Our Monthly Briefing provides a concise overview of activity across the UK social housing repairs, maintenance and construction sector. Drawing on live procurement data, contract awards, client activity and market intelligence, it highlights emerging trends, investment priorities and opportunities shaping the market.
Social Housing RMI Business Intelligence
Wotcha!
This one’s for you Will. 39 years ago, when I was 19, I was teaching recreational Scuba Diving in the British Army. I was supposed to be a mechanic, but was useless at it, and didn’t like getting my hands oily (Dermatitis) – or wearing green for that matter. Fortunately, I was a diver and so was my OC.
I got called back from L’Estartit in northern Spain, where I’d been taking squaddies diving, to put on a demonstration for the top brass at Lake Okersee in Germany. All Army recreational sports were vying for funding – we weren’t at war, so the boys were fighting each other.
My role was to pretend to be an MP, and while my boss was giving a talk to the generals, I interrupted to ask for a car to be moved. Mal got mad, I persisted, eventually Mal screams, ‘Get this man away!’.
At that, I was frog marched by two burly lads off a pier into icy water. I had a dry suit on under military waterproofs, and a 20 kg weight belt so I sank immediately. My friend Taff, from Scotland, just kidding – was under the pier, with a spare tank, mask, and hood. He then swam out with a fake shark’s fin just above the water line.
I did that 7 times over the day. The result was, with all that weight on my boney hips, and all the bouncing around, a prolapsed disc. I spent a year in and out of hospital at BMH Rinteln in Germany, and QEMH Woolwich – before being medically discharged in August 1989. By October I was working on a dive boat in Palau, Micronesia.
The prolapse resulted in a Discectomy L4/5. Since then, I’ve had a Laminectomy L5/S1 in 1996, and then a L4/5 fusion in 2007 – in spine speak, that’s the trifecta.
“Get to the point, Gaz”
A few weeks ago, I wanted to dress up smart for a friends ‘do’, so I wore ‘proper shoes’ – I’m usually in Vans. It was only for 4 hours. 3 days later I couldn’t walk. I literally could not put any weight on my lower back. Crawling was agonising, as was turning in bed. I still have some residual issues but I’m up and about now.
And the moral of this tale? Be careful when wearing heels, and most importantly, try to make the most of each day and be thankful for what you have – life can turn on a sixpence.
And with that, welcome to this months Locarla Monthly Briefing (now incorporating Gaz’s Medical History Journal), it’s a doozy.
‘Blue links‘ for all and ‘green links‘ are behind login so dependent on your licence.
Welcome, welcome, one and all.

