Winners revealed for £150m fire safety framework

More than 70 fire safety experts have been appointed to a new £150m UK-wide public sector fire safety framework.

The Fire Safety (FS2) Framework from LHC Procurement Group (LHC) will see 72 winning companies deliver fire protection, suppression and safety related services for housing associations, local authorities and the wider public sector.

Its launch will support organisations in meeting their legal responsibilities for fire safety under the Building Safety Act 2022 and Associated Legislation 2023.

This includes requirements from the Building Safety Regulator relating to wider building safety standards and fire safety measures for building control approval for higher risk buildings.

Clive Feeney, Group Managing Director of LHC, said:

The pace and scale of change around building and fire safety in the last two years has been unmatched for decades.

FS2 arrives at a pivotal point for housing associations and local authorities looking for high-level expertise to navigate legal requirements following the introduction of the Building Safety Regulator in October 2023 and the new building control regime now in place, plus recent updates to fire safety regulations.

In developing FS2 we worked with a range of public sector organisations to tailor it directly to their needs. Clients told us more availability of regional suppliers, especially SMEs, was a high priority – and FS2 offers just that with 76% of appointed companies small and micro companies.

As well as offering improved access to local expertise, FS2 presents more opportunities for the public sector, fire safety specialists and consultants to make a difference to communities throughout the UK.

Projects procured through the framework will include wider support for community initiatives and more regional employment opportunities, while delivering a pipeline of work into the local economy for years to come.

FS2’s eight workstreams have been categorised in four main areas: consultancy and risk management, fire safety installations, fire safety servicing and maintenance and cladding remediation.

The framework is worth £110 million in England, £15 million in Wales and £25 million in Scotland and is now available via both direct award and mini competition through LHC’s business units across the country, including Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA), Consortium Procurement Construction (CPC), Welsh Procurement Alliance (WPA), South-West Procurement Alliance (SWPA) and LHC London and South East England (LSE).

As well as housing associations and local authorities, it is available to other public sector organisations including hospitals, schools, leisure centres, museums and universities.

This article first appeared on Construction Enquirer