Fire Safety Works framework

Every supplier on the Fire Safety Works framework has been evaluated through a rigorous selection process designed with industry fire safety experts. The selection questionnaire tested insurance coverage, accreditation, competency, and experience, with a 60% quality and 40% price weighting that prioritised capability over cost.

The specific accreditations required vary by lot. For active fire protection works, suppliers hold relevant accreditations for the design, installation, testing, and maintenance of fire detection, alarm, sprinkler, and suppression systems. For passive fire protection, suppliers hold third-party accreditation for compartmentation, fire-stopping, and structural fire protection works. Fire door lots require third-party certification covering either the product, the installation, or both, depending on the lot. For cladding, suppliers are experienced in the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding systems with fire-resistant alternatives.

The accreditation requirements were shaped by customer and supplier feedback during pre-market engagement, ensuring they reflect both regulatory expectations and practical industry standards. Inprova does not publish the full list of required accreditations on the website, but the buyers guide, which is available on request, sets out the qualification requirements for each lot in detail. If you have specific accreditation requirements for your fire safety works, contact our team and we can confirm which suppliers on the framework meet your criteria before you proceed with a direct award or mini-competition.

Yes. Fire doors are one of the most frequently procured fire safety components, and this framework includes three separate lots specifically designed for fire door procurement. This reflects the level of scrutiny that fire door supply and installation has come under since Grenfell, and the importance of getting both the product quality and the installation right.

Lot 3 provides contractor supply and installation, where an accredited contractor sources compliant fire doors and installs them. This is the most common route for large-scale replacement programmes across multiple properties, because it gives you a single point of accountability for both the product and the fit. Lot 4 provides manufacturer supply and installation, where the company that manufactures the door also installs it. This route offers the highest level of product assurance, because the manufacturer controls the entire process from production to fitting. Lot 5 provides manufacturer supply only, for organisations that have their own installation teams or existing contractors and just need a compliant supply route for the doors themselves.

All fire door lots require independent third-party certification, and the qualification process was designed to ensure that every door supplied or installed through the framework meets the fire performance standards that building regulations, fire engineers, and the regulator require. If you are planning a fire door programme, Inprova’s team can advise on which lot and procurement route best fits your requirements.

Yes. Lot 6 covers the removal of unsafe cladding, including ACM panels, and replacement with fire-resistant systems that meet current building safety standards. Cladding remediation is one of the most complex fire safety categories, involving specialist survey work, detailed design, managing resident occupation during works, and navigating the funding landscape around the Building Safety Fund and other remediation programmes.

The framework includes suppliers with specific experience in cladding projects, organised across regional coverage and two value bands (up to £3 million and £2 million+). For smaller, localised projects, value band 1 provides access to regional specialists. For major remediation programmes involving multiple buildings or high-rise structures, value band 2 includes national contractors with the capacity and experience to deliver at scale.

Cladding remediation often sits alongside other fire safety works, such as compartmentation, fire-stopping, and fire door replacement. If your project involves multiple fire safety measures, Lot 7 (whole-building works) may be more appropriate, providing a single contractor to deliver the full scope rather than coordinating multiple suppliers across separate lots. Inprova’s team can help you determine the right procurement route based on the specific requirements of your project, the scale of works, and whether a single-supplier or multi-lot approach will deliver the best outcome.

The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced significant obligations for building owners and managers in England, particularly for higher-risk buildings. These include the requirement to prepare building safety cases, maintain the golden thread of building information, appoint registered building managers, and demonstrate that fire safety measures are adequate and properly maintained. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each have their own building and fire safety legislation covering similar ground, and organisations in those nations should check which specific obligations apply to their buildings. For many organisations across all nations, meeting these obligations requires procurement of specialist fire safety works, from intrusive surveys and compartmentation remediation to fire door replacement and detection system upgrades.

This framework supports building safety compliance, wherever in the UK you’re based, by providing a pre-evaluated supply chain of accredited fire safety contractors who have been tested against quality, competency, and accreditation criteria designed with industry experts. The supply chain covers every category of fire safety works that building owners typically need to procure, organised into lots that match how the work is actually scoped and delivered.

