The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a new construction framework worth up to £15.4bn (£18.4bn with VAT) for building and refurbishing education facilities across England.
The Construction Framework 25 (CF25) will succeed the existing CF21 framework, which expires in November 2025. CF25 will run for six years from January 2026, with the option to extend by a further two years.
It will cover new-build and refurbishment projects for schools, colleges, and universities, as well as ancillary community facilities. Work will be procured under 10 regional lots, split by project value and location.
Two lots cover projects worth more than £12m in the North and South respectively, while eight lots are for schemes valued between £4.4m and £12m. The low-value band may extend to projects worth up to £15m.
The framework will use a two-stage procurement process. Bidders must first pass a pre-qualification questionnaire to tender for specific lots. Contractors can apply for overlapping lots in adjacent regions but must state preferences, with rules in place to avoid multiple awards unless capacity remains unfilled.
A maximum of 10 suppliers will be appointed to each high-value lot and seven to each low-value lot. Contracts may be awarded via mini-competition or direct allocation.
The framework will be available to a wide range of public sector bodies, including local authorities, academies, universities, and LocatED Property Limited.
The DfE said the extended duration of the framework is intended to support long-term investment, innovation and consistency in delivery. All schemes must follow framework pricing rules set out in the contract documents.
The deadline for requests to participate is 12pm on 7 May. The DfE expects to award contracts by December.
Lots under Construction Framework 25
Lot 1: North (High Value Band)
Value: £12m+
Gross internal floor area (GIFA): Above 2,500 square metres
Regions: North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands
Places available: 10
Lot 2: South (High Value Band)
Value: £12m+
GIFA: Above 2,500 square metres
Regions: East of England, London, South East, South West
Places available: 10
Lot 3: North East (Low Value Band)
Value: £4.4m–£12m (extendable to £15m)
GIFA: Below 2,500 square metres
Regions: North East
Places available: 7
Lot 4: Yorkshire and the Humber (Low Value Band)
Value: £4.4m–£12m (extendable to £15m)
GIFA: Below 2,500 square metres
Regions: Yorkshire and the Humber
Places available: 7
Lot 5: East Midlands (Low Value Band)
Value: £4.4m–£12m (extendable to £15m)
GIFA: Below 2,500 square metres
Regions: East Midlands
Places available: 7
Lot 6: East of England (Low Value Band)
Value: £4.4m–£12m (extendable to £15m)
GIFA: Below 2,500 square metres
Regions: East of England
Places available: 7
Lot 7: London (Low Value Band)
Value: £4.4m–£12m (extendable to £15m)
GIFA: Below 2,500 square metres
Regions: London
Places available: 7
Lot 8: South East (Low Value Band)
Value: £4.4m–£12m (extendable to £15m)
GIFA: Below 2,500 square metres
Regions: South East
Places available: 7
Lot 9: South West (Low Value Band)
Value: £4.4m–£12m (extendable to £15m)
GIFA: Below 2,500 square metres
Regions: South West
Places available: 7
Lot 10: North West and West Midlands (Low Value Band)
Value: £4.4m–£12m (extendable to £15m)
GIFA: Below 2,500 square metres
Regions: North West, West Midlands
Places available: 7
Source: Gov.uk Find a Tender service