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Published 2 Oct 2026, 08:56 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Four Year Framework Agreement for Main Building Contractors for New Build Housing with a possible one year extension

Competition analysis

Authority: Link Group·Consortium: 43 public authorities

Framework agreement7 lotsWorksRestricted procedure
Sectors: Construction & Civil Engineering (45) Delivery: Scotland (UKM)
Framework ceiling (notional)£840,000,000envelope for 7 lots · framework ceiling, not attributable revenue
Admission open until 2 Nov 202612:00 GMT · period end, not a bid countdown
Places on the framework 70
Bids per lot · the market 7CPV 4521 · n=147 · competition analysis ↓

What is being bought7 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

Link Group intends to enter into a Framework Agreement with a limited number of Building Contractors to provide construction services for a four year period with a possible one year extension. This may also include the provision of design and construction services. Link works in partnership with a number of subsidiary companies who will also be entitled to purchase works & services from the Framework Agreement. The subsidiaries of Link Group Ltd currently include, Link Living, C~urb 6 Ltd (C~urb), Horizon Housing Association Ltd, Larkfield Housing Association and West Highland Housing Association. Although it is possible that other organisations may join the Group, becoming subsidiary companies, during the term of the Framework Agreement, and may also wish to "call off" from the Framework.

Link also works in partnership with several external organisations, refer to Section 1.1 of the Contract Notice for further detail, who will also be entitled to purchase services from the Framework Agreement. In addition, it is also intended that any Registered Social Landlord registered and operating in Scotland will be entitled to purchase works & services from the framework, subject to Link's prior agreement.

Read the full description (1,447 more characters)

There is no guarantee of any work. It is however, more than likely that individual commissions will be "called off" either by direct selection or by mini tendering, within the terms of the Framework Agreement, to identify the most economically advantageous tender. The Framework Agreement will mainly cover the provision of construction works & services for new build housing, however individual projects may also include rehabilitation of existing properties, office and commercial properties, extensions, community facilities and adaptations, and planned maintenance projects.

The projects will range in size, tenure and type from mainstream housing to a variety of special needs projects. The tenure type will cover all affordable tenures, private rented and market sale. Applicants should have experience of projects within the social housing sector for projects between 5 and 500 units including flats, houses and retirement living projects with a mix of tenures.

The location of projects will vary but in the main will be located in the Central Belt of Scotland, Argyll & Bute and Highland, however individual projects may be located in any part of Scotland. The total number of units in each of the geographical areas may vary and specific numbers cannot be guaranteed in any area or in total.

Although individual projects cannot be guaranteed, Link will expect the successful contractors to deliver a high quality and value for money service.

CPV: Building construction work · Construction work for houses · Construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses · Flats construction work · Houses construction work · Multi-dwelling buildings construction work

How this framework works

From the published notice
Places
up to 70 suppliers

Lots and requirements (7)Procurement structure

7 lots · 1 with a published value · a supplier may bid for at most 7 of them · same evaluation weights on every lot
Lot #1Very Low Value Contracts up to the value of 3,000,000 GBPRenewalLot estimate not published
Link Group Ltd is undertaking the procurement in accordance with Regulation 29, Restricted Procedure and Regulation 34, Framework Agreements of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulation 2015. A maximum of twenty bidding organisations that submit a SPD response and meet the selection criteria will be invited to submit a tender for the Framework Agreement in accordance with Regulation 66 ‘Reduction of the number of otherwise qualified candidates to be invited to participate’.
Delivery: Scotland · Various locations across the Central Belt of Scotland, Argyll & Bute and the Highlands
Extensions
The Contracting Authority could consider extending the Framework for a further year.
Second stage
8–null candidates invited to tender
Variant bids
not allowed
45210000 Building construction work45211000 Construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses45211100 Construction work for houses45211300 Houses construction work45211340 Multi-dwelling buildings construction work45211341 Flats construction work