The framework also provides the procurement audit trail that compliance requires. Because the framework has been tendered through a regulated procurement process, every contract awarded through it is compliant and defensible. Inprova’s team provides the call-off documentation, evaluation support, and contract management that creates a clear evidence trail from requirement identification through to contract delivery. For organisations that need to demonstrate to their relevant building safety regulator, whether that’s the Building Safety Regulator in England or the equivalent oversight in other nations, that their fire safety procurement is robust, compliant, and quality-assured, using an evaluated framework provides a stronger evidence base than running ad-hoc procurements for each individual project.

Active fire protection refers to systems that detect or respond to fire. These include fire alarms, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, smoke ventilation, and suppression systems. Active systems need power, maintenance, and regular testing to function correctly. When they work, they provide early warning, contain smoke, and suppress or extinguish fire before it spreads. Lot 1 on this framework covers the design, installation, testing, and maintenance of all active fire protection systems.

Passive fire protection refers to measures built into the structure of a building that contain fire and prevent it from spreading. These include fire-resistant walls and floors (compartmentation), fire-stopping around service penetrations, cavity barriers, fire-resistant glazing, and structural fire protection. Passive systems do not require power or activation. They work by maintaining the integrity of the building’s fire compartments so that a fire in one area does not spread to adjacent spaces. Lot 2 covers all passive fire protection works.

Most fire safety programmes involve both active and passive measures, because they serve different purposes. A building might need its fire alarm system upgraded (active) and its compartmentation breaches sealed (passive) as part of the same fire risk assessment response. This framework allows you to procure both through a single procurement route, either through separate lots with specialist suppliers for each, or through Lot 7 (whole-building works) where a single contractor delivers the full scope across both disciplines.

Yes, and many organisations do. The Fire Safety Consultancy framework covers the advisory and professional services side of fire safety, including fire risk assessments, fire engineering, building surveys, and project management. The Fire Safety Works framework covers the physical delivery of fire safety measures, from installation and remediation to testing and maintenance.

The typical sequence is that a fire risk assessment or intrusive survey, procured through the consultancy framework, identifies the works that need to be done. The Fire Safety Works framework then provides the supply chain to deliver those works. Using both frameworks together gives you a compliant procurement route for the entire fire safety lifecycle, from assessment through to remediation, without needing to run separate standalone procurements for each stage.

Inprova also offers Compliance Solutions and Planned Works frameworks that may be relevant depending on the nature and scale of your fire safety programme. If your requirements span multiple categories, for example fire safety works alongside electrical compliance, heating system upgrades, or general building refurbishment, our team can help you identify the most appropriate combination of frameworks and procurement routes. The aim is to give you the fastest compliant path to the right suppliers, with the procurement support and contract management to keep everything on track. Get in touch to discuss your specific requirements and we will advise on the best approach.

Many fire safety programmes involve works that fall across more than one lot. A building might need a new fire alarm system (Lot 1), compartmentation remediation (Lot 2), and fire door replacements (Lot 3) as part of the same fire risk assessment response. There are two ways to handle this through the framework.

The first option is to procure each element separately through the relevant lot. This gives you access to the specialist supply chain for each discipline and allows you to select the best-ranked or best-value supplier for each component. Inprova’s team manages the call-off process for each lot, so the administrative burden on your team is manageable even when multiple lots are involved.

The second option is to use Lot 7, whole-building works, which is designed for exactly this scenario. Lot 7 provides access to contractors who can deliver comprehensive fire safety programmes spanning active systems, passive works, fire doors, and associated building works under a single contract. This reduces the coordination risk that comes with managing multiple contractors on the same site, and gives you a single point of accountability for the whole programme.

The right approach depends on the complexity of the project, the scale of works, and your preference for specialist contractors versus a single delivery partner. Inprova’s team can advise based on your specific requirements and help you structure the procurement to get the best outcome.

Fire safety procurement is no longer just about getting the work done. Across every part of the public sector, and across every UK nation, regulators are asking whether organisations can demonstrate that their buildings are safe, their compliance programmes are effective, and their procurement and contract management supports consistent delivery. The specific regulator varies by sector and by nation, but the questions are the same: was the right contractor appointed through a compliant process, was the work delivered to the required standard, and are ongoing maintenance and testing obligations being met?

