National Framework for Developer-Led Schemes (YPO & Pagabo): Supplier Guide

YPO has launched the National Framework for Developer-Led Schemes, a major public sector development framework with an estimated value of £26bn including VAT. Managed by Pagabo, the framework is designed to help public sector bodies access developer-led development capability, legal support, consultancy and development management services through a compliant procurement route.

The opportunity is broad, with relevance to developers, construction businesses, development managers, legal firms, consultants, regeneration specialists and consortium partners targeting public sector development work. For suppliers, the scale of the framework is attractive, but it needs careful thought. Each lot reflects a different role in the development process, which means bidders need to show the right commercial experience, professional capability, financial strength and public sector delivery evidence.

If you are considering bidding, Thornton & Lowe offers a rapid, expert assessment to help you determine whether this opportunity is right for you and which lots to target.

Key Details and Deadlines

Because this is a closed framework, suppliers should treat the tender stage as the key opportunity to secure a place. Once the framework is awarded, new suppliers are not generally expected to join during the term, so a late decision or weak submission could mean waiting for the next procurement cycle.

This framework is being procured by YPO, with Pagabo responsible for framework design, delivery and ongoing management. Thornton & Lowe provides dedicated YPO bid writing support and Pagabo bid writing support for suppliers targeting public sector frameworks of this type.

Why the Developer-Led Framework Matters

Developer-led schemes are often complex, high-value and commercially sensitive. Public sector bodies may need support with regeneration, housing, mixed-use development, health estates, education facilities, civic buildings, infrastructure-linked development and wider premises-related schemes. They may also need advice before a scheme is fully defined, including feasibility, early design, legal structuring and development management.

The National Framework for Developer-Led Schemes is designed to support that wider development lifecycle. It is not just a construction framework for build delivery. It gives public sector buyers routes to appoint consultants, legal providers, developers, SPV partners and development managers depending on the stage, scale and structure of the scheme.

For suppliers, this creates a significant route into public sector development work. It may be especially relevant where buyers need development capability alongside commercial structuring, land arrangements, planning, funding, stakeholder engagement, programme management and risk allocation.

The framework also reflects the growing importance of compliant, flexible procurement routes for regeneration and development. Local authorities, NHS trusts, housing associations and education providers may need to move from early concept to delivery while managing governance, value for money, legal risk and public benefit. A place on the framework can help suitable suppliers position themselves for those opportunities, but only if their bid makes their role and evidence clear.

Scope of the Framework

The framework covers construction and premises. It is a renewal framework for developers capable of providing developer-led schemes in the UK for use by the public and private sector.

The scope includes building construction, residential and non-residential real estate development, real estate services, land and property services, legal advisory services, engineering works and wider construction-related activity. It is therefore relevant to a wider group of suppliers than a standard construction works framework.

Pagabo has also highlighted that this generation of the framework includes development consultants and legal providers for the first time. This widens the supplier audience and gives buyers a more complete route from early-stage development thinking through to delivery and management.

Public Sector Users

Pagabo states that the framework will be available to public sector bodies, including local authorities, education providers, NHS trusts and housing associations. These buyer groups often need development routes that can manage cost, risk, social value, estate strategy and public accountability at the same time.

That has important implications for bidders. A strong response should not only show that you can deliver development projects. It should show that you understand public sector decision-making, governance, stakeholder scrutiny, value for money, social impact and the need for transparent commercial arrangements.

Suppliers that are new to frameworks should also remember that an appointment is not a guarantee of work. A framework place creates a route to future call-offs, but suppliers will still need to compete, build buyer relationships and show clear value after award. Thornton & Lowe’s guide to construction frameworks explains how these agreements work and how suppliers can use them as part of a wider public sector growth plan.

The Seven Framework Lots

The framework is split into seven lots. Some lots are advisory or management-focused, while others relate to SPV structures or development agreements. Each route needs different evidence, so suppliers should not treat this as a simple multi-lot construction bid.

The framework values are heavily concentrated in the development agreement and SPV delivery lots, especially Lot 6. However, the smaller-value advisory and management lots are strategically important because they may influence early scheme design, delivery strategy and future procurement decisions.

Lot 1: Development Consultants

Lot 1 allows clients to procure development consultants to help identify and design a proposed scheme in the early stages, up to the end of RIBA Stage 1. This lot is likely to suit organisations with strong feasibility, appraisal, early design, planning, development strategy and client advisory capability.

Bidders should focus on how they help public sector clients define viable schemes. Evidence may include site appraisal, options analysis, stakeholder engagement, planning risk, early cost advice, development briefs, commercial feasibility and business case support.

A strong Lot 1 response should also explain how early consultancy work supports later delivery. Buyers will want confidence that advice is practical, proportionate and capable of leading into a successful developer-led procurement or development management route.