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #2Low Value Contracts between the value of 3,000,001 - 6,500,000 GBPRenewalPublished value£840,000,000
Link Group Ltd is undertaking the procurement in accordance with Regulation 29, Restricted Procedure and Regulation 34, Framework Agreements of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulation 2015. A maximum of twenty bidding organisations that submit a SPD response and meet the selection criteria will be invited to submit a tender for the Framework Agreement in accordance with Regulation 66 ‘Reduction of the number of otherwise qualified candidates to be invited to participate’.
Delivery: Scotland · Various locations across the Central Belt of Scotland, Argyll and Bute and Highlands.
Extensions
The Contracting Authority could consider extending the Framework by an additional year
Second stage
8–null candidates invited to tender
Variant bids
not allowed
45210000 Building construction work45211000 Construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses45211100 Construction work for houses45211300 Houses construction work45211340 Multi-dwelling buildings construction work45211341 Flats construction work

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #3Medium value contracts with an estimated value of between 6,500,001 and 12,500,000 GBPRenewalLot estimate not published
Link Group Ltd is undertaking the procurement in accordance with Regulation 29, Restricted Procedure and Regulation 34, Framework Agreements of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulation 2015. A maximum of twenty bidding organisations that submit a SPD response and meet the selection criteria will be invited to submit a tender for the Framework Agreement in accordance with Regulation 66 ‘Reduction of the number of otherwise qualified candidates to be invited to participate’.
Delivery: Scotland · Various locations throughout the Central Belt of Scotland, the Highlands and Argyll & Bute
Extensions
The Contracting Authority could consider extending the Framework for a further year.
Second stage
8–null candidates invited to tender
Variant bids
not allowed
45210000 Building construction work45211000 Construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses45211100 Construction work for houses45211300 Houses construction work45211340 Multi-dwelling buildings construction work45211341 Flats construction work

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #4Medium/High value contracts with an estimated value of between 12,500,001 and 20,000,000 GBPRenewalLot estimate not published
Link Group Ltd is undertaking the procurement in accordance with Regulation 29, Restricted Procedure and Regulation 34, Framework Agreements of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulation 2015. A maximum of twenty bidding organisations that submit a SPD response and meet the selection criteria will be invited to submit a tender for the Framework Agreement in accordance with Regulation 66 ‘Reduction of the number of otherwise qualified candidates to be invited to participate’.
Delivery: Scotland · Various locations throughout the Central Belt of Scotland, the Highlands and Argyll & Bute
Extensions
The Contracting Authority could consider extending the Framework by a further year.
Second stage
8–null candidates invited to tender
Variant bids
not allowed
45210000 Building construction work45211000 Construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses45211100 Construction work for houses45211300 Houses construction work45211340 Multi-dwelling buildings construction work45211341 Flats construction work

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #5High value contracts with an estimated value between 20,000,001 and 40,000,000 GBPRenewalLot estimate not published
Link Group Ltd is undertaking the procurement in accordance with Regulation 29, Restricted Procedure and Regulation 34, Framework Agreements of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulation 2015. A maximum of twenty bidding organisations that submit a SPD response and meet the selection criteria will be invited to submit a tender for the Framework Agreement in accordance with Regulation 66 ‘Reduction of the number of otherwise qualified candidates to be invited to participate’.
Delivery: Scotland · Various locations throughout the Central Belt of Scotland, the Highlands and Argyll & Bute
Extensions
The Contracting Authority could consider extending the Framework by a further year
Second stage
8–null candidates invited to tender
Variant bids
not allowed
45210000 Building construction work45211000 Construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses45211100 Construction work for houses45211300 Houses construction work45211340 Multi-dwelling buildings construction work45211341 Flats construction work

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #6– Very High value contracts with an estimated value over 40,000,001 GBPRenewalLot estimate not published
Link Group Ltd is undertaking the procurement in accordance with Regulation 29, Restricted Procedure and Regulation 34, Framework Agreements of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulation 2015. A maximum of twenty bidding organisations that submit a SPD response and meet the selection criteria will be invited to submit a tender for the Framework Agreement in accordance with Regulation 66 ‘Reduction of the number of otherwise qualified candidates to be invited to participate’.
Delivery: Scotland · Various locations throughout the Central Belt of Scotland, the Highlands and Argyll & Bute
Extensions
The Contracting Authority could consider extending the Framework by a further year
Second stage
8–null candidates invited to tender
Variant bids
not allowed
45210000 Building construction work45211000 Construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses45211100 Construction work for houses45211300 Houses construction work45211340 Multi-dwelling buildings construction work45211341 Flats construction work