For housing associations, the Regulator of Social Housing can conduct proactive inspections and impose unlimited fines under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 in England, with the Scottish Housing Regulator performing a similar role in Scotland. For NHS and health bodies, CQC inspects fire safety as part of its safe domain in England, while Healthcare Improvement Scotland performs the equivalent function in Scotland, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales covers NHS and independent healthcare in Wales, Care Inspectorate Wales covers social care there, and the RQIA performs the equivalent function in Northern Ireland. For schools and colleges, Ofsted and the DfE expect Responsible Bodies in England to evidence that their estate is safe and well maintained, with Estyn in Wales, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) in Scotland, and the Education and Training Inspectorate in Northern Ireland playing the equivalent role. For blue light services, HMICFRS scrutinises governance, value for money, and the effectiveness of estate management, inspecting policing across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and fire and rescue services in England, with HM Fire Service Inspectorate Scotland and HMICS covering Scotland, and Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland covering fire and rescue services in Northern Ireland.

Using an evaluated framework provides a stronger evidence base than ad-hoc procurement regardless of which regulator you answer to. The supplier evaluation has already been completed to a quality-led standard, the procurement route is compliant and documented, and Inprova’s contract management support provides the ongoing performance monitoring that demonstrates your fire safety programme is being actively managed, not just procured and forgotten.

Fire risk assessments often identify multiple actions across different fire safety disciplines. A typical FRA might recommend upgrading fire detection systems, replacing non-compliant fire doors, addressing compartmentation breaches, and improving emergency lighting, all within specified timescales. For any organisation managing a portfolio of buildings, whether that is a housing association with thousands of homes, an NHS trust with multiple hospital sites, a multi-academy trust with dispersed school buildings, or a council with a mixed estate of offices, libraries, and leisure centres, the volume of FRA findings can be substantial. The procurement challenge is mobilising the right contractors quickly enough to meet the recommended timescales without compromising on quality or compliance.

This framework is designed to support exactly this workflow. Once your fire risk assessment identifies the works required, you can use direct award to appoint the highest-ranked supplier for your region and value band within days rather than weeks. For larger or more complex programmes, a mini-competition allows you to test the market across the full supply chain while still completing the procurement within a few weeks. Because the framework covers active systems, passive works, fire doors, cladding, and whole-building works in a single procurement vehicle, you don’t need to find and procure separate routes for each FRA recommendation. Contact Inprova’s team with your FRA findings and we can advise on the most effective procurement route for your specific programme.

Education providers have a legal duty to carry out fire risk assessments, implement fire safety measures, and maintain those measures throughout the life of the building. In England and Wales, this duty sits under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In Scotland, the equivalent duty sits under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006. In Northern Ireland, it sits under the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. For schools managed by multi-academy trusts in England, the trust is typically the responsible person. For maintained schools and schools in the devolved nations, the local authority or education board generally holds the obligation. Universities manage their own fire safety compliance directly, wherever they’re based.

Common fire safety works in education settings include upgrading fire alarm and detection systems, replacing fire doors in corridors and stairwells, addressing compartmentation issues in older buildings, installing or upgrading sprinkler systems, and remediating cladding on student accommodation or teaching buildings. The challenge for many education providers is that their buildings were constructed to older standards and require significant investment to bring fire protection up to current requirements.

This framework provides access to accredited fire safety contractors across every region of the UK, with the flexibility to award contracts for individual buildings or multi-site programmes. For multi-academy trusts managing dozens of school sites, the framework provides a single compliant procurement route that works across the entire estate without needing to run separate procurements for each school. For universities managing mixed-use estates including halls of residence, laboratories, and lecture theatres, the range of lots covers the full scope of fire safety works likely to be required. Contact Inprova’s team to discuss your education estate fire safety requirements.

Yes. NHS trusts, foundation trusts, health boards, and other healthcare providers managing clinical and non-clinical buildings across the UK can use this framework for fire safety compliance and remediation works. Healthcare buildings present specific fire safety challenges because of their occupancy characteristics. Patients may have limited mobility, clinical areas contain specialist equipment and gases, and wards and departments operate continuously. Fire safety works need to be planned and delivered around these operational realities.

