A total of 126 specialist consultants and contractors have been appointed to a major new public sector framework launched by LHC Procurement Group (LHCPG).

The Retrofit and Decarbonisation (N9) framework runs until the end of February 2029 and provides public sector clients and registered social landlords with access to vetted local suppliers with the expertise needed to assess and retrofit the country’s social housing and public sector buildings.

Available through LHCPG’s five regional business units, the framework covers a range of retrofit services, including consultancy, multi-disciplinary works, building insulation and performance, low-carbon heating systems, control and management systems, and electrical services, including EV charging and solar PV.

The N9 Retrofit and Decarbonisation framework aims to address all aspects of a building’s energy efficiency, enabling the decarbonisation of existing housing stock and public buildings to meet future climate and carbon reduction goals.

It is the first new framework to be launched by LHCPG since its successful Gold Standard verification covering all its work across all its regions.

It is also the first to implement LHCPG’s new social value strategy. To understand the social value impact and outcomes of all projects delivered from the N9 framework, LHCPG will monitor and report on the overall performance of this framework – working with the appointed companies and clients to gather and assess the added value created across individual wellbeing, social mobility, and improving the planet and the environment priority areas.

Clive Feeney, LHCPG Group CEO, says:

“The N9 framework will play a vital role in helping local authorities and housing associations work towards the UK’s newest and boldest targets on decarbonisation announced at COP29.

“As a country, we are now aiming for an 81% cut in emissions by 2035. This will demand a huge push on the low carbon retrofit of social homes, and a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions across 1.9 million non-domestic public buildings too.”

In recognition of the constraints and severe shortages of fully qualified trades and retrofit professionals to meet the demands of the public sector, the framework is also working to create new opportunities and a secure pipeline of work for local businesses, encouraging new collaborations and nurturing the upskilling of the next generation of contractors.

The N9 framework will signpost appointed companies to local retrofit skills academies, provide them with knowledge masterclasses and support them through best practice working groups, all designed to ensure they can meet mandatory retrofit standards, including PAS 2030, 2035 and 2038, within two years of joining.

Clive explains:

“At LHCPG we are very proactive in our work to attract smaller and more local businesses and underrepresented groups to apply to be part of our frameworks, and the N9 framework has been adapted with this in mind.

“We are committed to supporting our appointed supply chain throughout the framework’s lifetime, providing guidance and opportunities.

“For example, to access many of the government funding streams, installers must be PAS 2030-certified and TrustMark-registered. Many of the companies appointed today already have this, but part of our process will also be to support new suppliers. They will have a two-year window to attain the relevant certifications, during which time we will offer extensive support and assistance to ensure they meet these critical standards.

“In this way, the N9 framework can support future funding waves, making it a key enabler for energy-efficient upgrades of those social homes with low EPC ratings of D-G. These upgrades will ensure homes are better insulated, more comfortable to live in and cheaper to run, contributing to both energy savings and improved living standards for residents.

“By combining technical innovation with a deep commitment to upskilling the supply chain and delivering local social value, we are helping communities reduce their carbon footprints while building a skilled workforce for the future.”

The N9 framework has six workstreams:

• Consultancy: Combines energy policy and strategy development with grant funding support, providing comprehensive assistance to organisations in planning and implementing energy-efficient strategies.
• Multi-Disciplinary Works: Focuses on multi-technology installations with clarified value bands, accommodating diverse contract sizes and technologies, and includes provisions for micro and small contractors.
• Building Insulation and Performance (Passive): Covers various insulation types, including internal, loft, cavity wall, and external insulation, with specific lots tailored to different building sizes and types.
• Heating Systems: Encompasses a range of heating solutions, from domestic to commercial systems, and integrates smart controls and energy systems where applicable.
• Control and Management Systems: Addresses building management systems (BMS) and individual metering, catering to the needs in communal heating systems and energy management.
• Electrical: Includes lots for solar PV and battery storage, and electric vehicle charging, responding to the growing demand for integrated energy solutions and EV infrastructure.

In addition to the fixed-term framework over the next four years, LHCPG has also just launched a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) option for low carbon retrofit servicing and maintenance works.

The key thing about this DPS is that companies can apply to join throughout its lifetime rather than it being a fixed framework for the framework lifecycle, as with the Retrofit and Decarbonisation (N9) framework.

For more, visit: www.lhcprocure.org.uk