The London Borough of Hillingdon is procuring a multi-lot framework for building and construction consultancy services. The framework is valued at £30 million including VAT and is designed for use by Hillingdon and other UK public bodies through an access agreement.
The opportunity is relevant to a wide range of built-environment consultancies, not only architects and surveyors. Engineering firms, quantity surveyors, environmental advisers, employer's agents, principal designers and multidisciplinary practices may all have a route into the competition. If you are preparing an application, speak to Thornton & Lowe about your consultancy framework bid.
Which consultancy services are included?
The framework contains ten lots:
- Multidisciplinary services
- Architectural and building design services
- Building services engineering, including mechanical and electrical design
- Building surveying services
- Structural engineering services
- Quantity surveying services
- Environmental and sustainability advisory
- Employer's agent services
- CDM principal designer services
- Building Safety Act principal designer services
Each lot may also include supporting activities such as tender preparation, project management and advice on planning, development and environmental matters. The Hillingdon tender notice should be read alongside the procurement documents for the detailed scope and response requirements.
How will the two-stage competition work?
This is a competitive flexible procedure with a separate selection stage and tender stage.
At Stage 1, applications will be evaluated entirely on technical quality. Hillingdon intends to invite the ten highest-ranked applicants in each lot, plus any tied in tenth place, to Stage 2. The tender stage will then be evaluated on 70% quality and 30% price.
Following the tender evaluation, the council intends to appoint the six highest-ranked bidders in each lot, plus any tied in sixth place. A consultant can normally be awarded no more than six lots, so bidders applying widely must rank their preferences carefully.
Who is the opportunity best suited to?
The framework is suitable for SMEs, but firms still need to show sufficient capacity, insurance, professional competence and geographic reach for the lots they select. The strongest fit is likely to be consultancies with:
- recent public-sector building project experience;
- clear technical governance and peer-review processes;
- qualified and available delivery teams;
- experience working under call-off arrangements;
- transparent fee structures across different project values;
- evidence of building safety, sustainability and CDM compliance;
- the capacity to support clients beyond Hillingdon where required.
Our construction professional services tenders page outlines the types of consultancy opportunities available, including construction management, sustainability, building services engineering and other specialist disciplines.
Understand the pricing structure
Each lot uses project price bands from work valued below £50,000 through to projects valued between £10 million and £20 million. Projects above £20 million will be subject to a mini-competition. Bidders must return rates for every price band in each lot they apply for, and the submitted fees will act as maximum rates for direct awards.
Call-off contracts will also be subject to a 1.5% rebate, plus VAT, payable to Hillingdon. This needs to be reflected in the commercial model. A bid that looks competitive at framework stage but cannot sustain the rebate, resource profile or travel requirements may create problems once call-offs begin.
Build a lot-specific evidence plan
Applying for several lots should not lead to the same answer being reused throughout. Each response should demonstrate the specialist competence, people and project evidence relevant to that lot. A structural engineering example, for instance, should not simply be repurposed for an employer's agent question without explaining the different responsibilities and outcomes.
The Stage 1 deadline is 10 August 2026 at 1pm. Bidders should prioritise compliance, lot selection and strong technical evidence first, while also preparing the team, rate structure and quality approach that will be needed if they progress to Stage 2.