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #7Argyll and Bute and Highland contracts with values up to 40,000,000 GBP.RenewalLot estimate not published
Link Group Ltd is undertaking the procurement in accordance with Regulation 29, Restricted Procedure and Regulation 34, Framework Agreements of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulation 2015. A maximum of twenty bidding organisations that submit a SPD response and meet the selection criteria will be invited to submit a tender for the Framework Agreement in accordance with Regulation 66 ‘Reduction of the number of otherwise qualified candidates to be invited to participate’.
Delivery: Scotland · Various locations throughout the Central Belt of Scotland, the Highlands and Argyll & Bute
Extensions
The Contracting Authority could consider extending the Framework by a further year
Second stage
8–null candidates invited to tender
Variant bids
not allowed
45210000 Building construction work45211000 Construction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual houses45211100 Construction work for houses45211300 Houses construction work45211340 Multi-dwelling buildings construction work45211341 Flats construction work

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

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 are scored · same split on all 7 lots
Quality: 70%Price: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Quality — 70
  • price — 30

Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid

Building construction work (CPV 4521) in Scotland — and who usually turns up

Link Group has too little published record in this market to describe on its own; the Scotland market stands beside whatever it has. This notice is a framework or DPS, so only frameworks and DPS are compared. Whole-market view: Building construction work (CPV 4521) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Left: this authority. Right: the market where the work is delivered. Bids and award-vs-estimate pairs are per lot, from contested frameworks and DPS only — direct awards (including PA 2023 transparency notices) report one bid by definition and are left out. On Procurement Act 2023 notices the count is the tenders assessed at the final stage, not every submission received; pairs compare like with like (VAT-exclusive, or VAT-inclusive on both sides). Empty means nothing was published, not filled in from elsewhere.

This authority

Link Group

no framework/DPS notices in Building construction work (CPV 4521) in 36 months

Link Group has published no bid reports, no comparable estimate → award pairs and no award dates that this analysis can use — in Building construction work (CPV 4521) (36 months) or across all categories (24 months).

The market · delivery region

Scotland · Building construction work (CPV 4521)

framework/DPS notices delivered in Scotland in 36 months: 94 in CPV 4521 (80 competed, 13 route not published) · 366 in division 45 (328 competed, 28 route not published)

Bids per lot
i

How many companies usually bid for work like this.

Middle value of published bid counts, one per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 4521), last 36 months: 147 lots. 3 lots are from Procurement Act 2023 notices (bids assessed, middle 38) and 144 from older notices (bids received, middle 7).

Nothing is filled in from UK-wide numbers. An empty tile means nothing usable was published.

7CPV 4521 · 36m · n=147 lots
Single-bid lots
i

How often only one company bid.

Share of lots that received exactly one bid, on the same competitions as the bids figure.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 4521), last 36 months: 147 lots.

High means a thin market or an incumbent that is hard to beat.

3%CPV 4521 · 36m · n=147 lots
Award vs estimate
i

Do awards for work like this land above or below the estimate.

Estimate against award per lot, for this buyer or this region in the same sector.

Nothing published for this region in this sector: not measured on frameworks — a panel award is a ceiling, not a price.

A past pattern, not a price to bid.

—not measured on frameworks — a panel award is a ceiling, not a price
Deadline → award date
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Based on this region’s tenders in this industry (CPV 45), last 36 months: 8 notices.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

110ddivision 45 · 36m · n=8 notices
SME bidders
i

How much of this market goes to small and medium firms.

SME bidders where buyers published the split, otherwise SME winners.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 4521), last 36 months: 146 lots.

Last 36 months.

47%CPV 4521 · 36m · n=146 lots
Winners based in the region
i

How much work like this goes to companies based in the delivery region.

Awards in this category delivered here where the winner’s registered address is in the region.

Based on this region’s tenders in this sector (CPV 4521), last 36 months: 74 awards.

Registered address, so a national firm with a local branch counts as outside.

Last 36 months.

64%CPV 4521 · 36m · n=74 awards
Bids per lot · history, not this notice’s lots robust · n=147
i

How the number of bidders is spread across lots.

