Along with a UK framework agreement valued at £780 million, the newly-released opportunity also has a dedicated framework for Scotland valued at £27m.

The consultant framework will last for four years, launching in April 2024 when it takes over from the current iteration. It has been developed to provide dependable and compliant expertise for public sector organisations and will feature 23 service-specific slots.

Jason Stapley, chief procurement officer at Pagabo, said: “With such a long history, our Professional Services in Construction and Premises Framework has become an established leading offer within the construction sector. We’re proud of its status, especially with its value climbing from £500m at its current version, but never rest on our laurels. Our team always works hard to ensure quality and compliance remain high, while refreshing our approach to keep it up to date with the demands of the modern marketplace – which is why we have introduced the Scotland-specific framework.

“Transparency is something we take seriously, which is why we’re happy to keep the conversation open with prospective suppliers throughout the year through events such as our webinar last spring. It was great to answer queries from interested companies and to gather feedback on our framework as we prepare to open bidding once more.”

Within the framework, there are more spaces devoted to appointing SME consultants than on the current framework, a move that Pagabo hopes will improve access to the best consultants for each project whilst also boosting the social impact generated by the framework.

Jason said: “Successful procurement is about finding the right supplier for every project, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to that. Ensuring there’s a strong SME presence on the framework helps to widen out the options available and inject innovation into the framework and the sector as a whole.”

Users and consultants from schemes appointed via the framework will be provided access to Loop’s social value software, to monitor and report on the social value generated through the project.

The Education Alliance Trust remains the contracting authority for the Professional Services Frameworks, with Pagabo managing on its behalf as it does with the current iteration.

Interested parties are encouraged to submit their bids before 30 October 2023. Those wishing to be appointed to both the UK and Scotland offerings will be required to submit under two separate tenders, which will be evaluated according to each framework. Notifications of success are expected in March 2024.