Find a TenderPlanned procurementPreliminary market engagement notice
Published 24 Aug 2026, 15:40 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Mechanical & Electrical Framework - NI

Authority: NHMF (NPC) LIMITED (Public body)

Framework agreementServicesAbove thresholdSME suitable
Planned pipeline value£500,000,000pipeline notice, not a live tender
Tender notice expected 31 Oct 2026from the planned procurement notice
Framework period 4 yrsends 31 Mar 2031 · starts 1 Apr 2027

What is being bought

Published requirement description

NHMF Frameworx is undertaking preliminary market engagement in relation to the proposed establishment of a dedicated Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Framework for Northern Ireland.

The proposed framework is intended to provide NHMF members, housing providers and other public sector organisations across Northern Ireland with a compliant and flexible route to market for the delivery of mechanical and electrical works, services and associated maintenance.

It is currently anticipated that the framework will provide separate opportunities for domestic and commercial works, recognising the different technical requirements, competencies, accreditations and delivery models associated with each area.

The final scope and lot structure have not yet been determined and will be informed by this preliminary market engagement. The framework may include, but is not limited to:

Electrical - Including, but not limited to:

Electrical installation works;

Electrical testing, inspection and certification;

Electrical maintenance and remedial works;

Fixed wire testing;

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT), including equipment within homes, communal facilities, offices and associated ICT/server equipment;

Consumer unit and distribution board replacement;

Electrical upgrades and rewiring;

Landlord and communal electrical systems; and

Associated electrical compliance works.

Security and Life Support Systems - Including, but not limited to:

CCTV systems;

Door entry and access control systems;

Automated gates and associated controls;

Intercom systems;

Life support and assistive technology systems;

Installation, servicing, maintenance and repair; and

Associated monitoring and control systems.

Fire Safety Systems- Including, but not limited to:

Fire alarm systems;

Fire detection systems;

Fire panels;

Alarm sounders and associated warning systems;

Portable firefighting equipment;

Dry risers;

Smoke control and smoke ventilation systems;

Testing, servicing and maintenance;

Remedial and replacement works; and

Associated fire safety system compliance.

Mechanical Systems - Including, but not limited to:

Mechanical building services;

Heating systems;

Boilers and associated plant;

Pumps and pumping systems;

Ventilation and extraction systems;

Hot and cold water systems;

Mechanical plant and equipment;

Controls and building management systems;

Planned and preventative maintenance;

Responsive repairs; and

Associated testing, servicing and compliance works.

Sprinkler Systems - Including, but not limited to:

Sprinkler system installation;

System upgrades and replacement;

Inspection and testing;

Planned servicing and maintenance;

Responsive repairs;

Remedial works; and

Associated compliance requirements.

Renewables and Low-Carbon Technologies - Including, but not limited to:

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems;

Battery storage;

Air source and ground source heat pumps;

Low-carbon heating technologies;

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure;

Associated electrical infrastructure;

Controls and monitoring systems;

Installation, testing and commissioning;

Servicing and maintenance; and

Associated renewable energy and decarbonisation works.

Multi-Disciplinary M&E

A multi-disciplinary provision for contractors capable of delivering works across a number of mechanical and electrical disciplines. This may include planned programmes, responsive works, servicing and maintenance contracts requiring a coordinated M&E delivery solution.

NHMF Frameworx is particularly keen to engage with Northern Ireland-based contractors, SMEs and specialist providers to understand the capability and capacity of the local supply chain and to ensure that the proposed framework structure provides appropriate opportunities for organisations of different sizes and specialisms.

The purpose of the preliminary market engagement is to seek feedback from both contracting authorities and the supply market on matters including the proposed scope, lot structure, geographic coverage, contract values, delivery models and any barriers that could prevent suppliers from participating.

Feedback received will be used to inform the development of the procurement strategy and tender documentation. Participation in this preliminary market engagement does not provide any advantage or disadvantage in any subsequent procurement process and does not represent any commitment by NHMF Frameworx or participating organisations to proceed with the procurement.

CPV: Access control system · Alarm system and antenna installation work · Alarm-monitoring services · Building services · Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting · Electricity · Maintenance services of telecommunications equipment · Patient-monitoring system · Repair and maintenance services of electrical and mechanical building installations · Repair and maintenance services of security equipment · Safety barriers · Solar energy · +5 more

How this framework works

From the published notice
Framework period
4 yrs from 1 Apr 2027

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

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
What this means for your bid
  • “Mechanical & Electrical Framework - NI” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.

Pipeline intelligence · planning stage: how this market runs before the tender is published

How NHMF (NPC) LIMITED buys Repair and maintenance services of electrical and mechanical building installations (CPV 5071), and who usually turns up

NHMF (NPC) LIMITED’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. This notice is a framework or DPS, so only frameworks and DPS are compared. Whole-market view: Repair and maintenance services of electrical and mechanical building installations (CPV 5071) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.

Question for the bid
This buyerNHMF (NPC) LIMITED · all categories
What to do with it
How often do SMEs win?
i

How often small and medium firms win.

Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.

The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 37 of 44 known-size awards · market: CPV 5071 · UK-wide, n=8
84%88%

Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.

How often do local suppliers win?
i

How often local firms win similar work.

Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.

Here, local means the winner is registered in the region where that contract was delivered.