A Tender Notice Is Just the Beginning
February 2025 was a watershed moment for tender alert services. PA2023 was finally introduced and this created a big opportunity, but an even bigger headache.
Tender aggregators now had access to better award data so could more confidently advertise ‘Pipeline / Advance Tender notification’ and ‘Competitor Analysis’. The problem was that everyone now had access to better data through Find a Tender – and it offered an API feed to make that data easier to process. At the same time LLMs were becoming able to build software to manage that API feed. Now, in one day, you could build your own contract notice software and offer it as a service.
PA2023 also gave us 17 different types of notices to deal with. This was great for us as we have a thing about data – more to analyse. I’ve no idea what other companies have done as they don’t tend to produce screen shots, but we built a new system to accommodate the new data.
View our Contracts Guide
When we moved into contract data in 2016, we could immediately see that CPVs weren’t going to cut it for us. The Europe wide procurement categorisation system did the job it was intended to do, but depending on your product or service, it was hit and miss when it came to tender research.
It was my love of DIY that made me want to re-write the rule book – I could understand a lot of the content, but the CPV options weren’t sufficient to provide a natural home for the various R&M and Construction notices we were interested in.
For 10 years we found missing contracts, corrected values, connected work streams, logged every client, gave every winner an ID number so we could track them, and got better at connecting everything together. Back then I didn’t really have a plan for the data, I’m just an attention to detail freak – I wanted everything – and I wanted it on a database.
The latest notice panels we are working on is the culmination of this dedication, plus a 3-year R&D journey with Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing. Clients – don’t go rushing to Locarla just yet. We’re aiming for a beginning of December release, although, other than a mind-bending Notice Intelligence Engine at work in the middle panel, everything else you can see on this image is already a part of Locarla. The difference now is everything is connected on one page.
Click for a full-size image – and no, this is not AI generated, I painted it in watercolour.
It’s a strange fact of life. Companies turning over millions of pounds, rely on systems that know next to nothing about the work they do, to find them contract opportunities and provide the intelligence behind them.
“I can see you have selected ‘kitchen installations’ – here’s a tender for a commercial kitchen installation on a cruise ship in the Med.”
Whatever the ‘people power’ equivalent of Machine Learning is, we were it. And we’re still at it – but now our people are training systems to better understand the notices, (in a way we never could), to improve the service we offer.
It’s all News to me!
POLICY & REGULATION
Government invests £90m in heat networks to cut bills and upgrade heating systems
Funding supports new low-carbon heat networks serving 750,000 homes, alongside repairs and upgrades to existing systems across England and Wales.
Source →
Remediation of Unsafe Cladding Bill introduces tougher enforcement and remediation duties
The Bill proposes penalties of up to £500,000, a register of medium-rise residential buildings and new powers to ensure unsafe cladding is remediated.
Source →
FUNDING & INVESTMENT
Plymouth Community Homes commits £1.2bn to housing investment over 10 years
PCH plans 1,500 affordable homes in five years, EPC C upgrades by 2030 and growth to 25,000 homes, backed by £250m in government funding.
Source →
BFL invests £161m in existing homes and launches sustainable finance framework
Bromford Flagship LiveWest invested £161m in existing homes, completed 1,192 retrofits, built 2,871 homes and introduced a framework for future green and social bond funding.
Source →
PROCUREMENT & FRAMEWORKS
Concertus opens bidding for £1bn construction and building services framework
Concertus seeks contractors across four English regions for construction, refurbishment, maintenance, M&E installations and renewable energy projects under its framework.
Source →
STAR Housing opens bidding for £607k scaffolding framework lot
STAR Housing seeks scaffolding suppliers for repairs and improvement works across its Shropshire housing stock under its Major Works and Repairs Framework.
Source →
Eastleigh Council opens bidding for £60m, 192-home Hampshire housing scheme
Eastleigh Borough Council seeks a design-and-build contractor for 192 mixed-tenure homes at Kings Copse Avenue, with construction expected to start in 2027.
Source →
LHC appoints 155 suppliers to £2.3bn public buildings framework
LHC appoints 155 suppliers across 10 lots covering construction, refurbishment, civil engineering and facilities management, with contracts available through October 2030.
Source →
Fusion21 appoints 72 suppliers to £350m responsive repairs and voids framework
Fusion21 appoints 72 suppliers, including 78% SMEs, to its UK-wide framework covering repairs, voids, disrepair, maintenance and contact centre services through 2030.
Source →
Notting Hill Genesis appoints 15 contractors to £500m empty homes refurbishment framework
Notting Hill Genesis appoints 15 contractors to its £500m framework covering voids, asbestos removal, energy upgrades, gas safety and electrical works.
Source →
DELIVERY & RETROFIT
Wates Residential selected for £209m Penrhys housing regeneration in Wales
Trivallis appoints Wates as development partner to regenerate Penrhys with 800-900 homes, including an initial 121-home phase, over a potential 15-year contract.
Source →
Penshurst Construction wins £7m Swindon Council kitchen replacement contract
Swindon Borough Council appoints Penshurst Construction to replace kitchens in around 200 homes annually under a 36-month contract, with two extension years.
Source →
AJS secures £3.5m Lewisham Council hard FM contract across 70 sites
Lewisham Council appoints AJS for fire and security maintenance, statutory testing, reactive repairs and 24/7 emergency response until September 2029.
Source →
Financial Intelligence for Contractors
This month, we’ve analysed the 2025/26 accounts published by 180 housing associations to uncover where financial pressure is building, where investment is shifting and where contractor opportunities are emerging. Our Financial Intelligence Report connects finance with repairs, planned works, procurement and regulator gradings to reveal the bigger picture behind the numbers.
Download the full report, it is available to everyone.
This comparison complements our repairs expenditure and tenant satisfaction analysis by exploring how different delivery models may influence the results.