Lot 2: Development Legal Providers

Lot 2 covers legal services and responsibilities connected with development projects. The scope may vary depending on project size, complexity and stage, so legal providers should be ready to demonstrate both technical expertise and practical public sector understanding.

Relevant evidence may include development agreements, land transactions, planning, procurement interfaces, corporate structures, joint ventures, SPVs, LLPs, funding arrangements, subsidy control, governance and risk allocation. Legal firms should also show how they support clients to make decisions clearly and keep projects moving.

For law firms, this is not simply a standard legal panel opportunity. Responses should show specific development experience and an understanding of the commercial, property, procurement and governance issues that arise in public sector development schemes. Thornton & Lowe’s legal services tender support may be useful for firms that need help translating technical legal expertise into scored bid responses.

Lot 3 and Lot 4: SPV Schemes

Lots 3 and 4 cover special purpose vehicle schemes. Lot 3 applies to schemes from £0 to £100m, while Lot 4 covers schemes of £100m and above. These lots include long-term contractual relationships between client and developer, which may involve partnership agreements, joint ventures, limited liability partnerships, SPVs or other corporate structures.

Bidders for these lots need to show more than development delivery experience. They should evidence commercial structuring, governance, funding, risk management, partner selection, stakeholder engagement, land arrangements and the ability to manage long-term relationships with public sector clients.

Lot 4 is likely to need a higher level of evidence because of the value band and complexity. Suppliers targeting £100m+ schemes should be ready to show major project leadership, financial capacity, programme control, senior governance, supply chain strength and a clear approach to managing public sector accountability.

Consortium bidding may be relevant for some suppliers. Where that is the case, the bid should explain roles, responsibilities, decision-making, financial arrangements and how the client will experience a joined-up service rather than a loose group of partners.

Lot 5 and Lot 6: Development Agreement Schemes

Lots 5 and 6 cover development agreement schemes. Lot 5 applies to schemes from £0 to £50m, while Lot 6 covers schemes of £50m and above. These lots allow clients to procure a developer on a site-by-site basis or for a programme of developments within a red line boundary, including phased schemes.

Development agreement lots are likely to be attractive to developers with strong delivery evidence, but bidders should avoid relying only on construction credentials. The client is entering into a development agreement, so the bid needs to show how the developer manages commercial risk, land issues, planning, design, viability, stakeholder expectations, programme, funding, handover and long-term outcomes.

Lot 6 is the highest-value area of the framework, with an estimated value above £16bn including VAT. That does not mean every ambitious developer should pursue it. Suppliers should assess whether they can evidence major schemes at a comparable scale, including public sector governance, robust commercial management and capacity to manage complex phased development.

For some bidders, Lot 5 may be a stronger strategic target than Lot 6. A credible, well-evidenced response for smaller or medium-sized development agreement schemes may be more competitive than a stretched response for high-value projects where the evidence does not fully align.

Lot 7: Development Management Services

Lot 7 is focused on development management services. It can be used to appoint a development management services organisation to develop a scheme on behalf of the client, with the scheme then provided to the client to procure follow-on services or works.

This lot is likely to suit organisations that can act in a client-side or development management role. Evidence should cover project strategy, governance, programme management, stakeholder engagement, consultant coordination, cost control, risk management, procurement planning and reporting.

Bidders should clearly distinguish this role from acting as the developer or main contractor. Development management services require confidence, structure and impartiality. The response should show how the supplier protects the client’s interests while moving the scheme from concept toward deliverable procurement and delivery stages.

Geography and Development Types

Pagabo states that Lots 3 to 6 each include eight development types, and that each lot is divided into eight geographic areas. The geographic areas are North, Midlands, South West, South East, London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This means bidders should think beyond the headline lot. A supplier may have strong development evidence but only in certain regions, development types or buyer markets. The bid should therefore be realistic about where the organisation has delivery capacity, market knowledge and supply chain strength.

Regional evidence may be especially important for developers and development agreement bidders. Buyers will want confidence that appointed suppliers understand local planning environments, land markets, public sector priorities, community engagement and regional supply chains.

Choosing the Right Lots

The most important bid decision is not whether the framework is attractive. It is where your business can make the strongest, most evidenced case.

A practical lot review should consider:

• which lots match your core services and contract history
• whether your case studies match the value band and delivery model
• how much public sector development experience you can evidence
• whether you have the right professional, legal, commercial and technical capacity
• whether your financial strength aligns with the scale of the lots targeted
• how strong your regional evidence is across the areas you want to cover
• whether a consortium, joint venture or partner model would strengthen the response
• whether the commercial opportunity justifies the bid resource required

Suppliers should be cautious about bidding widely without direct evidence. The seven lots cover different roles, and evaluators will expect tailored responses. A development consultant, legal provider, SPV partner, development agreement developer and development manager each need a different story.

