Asset Decarbonisation and RetroFit framework

Speed to contract is one of the most critical issues in public sector decarbonisation procurement, because funding programmes such as the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund, and Salix Finance more broadly typically attach delivery timelines that a full procurement exercise cannot accommodate. The framework is specifically designed to address this. Direct award gives you the fastest route to appointing a contractor: once your scope is clear, you engage the highest-ranked supplier for your region and agree the call-off terms. Inprova provides template call-off documentation, which removes the time normally spent on contract preparation. For more complex programmes, a mini-competition is faster than a standalone procurement exercise because the supply chain evaluation has already been completed. The key variable is how clearly your scope is defined at the point you approach the framework. Organisations with detailed specifications can move to contract significantly faster than those still working out what they want to deliver. This is why early engagement with Inprova, before the scope is finalised, is valuable: the team can help you develop the specification in parallel with the procurement process rather than sequentially. If you have a funding confirmation with a specific start-on-site deadline, share that timeline at your first conversation with Inprova so the procurement route and timeline can be structured around it.

No. This is precisely the problem the framework’s lot structure is designed to solve. You can access multiple lots through the same framework, which means a single compliant procurement vehicle covers solar PV, heat pumps, insulation, EV charging, and associated works across your estate without running separate procurement exercises for each technology. For organisations delivering multi-measure programmes, there are two practical approaches. The first is to use individual technology lots for each measure type, appointing the best-ranked specialist for each. This gives you access to specialist contractors in each technology but requires managing multiple supplier relationships. The second is to use the full-service solution lot (Lot 9), which appoints a single turnkey contractor to design, project manage, and deliver the complete programme, coordinating all measures and technology types under one contract. Which approach is better depends on the complexity of your programme, the range of technologies involved, and your organisation’s internal capacity to manage multiple supplier relationships. For organisations with limited internal resource, the full-service solution is often the more practical choice. For organisations with a strong project management function, using specialist lots for each technology can deliver better quality in each discipline. Inprova can help you assess which approach fits your programme and your organisation.

Yes. The framework includes advisory and consultancy lots specifically for this situation. Lot 11 (asset management and surveying) provides access to building surveyors, engineers, and project management consultants who can assess your current asset condition, identify the decarbonisation measures appropriate for your estate, and help you develop an investment plan. Lot 12 (retrofit services) provides access to retrofit designers, coordinators, and assessors who are qualified under PAS 2035 and can design a technically sound retrofit programme for your specific buildings. The combination of these two lots gives organisations without internal technical expertise a compliant route to the professional advice needed to scope a programme before committing to delivery. Getting the scoping right before appointing delivery contractors is the most important factor in a decarbonisation programme actually delivering its expected carbon and energy savings. Poorly specified programmes, where the technology mix is wrong for the building type or the installation sequence creates avoidable problems, are a common source of underperformance. Inprova’s category expertise in decarbonisation procurement means the team can also help you structure the advisory engagement so you get the information you need efficiently, without commissioning more consultancy than the programme scope actually requires.

Yes. The framework provides a compliant procurement route for the works and services covered by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme in England, and the equivalent applies for Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund, since organisations have used the framework as their procurement vehicle for both. The framework was procured under open procedure in compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which satisfies the procurement compliance requirements that PSDS and equivalent grant conditions typically impose. For organisations applying for decarbonisation grant funding, being able to reference a compliant framework route in the application strengthens the procurement section of the bid and demonstrates that delivery can begin quickly once funding is confirmed, which is an important consideration for scheme administrators assessing feasibility. At the call-off stage, the specification and contract terms need to reflect the specific conditions attached to your grant, including the eligible measures, the evidence requirements for claiming grant payments, and any reporting obligations. Inprova can help you develop a specification that aligns with your grant conditions and ensure the contract terms with the appointed supplier reflect the compliance requirements of the funding. If your application is still in development, getting in touch with Inprova early means the procurement route can be factored into the application from the outset rather than retrofitted after funding is confirmed.

Lot 10 provides access to suppliers who specialise in funding identification, application, and management for public sector decarbonisation programmes. The funding landscape for public sector decarbonisation is complex, varies by nation, and changes regularly, so rather than providing a definitive list of schemes, which would become outdated, suppliers on this lot maintain current awareness of available funding routes and can advise on which are accessible for your specific organisation, nation, and programme type. Funding sources that public sector organisations commonly access for decarbonisation works include the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme administered by Salix Finance in England, Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund, local authority and combined authority funding for net zero programmes, NHS and health body sustainability and climate commitments funding, Department for Transport funding for EV charging infrastructure, and various energy efficiency grant schemes administered through local, regional, and devolved bodies. For organisations with programmes spanning multiple funding streams, suppliers on Lot 10 can help you design a funding strategy that maximises the total grant income available for your programme, sequences applications to align with delivery timelines, and manages the reporting requirements of each funding stream. The ECO funding and delivery lot (Lot 14) provides a specific route for eligible organisations accessing Energy Company Obligation funding alongside delivery.

Yes. Salix Finance provides interest-free loans and grants for public sector decarbonisation projects, and the framework provides a compliant procurement route for the works and services those programmes fund. Salix operates several schemes relevant to different types of public sector organisation, including the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the Salix loan scheme for local authorities and NHS trusts in England, Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund, and sector-specific programmes for education and other public bodies. The procurement compliance requirements attached to Salix funding are consistent with using a compliantly tendered framework as the procurement vehicle. For organisations with existing Salix relationships, the framework provides a ready route to delivery that does not require running a new procurement exercise each time a loan or grant application is approved. The full-service solution lot (Lot 9) is particularly relevant for Salix-funded programmes where the scope includes EPCs, data modelling, and reporting alongside the physical works, because it gives you a single contractor managing all elements of the programme against the deliverables that Salix reporting requires. If you are planning a new Salix application, contact Inprova to discuss how the framework can be referenced in the procurement plan that most Salix applications require.

Solar PV programmes across multiple buildings are well suited to the framework’s direct award route, where you appoint a regional contractor for the buildings in your area and agree a programme scope covering all sites. For organisations with buildings across multiple regions, the regional lot structure means you can access contractors ranked for each area, either appointing different regional specialists in each location or using a national lot supplier who can cover all sites consistently. At the specification stage, a multi-building solar PV programme needs to address several things that differ from a single installation: the sequencing of surveys and designs across the portfolio, which buildings are prioritised and why, how the installation programme is phased to manage occupant disruption, the connection arrangements for each building including grid connection capacity and any grid reinforcement required, and the monitoring and reporting arrangements for the combined generation output. Inprova can help you develop a programme specification that reflects the scale and complexity of a multi-building installation and structures the call-off terms to give you the programme oversight and reporting you need to manage delivery and meet any funding reporting requirements. For programmes where some buildings are straightforward roof-mounted installations and others have structural or orientation challenges, the specification should identify those differences so the contractor can cost them accurately and the programme timeline is realistic.

Lot 2 covers the supply and installation of air source heat pumps and all associated works, including pipework, controls, hot water cylinders, and the integration of the heat pump with the building’s existing or new heating distribution system. What the lot covers in practice depends on the scope you specify at the call-off stage: some organisations want the contractor to supply and install the heat pump unit and associated plant only, with separate arrangements for any building fabric works needed to make the building suitable for low-temperature heating. Others want a more comprehensive scope that includes draught proofing, insulation assessment, and any building improvements needed alongside the heat pump installation to ensure the system performs as designed. The second approach is generally better because heat pump performance depends significantly on the thermal performance of the building, and a heat pump installed in a poorly insulated building will not deliver the expected energy savings or carbon reduction. The framework allows you to specify either scope, but Inprova strongly recommends building in at least an assessment of the building’s thermal performance before finalising the heat pump specification. For organisations accessing heat pump funding through PSDS or other routes, funders increasingly require evidence that the building is suitable for the technology before approving the measure. Inprova can help you structure a specification that reflects these dependencies.

Yes. PAS 2035 is the publicly available specification for the retrofit of domestic buildings in the UK, and compliance with it is a condition of most funded domestic retrofit programmes, including the Great British Insulation Scheme (available across England, Scotland, and Wales), the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales, Scotland’s equivalent heat pump grant support through Home Energy Scotland, and some PSDS-funded domestic retrofit elements. The specification requires that retrofit programmes are designed by a qualified retrofit designer, coordinated by a retrofit coordinator, and that properties receive a whole-dwelling assessment before measures are specified. Lot 12 (retrofit services) provides access to exactly these roles: retrofit designers, coordinators, and assessors who are qualified under the PAS 2035 scheme. Lot 9 (full-service retrofit solution) includes these professional services as part of the end-to-end turnkey offering, so organisations that want a single supplier to manage the entire programme, including PAS 2035 compliance, can access that through a single call-off. For organisations delivering non-domestic retrofit where PAS 2035 does not apply but similar design and coordination disciplines are required, Lot 11 (asset management and surveying) provides the relevant professional services. If your funded programme has specific PAS 2035 requirements, including evidence of assessor and coordinator qualifications, share those with Inprova at the specification stage so they can be built into the call-off requirements.

NHS organisations across the UK face specific decarbonisation pressures. NHS England’s net zero commitments and the Delivering a Net Zero NHS report set the framework for English trusts, with NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland each running their own equivalent sustainability strategies. All are working against expectations that health estates are actively decarbonising, reducing energy consumption, and reporting progress. For NHS and health bodies, the most relevant lots on this framework depend on the nature and scale of your programme. Solar PV (Lot 1) is applicable to hospital rooftops and outbuilding roofs where generation capacity exists. Heat pumps (Lot 2 and 3) are relevant where organisations are replacing or supplementing existing gas infrastructure with low-carbon alternatives, though the commercial scale of health estate plant often means ground source or large air source systems are more appropriate than domestic-scale units. Insulation (Lot 4) is relevant for buildings where the fabric can be cost-effectively improved. EV charging (Lot 5) is relevant for fleet electrification programmes and staff and visitor charging. Energy bureau services (Lot 13) are relevant for organisations managing energy data across complex multi-site estates, where professional data management delivers the carbon reporting your national health body requires. The full-service solution (Lot 9) and asset management and surveying (Lot 11) are relevant where the organisation needs programme management and professional services alongside delivery. Inprova can help you map your decarbonisation programme against the framework lots and design a procurement approach that covers all elements compliantly.

Yes. Universities are among the public sector organisations with the most ambitious and publicly visible sustainability commitments, and campus decarbonisation is typically a multi-year, multi-measure programme rather than a series of discrete projects. The framework is well suited to this. Solar PV across campus rooftops, heat pumps replacing or supplementing central plant, insulation programmes on older teaching and accommodation buildings, EV charging infrastructure for staff and student travel, and triple glazing upgrades are all within scope. For universities managing the transition from gas heating infrastructure to low-carbon alternatives, the combination of the heat pump lots with the energy bureau services lot gives you both the installation capability and the ongoing data management needed to monitor and evidence the transition. The full-service solution lot (Lot 9) is particularly relevant for universities where the senior leadership team wants a single partner managing the decarbonisation programme rather than procurement and estates teams coordinating multiple specialist contractors. Lot 11 (asset management and surveying) provides the building surveying and project management consultancy that universities often need to translate sustainability strategies into costed, deliverable investment plans. For universities accessing PSDS funding, Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund, or other capital grants for decarbonisation, the framework provides a compliant route that can be referenced in funding applications and used for delivery once funding is confirmed.

Yes. Multi-academy trusts, individual academies, and local authority or board-managed schools are all eligible to use this framework as public bodies. School decarbonisation programmes are increasingly funded through schemes such as the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund, alongside dedicated education capital funding, all of which require a compliant procurement route. Solar PV is one of the most commonly delivered measures in school decarbonisation programmes, and the framework’s regional lot structure gives schools and trusts access to regional installers with appropriate local coverage and experience of working in occupied school environments. Insulation programmes for older school buildings, heat pump installations where buildings are suitable, and EV charging for staff and minibus fleets are all within scope. For organisations with schools spread across multiple regions, the regional lot rankings within each technology lot allow different regional contractors to be appointed in different areas, giving you the best available contractor for each location rather than being constrained to a single national supplier across the whole estate. The PAS 2035 retrofit services lot is relevant for organisations delivering funded retrofit programmes on any domestic-standard buildings within their estate, for example caretaker accommodation. Inprova can help you design a procurement approach that works across a geographically dispersed estate and aligns with the funding conditions attached to your programme.