Repairs bills are rising faster than rental income at many landlords, reducing the surplus available at year end. Our analysis highlights where this financial pressure is greatest.
Download the full report, it is available to everyone.
Show me the money!
A PDF guide to contract management on Locarla.
PROCUREMENT PIPELINE OVERVIEW
This month’s procurement pipeline features major opportunities across capital investment, repairs and planned works, building safety, construction, and materials supply across the UK social housing and wider public sector.
TOP OPPORTUNITIES
Hyde Group – Protect Framework (Compliance Services)
Major national compliance framework comprising 8 lots across regional and national workstreams, supporting servicing, maintenance and installation programmes for housing and wider public sector organisations.
Location UK Wide
| £2.688bn |
Deadline 33 Days
→ View notice | View client
Hyde Group – PIN – Improve Framework (Capital Delivery and Planned Works)
Proposed national framework covering kitchens and bathrooms, windows and doors, roofing, electrical works, adaptations, damp and mould remediation, refurbishment and wider capital investment, with workstreams designed for SMEs and larger contractors.
Location East Midlands, East Anglia, Greater London, South East
| £6bn |
Deadline 16 Days
→ View notice | View client
Great Places Housing Group – PIN – Innovation Chain North Framework (ICN) for Construction and Associated Professional Services
Preliminary market engagement for a future framework supporting new homes, refurbishment and associated social infrastructure across northern England, with an emphasis on social value and supplier engagement.
Location North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber
| £1.25bn |
Deadline 74 Days
→ View notice | View client
Cirrus Consortium – Materials Supply Framework
Four-year framework covering managed materials services, general building materials, plumbing and heating supplies, electrical materials, highways and civil materials, decorating supplies, and tool and plant hire.
Location UK Wide
| £1bn |
Deadline 19 Days
→ View notice | View client
LHC Procurement Group – Refurbishment and Modernisation (RM4S) – Scotland Framework Agreement
Four-year Scottish framework covering refurbishment, repairs, maintenance and modernisation, including electrical works, kitchens and bathrooms, adaptations, damp and mould remediation, external works and multi-disciplinary projects.
Location Scotland
| £900m |
Deadline 51 Days
→ View notice | View client
REPAIRS, MAINTENANCE & PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS
Waltham Forest London Borough – Planned Works and Repairs Technical Partner 2026
Opportunity for a specialist organisation to support the Council in delivering planned works and repairs. The notice lists quality at 60% and price at 40% of the award criteria.
Location Greater London
| £312m |
Deadline 44 Days
→ View notice | View client
PfH – Social Housing Emerging Disrupters 6 (SHED 6)
National framework giving eligible housing providers and public sector organisations access to innovative products, services and emerging technologies intended to address current and future housing-sector challenges.
Location UK Wide
| £208.3m |
Deadline 27 Days
→ View notice | View client
Places for People Group – Major Works 2027
Four-year framework across 11 geographical regions, covering kitchens, bathrooms, windows, external doors, roofline components, electrical rewires, boilers and heating replacements.
Location England and Scotland
| £135.7m |
Deadline 28 Days
→ View notice | View client
North Ayrshire Council – Measured Term Contract for Combined Re-Roofing, Re-Rendering, EWI and Solar PV Programme
Three-year programme, with extension options, combining roof replacement, re-rendering, external wall insulation and solar PV installations across residential properties in North Ayrshire.
Location Scotland
| £44.9m |
Deadline 19 Days
→ View notice | View client
HEAT NETWORKS & ENERGY SYSTEMS
Karbon Homes – Byker District Heat Network
Tender for the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of a decarbonised district heat network serving approximately 1,985 residential and non-residential connections across Newcastle’s Byker estate.
Location North East
| £145m |
Deadline 30 Days
→ View notice | View client
BUILDING SAFETY & COMPLIANCE
PfH – Mechanical, Electrical, Energy & Compliance Works Framework – Questionnaire
Preliminary market engagement for a framework covering mechanical plant and HVAC, building energy management systems, M&E minor works, refurbishment, net zero, fire safety and compliance services.
Location UK Wide
| £500m |
Deadline 17 Days
→ View notice | View client
Notting Hill Genesis – PIN – Building Safety Contractors Framework
Proposed four-year framework covering specialist facade works and larger sites or grouped projects, with separate lots intended to accommodate different project sizes and contractor capabilities.
Location East Anglia, Greater London, South East
| £360m |
Deadline –
→ View notice | View client
Kent County Council – Fire Safety Products and Associated Services
Four-lot framework covering fire safety products, active and passive fire protection, alarms, sprinklers, emergency lighting, fire door remediation, fire risk assessment, consultancy and training.
Location South East
| £120m |
Deadline 15 Days
→ View notice | View client
CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT & SUPPLIES
Link Group Ltd – Four Year Framework Agreement for Main Building Contractors for New Build Housing
Four-year framework for contractors delivering new-build housing across Scotland, with potential design and construction services. Projects may also include refurbishment, community facilities, extensions and adaptations.
Location Scotland
| £840m |
Deadline 12 Days
→ View notice | View client
Portsmouth City Council – Extra Care Housing Development – Edinburgh House
Design, build, finance and operate opportunity to deliver approximately 60 affordable extra-care homes in Cosham, including planning, construction, housing management and long-term property operation.
Location South East
| £280m |
Deadline 23 Days
→ View notice | View client
ESPO – PIN – Building Supplies – 12_27
Preliminary market engagement for a proposed framework supplying general building materials, paint, kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing materials, fencing and electrical items to public sector organisations.
Location UK Wide
| £25m |
Deadline 63 Days
→ View notice | View client
The Other League Tables
Along with our main monthly league tables, ❲see below❳, we also produce tables based on the following trades: Retrofit, Asbestos Survey, Fire Risk Assessment, Water/Legionella & Stock Condition Survey. ❲RMI Insight & Decarbonisation clients, click here for the PDF❳
Top of the league in each table are ….
Retrofit:
EQUANS
Asbestos Survey:
Cube Environmental
Fire Risk Assessment:
Pennington Choices
Stock Condition Surveys:
Pennington Choices
Water / Legionella:
HSL Compliance