Thornton & Lowe supports suppliers with framework agreement applications, including bid or no-bid reviews, lot strategy, compliance planning and response development.

Evidence that Strengthens Your Bid

The framework’s 70% quality weighting means suppliers need to invest time in evidence. Price matters, but a strong quality score is likely to be critical, especially where buyers are assessing risk, capability and delivery confidence.

Development Experience

Bidders should use case studies that match the lot, value band and delivery model. A generic construction project will not be enough for SPV or development agreement lots unless it shows the commercial and development responsibilities required by the framework.

Strong evidence may include regeneration schemes, mixed-use developments, housing delivery, public sector land development, health or education estates, phased programmes, complex stakeholder environments, planning-led schemes or partnership development models.

Commercial and Financial Strength

Developer-led schemes can involve significant commercial risk. Bidders should show financial capacity, funding experience, risk allocation, commercial governance and the ability to manage long-term obligations.

For SPV and development agreement lots, the response should explain how commercial arrangements are structured and controlled. This may include partner governance, financial modelling, risk registers, escalation routes, approvals and transparent reporting to the client.

Public Sector Governance

Public sector development is subject to scrutiny, audit, procurement rules and political or community interest. Bids should show how the supplier works within that environment without slowing delivery unnecessarily.

Useful evidence may include reporting to boards or committees, supporting business cases, managing statutory consultation, working with elected members, engaging local communities, handling transparency requirements and maintaining clear records of decisions.

Planning, Viability and Risk

Development-led schemes often succeed or fail on early judgement. Suppliers should explain how they assess viability, planning risk, site constraints, market conditions, delivery phasing, cost movement and stakeholder requirements.

This is particularly important for consultants, development managers and developers involved before a scheme is fully defined. The bid should show how risks are identified early, tested properly and managed through clear decision points.

Delivery Team and Competence

The official notice states that appointed suppliers should be capable of managing multiple projects and employing competent, qualified personnel to execute each project required by client organisations. Bidders should therefore explain team structure, qualifications, capacity, resource planning and succession planning.

For multi-disciplinary or consortium bids, the team explanation is especially important. Evaluators need to understand who does what, who leads, how decisions are made and how quality is controlled across the team.

Social Value and Public Benefit

Public sector development schemes are often expected to deliver wider outcomes. These may include local employment, apprenticeships, community investment, supply chain opportunities, affordable housing, environmental improvements, inclusive design and long-term place-based value.

Bidders should connect social value commitments to the likely projects and buyers using the framework. Thornton & Lowe’s guide to answering social value tender questions can help suppliers avoid generic claims and build stronger, measurable commitments.

Procurement Act Considerations

The National Framework for Developer-Led Schemes is being procured under the Procurement Act 2023 and associated regulations. For bidders, the core task remains familiar: answer the questions directly, evidence claims, meet the submission rules and align responses with the evaluation criteria.

However, the Procurement Act places greater emphasis on transparency, performance and public benefit. Suppliers should reflect this in the way they explain governance, performance management, conflicts, conflicts management, value for money, supplier performance and public sector outcomes.

The notice also states that while the framework agreement is governed by English law, the contracting authority may introduce Scottish law into the terms and conditions during the first two weeks of the tendering period to support compliance in Scotland. Bidders targeting Scottish opportunities should check clarification updates and any amended documentation before finalising their submission.

Common Bidder Risks

The main risk is treating this as a standard construction or consultancy bid. The framework is broader and more commercially complex than that, so bidders need to show a clear understanding of the development route they are targeting.

Suppliers should avoid:

• bidding for too many lots without enough direct evidence
• using generic construction case studies for developer-led roles
• underexplaining the difference between SPV schemes and development agreements
• making consortium claims without clear roles and governance
• leaving legal, funding or commercial detail too vague
• ignoring regional delivery evidence
• underestimating public sector governance and stakeholder scrutiny
• making broad social value claims that are not linked to development outcomes
• relying on brand strength rather than answering the scored questions directly

A strong response should be specific to the lot, commercially credible and supported by recent evidence. It should also show how the supplier will help buyers move from development ambition to deliverable, compliant and value-for-money outcomes.

Preparing Your Bid

Bidders should start with a structured review of the tender documents and build a clear plan before drafting. This is particularly important where the bid involves multiple lots, consortium partners or complex commercial arrangements.

