Regional highways contractors are being invited to tender for places on a new public sector works framework with an estimated total value of up to £2 billion.
Procurement specialist Pagabo has opened the tender process for its National Framework for Small to Medium Works 2026, which includes highways and public realm schemes alongside a wider range of construction and refurbishment projects.
The four-year framework is expected to launch in April 2027 and will provide public sector organisations with a procurement route for individual contracts worth up to £20 million.
Pagabo says up to 75% of contractor appointments will be allocated to regional businesses, with the framework designed to support local supply chains and ensure public sector investment benefits regional economies.
Highways is among the areas covered by the framework, alongside new build, refurbishment, accessibility, decarbonisation and mechanical and electrical engineering works.
The framework will be available to a wide range of public sector bodies, including local and combined authorities, as well as organisations operating in the highways and infrastructure and aviation sectors.
It comprises five main lots, with four of these divided into 40 geographical sub-lots to encourage the appointment of contractors operating close to the projects being delivered.
A separate national lot will provide public sector clients with access to contractors capable of delivering projects across wider geographical areas.
The regional lots are divided according to contract value, ranging from schemes worth up to £1m through to projects valued at between £10 million and £20 million.
Contractors will be assessed on quality and price, with quality accounting for 70% of the evaluation weighting and price the remaining 30%.
Jason Stapley, chief procurement officer at Pagabo, said the framework was designed to combine national procurement assurance with a focus on local delivery.
“This is a framework that explicitly focuses on ensuring regional lots are reserved for regional firms, in the form of having national procurement assurance with a focus on local delivery. We’re excited to continue this offering and open the opportunity for contractors and the public sector to take advantage of a ready-made and compliant way to turn devolved funding into local delivery and local growth.”
The framework is the third iteration of Pagabo’s Small to Medium Works offering, which is managed on behalf of contracting authority The Education Alliance.
It has been developed in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 and will be managed through Pagabo’s digital procurement and delivery platform, Pagabo+.
The deadline for tender submissions is 5 January 2027.
Further information and tender documentation is available through the Pagabo procurement portal.
(Picture: National Highways)