September League Tables
RMI Insight & Decarbonisation clients can view the full dynamic league tables here.
Built Environment Contracts – September 2026 Overview
September 2026 saw total contract value climb to £742m, up from £286m in August. Planned Works led activity at £363m, followed by Gas Servicing & Central Heating at £195m and Responsive Repairs at £145m. Together, these three trades accounted for around 95% of the month’s total, marking a substantial increase in contract value compared with August.
Several major awards contributed to the month’s total. Sureserve Compliance Central recorded £129m in September wins, while Mulalley secured £64m, Sidey Solutions £56m and CLC Contractors £54m. Overall, September’s contract value was concentrated in a small number of trades and high-value awards rather than being evenly distributed across the market.
Top Contractors (Showing 10 of 50 companies)
Responsive Repairs
September’s contract value rose to £145m from £15m in August, reversing the previous month’s decline, although it remained below July’s £390m.
• Cardo Group retained 4th place, securing two wins in September. EQUANS is at rank 3 with £1bn in cumulative contract value, while Axis Europe remained at rank 5.
• Four new contractors entered the league, with City West Works securing two wins. 1 Call Property Maintenance fell 15 places, while C & M Servicing climbed 11 places.
Interpretation:
Contract value rebounded from August, with new entrants adding competition to the league.
Responsive Repairs (Showing 10 of 88 companies)
Planned Works
September saw a sharp increase in contract value of £363m, with sizeable awards lifting activity well above August’s £65m.
• Sidey Solutions recorded £56m across three wins, while CLC Contractors secured £54m across three wins. Foster Property Maintenance climbed 28 places to rank 13. PK Murphy Construction ranked 15 and Hetherington Painting and Building Contractors ranked 17, both are new entries.
• DCL Joinery and Contractors made the biggest ranking gain, rising 109 places to rank 14 with one win worth £35m.
Interpretation:
September’s stronger results were driven by several high-value awards and significant league movements.
Planned Works (Showing 10 of 190 companies)
Gas Servicing & Central Heating
September’s contract value more than doubled to £195m from £82m in August, marking the strongest month in the period cited and exceeding February’s £90m peak.
• Sureserve Compliance Central rose 20 places to rank 1, recording four wins. EJ Parker Technical Services (Scotland North) secured six wins, the highest number among the listed contractors.
• TSG Building Services climbed 18 places to rank 11, while Paynes Heating and Plumbing Services entered the league at rank 19.
Interpretation:
A strong month, driven by increased contract value and sizeable contractor gains.
Gas Servicing & Central Heating (Showing 10 of 97 companies)
Voids
Voids contract value fell to £8m in September, down from £23m in August, reversing two months of stronger activity.
• Mears Group climbed 61 places to rank 24, securing the month’s largest listed award at £4m.
• Nine contractors entered the league, including Sunter (£1m) and Axis Europe, alongside seven other new entrants with smaller awards.
Interpretation:
September saw lower contract value, despite a broad influx of new league entrants.
Voids (Showing 10 of 95 companies)
Fire Safety
Fire Safety contract value fell to £27m in September, down sharply from £92m in August, returning to levels closer to a typical month.
• Ashley & McDonough Compliance Services entered the league at rank 20 with a £7m award, while GTM Fire Protection debuted at rank 25 with £6m.
• AD Construction Group climbed 46 places to rank 26, supported by a £4m award. Harmony Fire retained the top spot.
Interpretation:
Contract value eased sharply, while new entrants secured some of September’s largest awards.
Fire Safety (Showing 10 of 182 companies)
Roofing
Roofing contract value fell to £5m in September, less than half of August’s £11m, extending the recent decline in monthly activity.
• GMG Contractors secured the largest September’s award among the listed contractors at £2m, while Liam Bacon climbed 11 places to rank 28.
• Nine new contractors entered the league, including APC Building Services, which secured £918k.
Interpretation:
Contract value continued to ease, with awards spread across established contractors and new entrants.
Roofing (Showing 10 of 152 companies)
RMI Insight & Decarbonisation clients can view the full dynamic league tables here.
Reports, Reports & more Reports.
All our RMI Insight & Decarbonisation clients receive news, reports, contract data and LA Minutes every day.






GOV.UK Prosper UK Centre for Policy Studies






Shelter Centre for Cities Regen Connect






Parliament.UK National Retrofit Hub GOV.UK






Baxi UK GOV.UK S&P Global






Office for National Statistics Builders Merchant Building Index Plumbing & Heating Merchant Index
All information is curated from public sources and market intelligence.
Published daily on weekdays.