A practical preparation process should include:

1. Document review
   Download the tender pack, confirm all documents, read the instructions and note any clarification deadlines.
2. Compliance matrix
   Map every mandatory requirement, certificate, policy, declaration, upload and formatting instruction.
3. Lot strategy
   Decide which lots and geographic areas you can evidence properly, rather than pursuing every route that appears relevant.
4. Evidence mapping
   Match case studies, team CVs, policies, financial information, systems evidence and delivery examples to each question.
5. Commercial review
   Test pricing, risk allocation, commercial assumptions, partner arrangements and deliverability.
6. Response planning
   Plan each answer before drafting, including evaluator messages, evidence points, examples and supporting documents.
7. Quality review
   Build in time for independent review, scoring improvement, compliance checks and final upload checks.

Thornton & Lowe’s construction bid writing support can help developers, consultants and construction-led teams improve quality responses, method statements, case studies and compliance before submission.

Is This Framework Right for Your Business?

The National Framework for Developer-Led Schemes is likely to be highly competitive because of its value, UK-wide coverage and broad public sector access. The fact that the maximum supplier number is unlimited may make the framework more accessible, but it does not remove the need for a strong and compliant submission.

Before committing resource, suppliers should ask whether they have the right evidence, capacity and commercial appetite. A development consultant with strong early-stage public sector work may have a clear case for Lot 1. A legal firm with deep development agreement experience may be well placed for Lot 2. A developer with strong construction credentials but limited public sector development or commercial structuring evidence may need to think more carefully before targeting the higher-value lots.

The right decision may also depend on regional ambition. A strong bid for selected regions and lots may be more credible than a broad national submission that cannot be properly evidenced.

How Thornton & Lowe Can Support Your Bid

Thornton & Lowe works with suppliers bidding for public sector frameworks and tenders across construction, infrastructure, professional services, legal services, housing, property and wider government procurement.

For this framework, support may include bid or no-bid review, lot selection, document analysis, compliance matrices, bid planning, quality response writing, case study development, social value responses, consortium bid structure, draft reviews and final submission checks.

We can also help suppliers decide whether this is the right opportunity. For some businesses, the framework may be a strategic route into public sector development work. For others, a smaller, more targeted construction, consultancy or professional services framework may be a better use of bid resource.

If you are considering the National Framework for Developer-Led Schemes, speak to Thornton & Lowe before committing the full bid effort. A short review can help you decide whether to proceed, which lots to target and how to strengthen your submission.

FAQs

What is the National Framework for Developer-Led Schemes?

It is a four-year public sector framework procured by YPO and managed by Pagabo. It gives public sector buyers a route to appoint suppliers for developer-led developments, development consultancy, legal support, SPV schemes, development agreement schemes and development management services.

Who is procuring the framework?

The contracting authority is YPO. Pagabo is the framework manager responsible for design, delivery and ongoing management of the framework.

What is the value of the framework?

The estimated total value is £26bn including VAT.

How long will the framework run?

The estimated framework term is from 19 October 2026 to 19 October 2030.

How many lots are included?

There are seven lots covering development consultants, development legal providers, SPV schemes, development agreement schemes and development management services.

What is the difference between SPV schemes and development agreement schemes?

SPV scheme lots relate to long-term contractual relationships that may include partnership agreements, joint ventures, LLPs, special purpose vehicles and other corporate structures. Development agreement lots relate to arrangements where a client appoints a developer to develop a site, phase or programme of developments under a development agreement.

Can SMEs bid?

Yes. The notice identifies the opportunity as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs. Suppliers should still check the tender documents carefully to confirm the requirements for each lot, including evidence, financial and capacity expectations.

What is the submission deadline?

The tender submission deadline is 3 July 2026 at 12pm. Suppliers should check the Pagabo In-Tend portal for any updates, clarifications or amendments.

How is the tender evaluated?

The published award criteria are 70% quality and 30% price. That means suppliers need well-evidenced quality responses as well as a competitive commercial position.

Does a framework place guarantee work?

No. A framework place gives suppliers access to future call-off opportunities, but it does not guarantee contract volume. Suppliers still need to compete effectively and build a strong post-award plan.

Can Thornton & Lowe help with this framework?

Yes. Thornton & Lowe can support with lot strategy, compliance, bid planning, quality response writing, social value, case studies, draft reviews and final submission checks.

Bidding for the YPO and Pagabo Developer-Led Schemes Framework?

The National Framework for Developer-Led Schemes is a major opportunity for developers, consultants, legal providers and development managers targeting public sector development work. With a £26bn estimated value, seven lots and a 70% quality weighting, bidders need a clear strategy and strong evidence from the start.

Thornton & Lowe can help you assess the opportunity, choose the right lots and prepare a compliant, focused and evidence-led submission.

Given the value and breadth of this framework, competition is likely to be strong. Early engagement with the documentation and thorough preparation of evidence aligned to each lot's requirements will be essential. Act early – talk to Thornton & Lowe today for a tailored, no-obligation bid review.