A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 60 of 60 known-location awards · market: CPV 5071 · UK-wide, n=9
100%78%

Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered in Northern Ireland.

How long to a decision?
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.

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

Last 36 months.

Buyer: no decision dates published · market: CPV 5071 · UK-wide, n=5
—41 days

Half of these awards were announced within 41 days of the bid deadline.

How often single-bid or direct?
i

How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.

Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.

Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 3 procurements with awards; rival share unknown · market: CPV 5071 · UK-wide, n=8
—13%

Awards are recorded, but published direct routes and bid counts do not establish this buyer’s share.

How many bids did past lots attract?

i

How many bids past lots received.

Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.

Past bids do not predict this tender.

Last 36 months.

This buyer6 lots with bid counts · broad CPV 50
0% had one bid
The market5 lots with bid counts · CPV 5071 · Northern Ireland
0% had one bid
Buyer / market · select a colour for counts
1 bid0% / 0%
Buyer: 0 of 6 lots with published bid counts. Market: 0 of 5 lots with published bid counts.
2–30% / 40%
Buyer: 0 of 6 lots with published bid counts. Market: 2 of 5 lots with published bid counts.
4–60% / 60%
Buyer: 0 of 6 lots with published bid counts. Market: 3 of 5 lots with published bid counts.
7+100% / 0%
Buyer: 6 of 6 lots with published bid counts. Market: 0 of 5 lots with published bid counts.

How did awards compare with estimates?

i

Where winning prices landed against estimates.

Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.

On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.

Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.

Last 36 months.

Not comparable on a framework or DPS. The notice sets up a supplier panel and a ceiling value; what the work actually costs is agreed later, on each call-off or mini-competition, and those publish as contract notices of their own. The award-vs-estimate record of this market therefore sits on the call-offs; this page shows it on the contracts, not on the panel that frames them.

2

Assess each lot
i

What past awards tell you about each lot.

See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.

No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.

Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list

Lot #1CPV 507148 monthsSME suitablePublished estimate£500m
Expected competition
i

How many bids this lot may attract.

The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.

Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 35 past lots.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

—No model forecast yet3% single-bid risk
Past bids on 35 similar lots
1 bid3%
1 of 35 similar past lots received 1 bid (3%).
2–343%
15 of 35 similar past lots received 2–3 (43%).
4–626%
9 of 35 similar past lots received 4–6 (26%).
7+29%
10 of 35 similar past lots received 7+ (29%).
Comparable past lots usually drew 4 bids.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the award price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

No comparable awards for this lot yet.

A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.

—Priced at call-off
On a framework or DPS the price is agreed on each call-off, so there is no award price to forecast here: the published figure is a ceiling.

Who has supplied this buyer on similar work?
i

Who has done similar work for this buyer.

Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.

A past supplier may not bid again.

No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.

Who could compete for this lot?
i

Who could compete for this lot?

Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.

None is confirmed as a bidder.

Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.

About this data
  • Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
  • Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
  • Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
  • Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Planned procurement
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
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
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
24 Aug 2026, 15:40 BST
Last source update
24 Aug 2026, 15:44 BST
Authority reference
NI NPC 01
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-080484
Latest notice
Preliminary market engagement notice (UK2)
Classification (CPV)
Access control systemAlarm system and antenna installation workAlarm-monitoring servicesBuilding servicesElectrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lightingElectricityMaintenance services of telecommunications equipmentPatient-monitoring systemRepair and maintenance services of electrical and mechanical building installationsRepair and maintenance services of security equipment
+7 moreSafety barriersSolar energy
Delivery area
Northern Ireland (UKN)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ead6 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Appointment period ends
—

Timeline

24 Aug 2026 → 1 Apr 2027 · 4 dates
  1. Planning notice published57 days ago
    24 Aug 2026, 15:40 BST
  2. Today
    20 Oct 2026
  3. Tender notice expectedin 12 days
    31 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
  4. Market engagementin 12 days
    31 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT

    NHMF Frameworx will be hosting 2 preliminary market engagement events.

    1 in person event will be hosted at Clayton Hotel in Belfast on 17th September 2026. Interested bidders can register to attend this lunch and learn event by going to the event bright page -

    www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nhmf-frameworx-ni-… ↗

    The 2nd event will be hosted online on the 30th September. This veent will be hosted on teams and interested bidders can register for this event here -

    events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4b5d4cc2-4d19-… ↗

    Feedback will be open until 31st October 2026

    All requests for procurement documentation, communications and submission of tenders must be made via the Portal, which can be accessed at etenders.nhmfframeworx.org.uk ↗

    After creating an account on eTenders@NHMF-Frameworx, users will receive an email with a link to activate their account. Once activated and logged in, users will need the following code to register for the procurement documentation: NINPC01

  5. Contract startsin 163 days
    1 Apr 2027, 00:00 BST

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 24 Aug 2026
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    24 Aug 2026, 15:40 BST
    UK2
  2. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    24 Aug 2026, 15:44 BST
    UK2
Published amendments (1)

updated to reflect how to register on etenders portal

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Pipeline notice
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

NHMF (NPC) LIMITED

Contracting authorityPublic undertaking GB-COH: 13915301 · GB-PPON: PCJG-3317-XTMH Three Kings, Mitcham, London, CR4 2QAContact name, email, phone

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure