A total of 126 specialist consultants and contractors have been appointed to a major new public sector framework launched by LHC Procurement Group (LHCPG).

The Retrofit and Decarbonisation (N9) framework runs until the end of February 2029 and provides public sector clients and registered social landlords with access to vetted local suppliers with the expertise needed to assess and retrofit the country’s social housing and public sector buildings. It is valued at £660m.

Available through LHCPG’s five regional business units, the framework covers a range of retrofit services, including consultancy, multi-disciplinary works, building insulation and performance, low-carbon heating systems, control and management systems, and electrical services, including EV charging and solar PV.

The N9 Retrofit and Decarbonisation framework aims to address all aspects of a building's energy efficiency, enabling the decarbonisation of existing housing stock and public buildings to meet future climate and carbon reduction goals.

It is the first new framework to be launched by LHCPG since its successful Gold Standard verification covering all its work across all its regions.

It is also the first to implement LHCPG’s new social value strategy which will see LHCPG monitor and report on the overall performance of the framework – working with the appointed companies and clients to gather and assess the added value created across individual wellbeing, social mobility, and improving the planet and the environment priority areas.

Clive Feeney, LHCPG Group CEO, said: “The N9 framework will play a vital role in helping local authorities and housing associations work towards the UK’s newest and boldest targets on decarbonisation announced at COP29.

“As a country, we are now aiming for an 81% cut in emissions by 2035. This will demand a huge push on the low carbon retrofit of social homes, and a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions across 1.9 million non-domestic public buildings too.”

The N9 framework has six workstreams:

• Consultancy: Combines energy policy and strategy development with grant funding support, providing comprehensive assistance to organisations in planning and implementing energy-efficient strategies.
• Multi-disciplinary works: Focuses on multi-technology installations with clarified value bands, accommodating diverse contract sizes and technologies, and includes provisions for micro and small contractors.
• Building insulation and performance (passive): Covers various insulation types, including internal, loft, cavity wall, and external insulation, with specific lots tailored to different building sizes and types.
• Heating systems: Encompasses a range of heating solutions, from domestic to commercial systems, and integrates smart controls and energy systems where applicable.
• Control and management systems: Addresses building management systems (BMS) and individual metering, catering to the needs in communal heating systems and energy management.
• Electrical: Includes lots for solar PV and battery storage, and electric vehicle charging, responding to the growing demand for integrated energy solutions and EV infrastructure.

In addition to the fixed-term framework over the next four years, LHCPG has also just launched a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) option for low carbon retrofit servicing and maintenance works.

Companies can apply to join throughout its lifetime rather than it being a fixed framework for the framework lifecycle, as with the Retrofit and Decarbonisation (N9) framework.