The framework includes suppliers experienced in working within occupied buildings, including environments where access restrictions, infection control protocols, and service continuity requirements affect how and when work can take place. Active fire protection systems (Lot 1) cover the detection, alarm, and suppression systems that healthcare buildings rely on. Passive fire protection (Lot 2) covers the compartmentation and fire-stopping that prevents fire spread between clinical areas, wards, and escape routes.

For NHS and health bodies, using an evaluated framework also supports compliance with the relevant estates fire safety guidance, such as the Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) series in England, or the Scottish Health Technical Memoranda (SHTMs) in Scotland, and the reporting requirements each nation applies to estates data. The procurement audit trail that the framework provides, including supplier evaluation records, call-off documentation, and contract management evidence, supports the governance assurance that trust or health board members and the relevant national regulator, whether that’s NHS England and the CQC, or the equivalent bodies in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, expect. Contact Inprova’s team to discuss your healthcare fire safety requirements and we can advise on the appropriate lots and procurement route.

Demonstrating that fire safety procurement is compliant, quality-assured, and delivering against expectations is increasingly a governance requirement, not just good practice, whichever nation you’re in. In England, that scrutiny might come from the Building Safety Regulator, the RSH, NHS England, or Ofsted; in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the equivalent oversight bodies apply the same underlying expectations. External auditors and board members, wherever the organisation sits, all expect to see evidence that fire safety spend is controlled, contractors are competent, and contracts are being managed effectively.

Using an evaluated framework provides a stronger evidence base than running ad-hoc procurements. The framework itself has been tendered through a regulated procurement process, with published evaluation criteria, scored supplier responses, and documented award decisions. Every supplier on the framework has been tested against accreditation, competency, insurance, and experience criteria designed with industry experts. This means the due diligence on the supply chain has already been completed and documented before you award a single contract.

At the call-off level, Inprova provides template documentation for both direct awards and mini-competitions, creating a consistent, auditable record for every contract. The evaluation criteria, supplier responses, scoring, and award rationale are all documented. For ongoing contract management, Inprova’s team monitors supplier performance and provides the reporting that gives boards and regulators visibility of how the contract is delivering. For organisations that manage fire safety spend through Quantum, contract obligations, performance data, and spend are all held in a single platform, making it straightforward to produce the evidence that auditors and inspectors request.

Yes. Contracts awarded through the Fire Safety Works framework can be set for any duration necessary to deliver your requirements, and extensions can be agreed where the terms of the call-off allow for it. This is particularly relevant for long-term fire safety programmes that span multiple phases or financial years, where the scope of works may evolve as additional fire risk assessments are completed or building safety cases are developed.

The key consideration is that the overall contract, including any extensions, should not exceed the term of the framework itself. The framework runs from 10 December 2025 to 9 December 2027, with a one-year optional extension. Contracts can be awarded at any point during the framework term, and a contract awarded towards the end of the framework period can continue beyond the framework expiry date provided it was awarded while the framework was live.

If your fire safety programme is likely to run beyond the current framework term, Inprova can advise on how to structure your procurement to maintain continuity. This might involve phasing the call-off to align with the framework timeline, or discussing how future iterations of the framework will provide ongoing access to the supply chain. The aim is to make sure your programme is not disrupted by procurement timelines, and that every contract is awarded compliantly within the framework terms.

Social value is embedded in the framework evaluation, and suppliers were assessed against social value criteria as part of the tendering process. In practice, this means suppliers on the framework have committed to delivering positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes alongside the compliance works they are contracted to provide.

Typical social value commitments from compliance contractors include employing local labour and subcontractors, offering apprenticeships and training places in trades such as electrical testing, asbestos surveying, and lift engineering, engaging with local community organisations, reducing environmental impact through waste minimisation, for example in the safe disposal of asbestos and other hazardous materials, and supporting equality, diversity, and inclusion in their workforce.

