key Details

• Contracting Authority: Places for People Group Limited

• Framework: Major Works Framework 2027

• Estimated Value: £162,803,519 (including VAT)

• Framework Duration: Four years

• Start Date: 1 April 2027

• End Date: 31 March 2031

• Number of Lots: 33 across 11 geographical regions

• Contractors: Up to three per lot

• Enquiry Deadline: 11 November 2026, 12:00pm

• Tender Submission Deadline: 18 November 2026, 12:00pm

• Procurement Procedure: Open procedure

• Submission Portal: Delta eSourcing

The framework will support Places for People's planned investment programmes across its housing portfolio. While the overall estimated value is approximately £162.8 million, the contracting authority has confirmed that no minimum volume or value of work is guaranteed to appointed contractors.

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What Works Are Covered by the Framework?

The framework is structured around 3 principal workstreams, repeated across each of the 11 geographical regions.

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Windows, External Doors and Roofline Works

These lots cover planned replacement, renewal and repair works involving external building components.

Works may include window and external door installation, glazing, ironmongery, fascias, soffits, guttering and rainwater goods.

Contractors may also be responsible for associated surveys, removal and disposal of existing components, access arrangements, testing, certification and making good.

These lots are particularly relevant to window and door installation specialists, roofing contractors, external refurbishment businesses and planned maintenance providers.

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Internal Components: Kitchens, Bathrooms and Electrical Works

The internal components lots cover planned improvements to occupied housing properties, principally involving kitchen replacements, bathroom refurbishments and electrical rewiring.

Works may include the removal of existing installations, plumbing, electrical accessories, sanitaryware, flooring and finishes, alongside testing and certification.

Importantly, contractors may also be required to coordinate with Places for People's nominated suppliers, making procurement management, scheduling and resident liaison important considerations.

These lots are well suited to kitchen and bathroom installation contractors, electrical specialists, refurbishment providers and businesses experienced in delivering planned maintenance programmes within social housing.

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Boilers and Heating Systems

The third workstream covers boiler and heating replacement, renewal and associated installation works.

Activities may include the removal of existing systems, installation of boilers, pipework, radiators, controls and associated components, alongside flushing, commissioning, testing and certification.

Heat pumps are also included within the relevant procurement classifications.

These lots will be of particular interest to heating engineers, mechanical installation contractors and businesses specialising in domestic heating upgrades.

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How Are the 33 Lots Divided?

The framework covers 11 geographical regions, with three workstream lots available in each.

The regional breakdown is as follows:

• Region 1 – Edinburgh: Lots 1A, 1B and 1C

• Region 2 – Newcastle: Lots 2A, 2B and 2C

• Region 3 – Leeds: Lots 3A, 3B and 3C

• Region 4 – Sheffield/Doncaster: Lots 4A, 4B and 4C

• Region 5 – Blackpool: Lots 5A, 5B and 5C

• Region 6 – Preston/Manchester: Lots 6A, 6B and 6C

• Region 7 – Derby/Nottingham: Lots 7A, 7B and 7C

• Region 8 – Huntingdonshire: Lots 8A, 8B and 8C

• Region 9 – Bristol: Lots 9A, 9B and 9C

• Region 10 – Southampton/Brighton: Lots 10A, 10B and 10C

• Region 11 – London: Lots 11A, 11B and 11C

Within each region, Lot A covers windows, external doors and roofline works; Lot B covers internal components; and Lot C covers boilers and heating systems.

This structure gives contractors the opportunity to target specific geographical markets and workstreams that align with their existing capabilities.

For example, a contractor specialising in kitchen and bathroom replacements across Greater Manchester could consider Lot 6B, while a heating specialist operating in Bristol may find Lot 9C more relevant.

Choosing the right lots will be an important early decision. Contractors should consider not only the estimated value of each lot, but also their existing operational capacity, geographical coverage, specialist experience and ability to deliver works across occupied properties.

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How Will Contractors Be Evaluated?

The framework uses a combination of commercial and technical evaluation criteria.

The published evaluation weightings are:

• Commercial Submission – 45%

• Management Approach and Structure – 15%

• Experience – 10%

• Workforce and Subcontractors – 8%

• Health and Safety – 7%

• Use of Technology – 5%

• Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) – 5%

• Social Value – 5%

With 55% of the stated weighting allocated to non-commercial criteria, contractors will need to demonstrate more than competitive pricing.

