The announcement follows extensive pre-market engagement undertaken as part of the development of SCAPE’s forthcoming National Construction Work and Services Framework, which will be shortly going to tender. Feedback from contractors, clients and wider stakeholders highlighted strong demand for a dedicated procurement solution focused specifically on defence and complex environment projects.

In response, SCAPE has developed a standalone framework designed to address the unique operational, security and delivery requirements associated with projects across defence estates and other critical national infrastructure environments. With a duration of four years, with an option to extend for another year, the framework will be fully compliant with the Procurement Act 2023.

It will provide public sector organisations with an efficient route to market for construction works requiring enhanced security measures, specialist expertise and delivery experience within complex operational settings. The framework will be supported by contract templates and commercial models that are specifically designed to meet the needs of clients in the defence and complex environment sector.

Developed in response to strong appetite from public sector clients and private sector contractors, the £8.5 billion framework will operate nationwide, supporting projects across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

There will be up to six delivery partners appointed across the framework. The proposed framework structure comprises two lots:

• Lot 1: Defence and Complex Environments (Lower) for projects valued up to £15 million, with a total category value of £500m.
• Lot 2: Defence and Complex Environments (Upper) for larger-scale projects, with a total category value of £8bn. 

Both lots will support the delivery of construction projects requiring high levels of security clearance, enhanced personnel vetting and robust digital security arrangements. Each lot will appoint up to three delivery partners, providing clients with a choice of contractor while supporting competition and resilience across the supply chain.

The framework draws on SCAPE’s 20 years of experience supporting projects across the defence sector through its existing procurement solutions, combining this established expertise with active framework management, streamlined processes and early contractor involvement.

Craig Murphy, director of frameworks at SCAPE, said: “The UK’s defence estate is entering a period of significant investment, and we’ve seen that demand for efficient procurement solutions that support the smooth delivery of the projects is growing with speed.

“At SCAPE, we’re committed to listening to our clients and ensuring that our services evolve in line with the challenges they are facing. Our engagement with clients and delivery partners highlighted that there is strong demand for a dedicated solution that reflects the unique requirements and governance of defence and complex environments.

“By establishing a standalone solution, we’re creating a route to market that helps organisations procure smarter, reduce risk and access specialist expertise, while maintaining the collaboration, compliance and value for money our frameworks allow.

“This procurement marks an important milestone for SCAPE and for the sector. We look forward to continuing our engagement with industry as we develop a framework capable of supporting the delivery of vital infrastructure across the UK.”

As SCAPE’s first framework developed specifically for defence and complex environments projects, this procurement marks a significant evolution of the organisation’s framework offering.