Local authorities are among the public sector organisations with the most visible and politically significant net zero commitments, and delivering decarbonisation across the civic estate, including offices, leisure centres, libraries, depots, and community buildings, is a core part of meeting those commitments. The framework covers all the technology types and services relevant to a civic estate decarbonisation programme. Solar PV on office and leisure centre roofs. Air source or ground source heat pumps replacing gas boilers in buildings where the fabric is suitable. Insulation programmes improving the thermal performance of older council buildings. EV charging infrastructure at council depots and public car parks for fleet electrification. Triple glazing in buildings where thermal performance improvement is a priority. Energy bureau services providing the data management and carbon reporting that council climate action plans require. The funding lot (Lot 10) is particularly relevant for local authorities navigating the range of funding streams available for civic estate decarbonisation, whether that’s PSDS, Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund, or other national and regional routes, where specialist funding advice can significantly increase the total grant income available for a programme. Inprova can help you map your climate action commitments against the available lots, design a procurement approach that covers your programme across multiple years and multiple funding rounds, and build the social value and local supply chain commitments that many councils attach to their decarbonisation programmes into the call-off specifications.

The framework was procured by Procurement for Housing (PfH) as a contracting authority under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which was the applicable legislation at the time of procurement. The framework was advertised on the Find a Tender Service as an open procedure, ensuring full market transparency. Public bodies access the framework under the call-off provisions that allow eligible contracting authorities to use a framework established by another contracting authority, provided that framework was procured in compliance with the applicable regulations. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force in February 2025, introduced new transparency and reporting requirements for public contracts, including the publication of contract award notices and performance reporting for contracts above specified thresholds. Scotland operates under its own separate procurement legislation, and Scottish contracting authorities should check how their own regulations apply to call-offs from this framework. Inprova can advise on how your call-off arrangements and ongoing contract management should reflect the requirements relevant to your nation. For organisations where funding conditions impose specific procurement transparency requirements, the framework’s open procedure basis and documented evaluation provide the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance. If you have specific questions about how the framework’s legal basis applies to your organisation’s governance structure or funding conditions, Inprova recommends taking your own legal advice and can provide the framework documentation needed to support that review.

The Asset Decarbonisation & Retrofit Framework and Inprova’s Asset Decarbonisation DPS are related but distinct procurement vehicles. The framework provides a fixed supply chain of 49 evaluated suppliers across 14 lots, established through a competitive tender process. Suppliers are ranked for each lot and region, and call-offs are made through direct award or mini-competition within that supply chain. The DPS is an open and flexible purchasing system that allows new suppliers to join at any time throughout its term. This means the DPS supply chain evolves continuously, which is particularly valuable in a technology area like decarbonisation where new entrants and new capabilities emerge regularly. The DPS does not have a fixed ranked supply chain: instead, organisations run a mini-competition for each requirement, and any qualified supplier on the DPS can compete. Many organisations use both: the framework where the fixed supply chain and direct award capability suit a specific programme, and the DPS where the open competition model and continuously refreshed supply chain are better suited to the requirement. Inprova can advise on which vehicle is most appropriate for your specific programme and help you use both effectively within your overall procurement strategy.

Inprova provides ongoing contract management support throughout the life of the framework call-off, not just at the procurement stage. For decarbonisation and retrofit programmes, performance monitoring typically covers delivery against programme milestones, the quality of installation or professional services, compliance with health and safety requirements, management information and reporting, and the accuracy of energy and carbon savings data reported against funding requirements. The quality evaluation assessed contractors on their management information and reporting capability, so the supply chain has been specifically tested on their ability to provide data that supports programme management and funder reporting rather than just minimum contractual requirements. Inprova acts as an informed intermediary between your organisation and the contractors or consultants appointed through the framework, with the category expertise to identify when delivery is drifting from plan and the procurement authority to hold suppliers to account. For programmes with multiple funding streams and complex reporting requirements, having Inprova’s team involved in performance monitoring helps ensure that the evidence required for grant claims and progress reports is captured through the contract rather than being assembled manually from contractor outputs. If performance issues arise, Inprova can support you through formal contract management action, scope adjustment, or re-procurement within the framework.