A strong technical submission should clearly explain how the business will manage programmes of work, maintain quality, coordinate subcontractors, protect residents and deliver safely across multiple properties.

Experience will also be important. Contractors should prepare relevant case studies that demonstrate their ability to deliver comparable planned maintenance or refurbishment programmes, ideally within occupied social housing environments.

Social value and ESG commitments should be specific, measurable and proportionate to the work being delivered.

Note: Some lots in the published notice classify additional evaluation criteria as price rather than quality, despite retaining the same percentage weightings. Bidders should check the final lot-specific tender documents before preparing their responses.

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How Will Work Be Awarded Under the Framework?

Securing a place on the framework does not automatically guarantee future contracts. Places for People has confirmed that call-off contracts may be awarded through either:

1. Direct Award: Contracts may be awarded without further competition, including by reference to the contractor rankings established during the original framework procurement.
2. Competitive Award Procedure: Eligible contractors appointed to the relevant lot may be invited to submit a further proposal for a specific requirement.

This makes the initial tender particularly important. A competitive submission could help contractors secure a favourable position within their chosen lots, while demonstrating the technical and operational capability needed to compete for future work.

Tendered prices will remain fixed for the first 12 months, with subsequent adjustments subject to the framework's price adjustment provisions. Contractors should therefore review their pricing carefully, particularly where labour, materials and subcontractor costs could fluctuate.

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How Can Contractors Prepare a Competitive Bid?

With 33 lots available and a substantial technical evaluation component, contractors should begin preparing their submissions well ahead of the November deadline.

There are several areas worth prioritising.

Assess Which Lots Offer the Best Fit

Bidding for the highest-value lot isn't necessarily the strongest strategy.

Contractors should review their existing regional presence, workforce availability, specialist capabilities and previous experience before deciding which opportunities to pursue.

A targeted submission built around proven strengths may be more competitive than pursuing multiple lots without sufficient supporting evidence.

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Prepare Relevant Project Experience

With experience accounting for 10% of the evaluation, bidders should identify projects that demonstrate comparable delivery capabilities.

Evidence could include previous kitchen and bathroom replacement programmes, heating installations, external refurbishment works or multi-property maintenance contracts.

Where possible, examples should demonstrate measurable outcomes, including delivery against programme, quality performance, resident satisfaction and health and safety standards.

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Demonstrate Strong Resident Liaison

Many of the proposed works will take place within existing residential properties.

Contractors should be prepared to explain how they will communicate with residents, arrange access, manage disruption and respond to vulnerable households.

Clear processes for complaints, safeguarding, appointment scheduling and quality assurance can help demonstrate a practical understanding of social housing delivery.

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Strengthen Health, Safety and Compliance Evidence

Health and safety represents 7% of the evaluation, with further consideration given to management structures and workforce arrangements.

Bidders should ensure their policies, procedures, accreditations and supporting evidence are current and relevant to the specific works being tendered.

Responses should go beyond simply confirming compliance, explaining how safe working practices will be implemented and monitored throughout delivery.

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Develop Measurable Social Value Commitments

Social value and ESG collectively account for 10% of the published evaluation weighting.

Contractors should consider how their delivery model could support local employment, apprenticeships, supply chain opportunities, environmental improvements and wider community benefits.

The strongest commitments will be achievable, relevant to the contract and supported by a clear approach to monitoring and reporting.

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How Can Bid Writing Service Help?

The Places for People Major Works Framework represents a significant opportunity for contractors looking to strengthen their position within the social housing and planned maintenance markets.

However, with 33 lots, detailed technical requirements and a competitive evaluation process, preparing a strong submission will require careful planning.

At Bid Writing Service (BWS), we support construction, maintenance and refurbishment contractors throughout the tendering process, from initial opportunity assessment and bid strategy development to full bid writing, reviewing and submission support.

Our team can help you:

• Identify the most suitable lots for your business.

• Assess tender requirements and evaluate your readiness to bid.

• Develop compelling technical responses supported by relevant project experience.

• Strengthen responses covering management, health and safety, social value and workforce delivery.

• Review your completed submission against the published evaluation criteria.

Whether you're an experienced framework contractor or exploring new opportunities within social housing, our team can help you approach the process with a clear, competitive strategy.