For organisations that need to report on the social value outcomes of their procurement activity, the right audience depends on your sector: this might be the Regulator of Social Housing or the Scottish Housing Regulator for housing providers, trust or health board members for NHS and health bodies, elected members and scrutiny committees for local authorities, or HMICFRS and equivalent inspectorates for blue light services. Having suppliers whose social value commitments were evaluated at the point of tender and can be tracked through the contract provides the evidence base that any of these audiences would expect. Inprova tracks social value delivery across its frameworks. If social value is a priority for your organisation, Inprova’s team can help you build social value requirements into your call-off specification and monitor delivery throughout the contract.

Inprova’s support does not end when a contract is awarded. Our team provides ongoing contract management, working alongside you to monitor supplier performance, address issues as they arise, and make sure the contract delivers what was promised. This is particularly important in fire safety, where poor contractor performance can have safety, regulatory, and reputational consequences.

Performance monitoring typically includes tracking delivery against agreed timescales, quality of workmanship, compliance with accreditation and health and safety requirements, responsiveness to issues and defects, and adherence to the pricing and commercial terms agreed at call-off. Inprova’s team acts as an informed intermediary between you and the supplier, providing the category expertise to identify problems early and the procurement authority to hold suppliers to account.

For organisations managing fire safety contracts through Quantum, performance data sits alongside contract documentation and spend information in a single platform. This means you can see how a supplier is performing against KPIs, whether invoicing matches agreed rates, and whether the contract is on track, without relying on supplier-provided reports or manual tracking. For organisations where fire safety performance is reported to boards, regulators, or audit committees, having this data accessible and auditable provides the governance assurance that oversight bodies expect. If performance issues arise during a contract, Inprova’s team can support you through formal dispute resolution, contract variation, or, where necessary, re-procurement through the framework.

Blue light organisations manage operationally critical buildings where fire safety compliance is essential. Police custody suites must meet specific fire safety requirements because they hold people who cannot self-evacuate. Fire stations have equipment, vehicle bays, and accommodation areas with distinct fire safety needs. Control rooms and training centres require reliable detection and suppression systems to protect both people and critical infrastructure.

Non-domestic premises, including blue light buildings, are covered by fire safety legislation in every UK nation, though the specific instrument differs. In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies. In Scotland, the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 apply. In Northern Ireland, the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 applies. In each case, the responsible person, typically the chief officer or authority, must ensure that fire risk assessments are carried out, fire safety measures are maintained, and remedial works are completed when hazards are identified. Post-Grenfell requirements around fire safety information, building safety cases for higher-risk buildings, and enhanced fire door standards also apply where relevant, particularly in England.

This framework provides accredited fire safety contractors across every UK region, with suppliers experienced in working within secure and operationally sensitive environments. For blue light organisations, the ability to award contracts quickly through direct award is particularly valuable when fire risk assessment findings require urgent remediation. The framework covers active systems, passive works, fire doors, and whole-building works, so whether you need a fire alarm upgrade in a custody suite or a comprehensive fire safety programme across a police estate, the supply chain and procurement route are already in place.

The government has committed to implementing all 58 recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and the response spans the whole of the UK, even where individual recommendations are being implemented through different legislative routes in each nation. Several of these have direct implications for fire safety procurement, including requirements around fire door testing and certification, mandatory sprinkler installation in certain building types, enhanced standards for compartmentation and fire-stopping, and stronger oversight of the products and materials used in fire safety works.

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the Procurement Act 2023 is being used to reinforce accountability, with debarment investigations launched against several organisations named in the Inquiry report; Scotland’s own procurement legislation carries equivalent supplier exclusion powers. For procurement teams across every nation, this underscores the importance of supply chain due diligence and the need to evidence that suppliers meet the accreditation and quality standards that the post-Grenfell regulatory environment demands.

This framework was designed with these requirements in mind. The tender process was quality-led (60% quality, 40% price) and the selection criteria were developed with industry fire safety experts to test the accreditation, competency, and experience that the post-Grenfell environment requires. Fire door lots include rigorous third-party certification requirements that reflect the heightened scrutiny on fire door compliance. Cladding remediation is covered through a dedicated lot with suppliers experienced in the specific challenges of replacing unsafe cladding systems. For organisations that need to demonstrate their fire safety procurement aligns with the government’s post-Grenfell commitments, using a framework that was specifically designed to meet those standards provides the assurance and evidence trail that regulators and oversight bodies expect.