Each lot with a published bid count is put in a band: one bid, two to three, four to six, seven or more. Real competitions only.

Based on 147 lots on 43 contested notices · CPV 4521, last 36 months.

  • 1 bid 3%
  • 2–3 14%
  • 4–6 27%
  • 7+ 55%

Middle value 7 · 147 lots on 43 contested notices · CPV 4521.

How procedures are run robust · n=81
i

Which procedures buyers here use.

Notices by the procedure they declare: open, selective, limited or direct. Open and selective are competitions; limited and direct are not.

Based on 94 notices · CPV 4521, last 36 months.

  • Open 64%
  • Selective 35%
  • Limited 1%
  • Direct 0%

94 notices · CPV 4521. Open and selective are competed (they feed the bid and price figures above); limited and direct are not; notices publishing no route are outside all four.

Coverage and what to read with care
  • Each tile explains itself. The on a figure says what it is, how it is counted and which scope this notice’s own record came from (class, division, all categories, or the authority’s 24-month row). The two columns are never blended and nothing is filled from a UK-wide figure; an empty tile means the source published nothing usable. Long form: Methodology.
  • Coverage. Roughly 40 % of notices publish a bid count; about half publish an ITL1 delivery location, so the market column reads the authority’s registered region when the notice has none (labelled). About 30 % of award-vs-estimate pairs are exact matches — the buyer published the award at the estimate. n is on every figure; a thin sample is muted, never hidden.
  • “Match” and “relevance” are model scores from the nightly matcher, not published facts. Find a Tender does not publish who is bidding. Never shown: contact details, payment behaviour, or a recommended price.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record · publisher note attached
Procedure method
Restricted procedure
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Works
Notice status
Open admission
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Framework agreement
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
2 Oct 2026, 08:56 BST
Last source update
2 Oct 2026, 08:56 BST
Classification (CPV)
Building construction workConstruction work for housesConstruction work for multi-dwelling buildings and individual housesFlats construction workHouses construction workMulti-dwelling buildings construction work
Delivery area
Scotland (UKM)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077f32
Contract terms
Electronic trading
e-invoicing allowed · electronic payment
Performance terms
As stated within the Procurement Documents

Publisher note: Link Group and its partners to the Framework are committed to the delivery of high quality public services. Link recognises that this is critically dependent on a workforce that is well-rewarded, well-motivated, well-led, has access to appropriate opportunities for training and skills development, is diverse and is engaged in decision making. These factors are also important for workforce recruitment and retention, and thus continuity of service. It is therefore mandatory for appointees to the Framework to adopt fair working practices, which will be further detailed in the SPD. Under the terms of this contract the successful supplier(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits in support of the authority’s economic and social objectives. Accordingly, contract performance conditions may relate in particular to social and environmental considerations. The Community Benefits included in this contract are: Community enhancement, targeted recruitment and training, promotion of subcontracting opportunities to SMEs and social enterprises, community consultation, community outreach and education opportunities NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=844528. The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx. Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems. The Contracting Authority does not intend to include a sub-contract clause as part of community benefits (as per Section 25 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014) in this contract for the following reason: Not required. 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: As stated in the Procurement Documents (SC Ref:844528) Download the ESPD document here: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ESPD/ESPD_Download.aspx?id=844528

How to participate & submission route

Apply via Public Contracts Scotland
Submission portal named on this notice: 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: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk ↗

Expression of interest (EOI)
—
Appointment period ends
2 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
—
Submission channel
{"electronicSubmission"}
Accepted languages
en
Bid validity
1440 days from the deadline
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release
www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk ↗

Timeline

3 published dates · Europe/London
  1. Notice publishedearlier today
    2 Oct 2026, 08:56 BST
  2. Admission / appointment period endsin 31 days · period end, not a bid countdown
    2 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
  3. Invitations to tender expectedin 59 days
    30 Nov 2026, 00:00 GMT

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Nothing awarded yet
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

25 public bodies on the notice

Link Group

Contracting authorityRegistered Social LandlordHousing and community amenities Watling House, Falkirk, UK, FK1 1XR +44 132417160 Published organisation website ↗

Consortium members and other public bodies

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Economic and financial selection criteriatenderEconomic and financial selection criteria
  • Technical selection criteriatenderTechnical selection criteria