Multi-million pound boost for construction as Council awards new Professional Services Framework

More than 50 suppliers have won a place on a major new consultancy framework following one of the most competitive procurement exercises ever held by the Council.

The move is expected to unlock up to £95m in architectural, engineering and project management contracts over the next four years - helping to boost the local economy beyond Covid-19 and support the delivery of state-of-the-art new schools, early years centres, sports facilities and affordable homes for residents across the Capital.

The inclusion for the first time of Passivhaus Architects in this framework will ensure that new buildings are energy efficient and that the city's net zero carbon by 2030 target sits at the heart of all capital projects, while the Council's commitment to prioritising small business spending has resulted in more than 70% of successful bidders being SMEs. Every supplier is also committed to paying the Living Wage and carrying out community benefits as part of any work they secure.

Following approval from members of the Finance and Resources Committee today (Thursday 29 October), plans for the Professional Services Framework will be finalised in the coming weeks.

Councillor Rob Munn, Finance and Resources Convener, said:

"With over 180 bidders vying for a place, this is one of the biggest procurement exercises we've ever undertaken as a Council.

"We have an ambitious capital investment programme to make sure we build the schools, homes and community facilities Edinburgh needs for the future, and I'm confident that the successful suppliers we have listed offer the right mix of expertise to help us deliver on our aims.

"At a time when the Council faces great financial pressures, the flexibility offered by the new approach is also expected to generate efficiencies of more than £10 million over four years."

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Vice Finance and Resources Convener, said:

"The commitment of everyone under this framework to provide the Living Wage and put energy efficiency and community benefits at the centre of construction projects in Edinburgh is an important step and will help us make sure we work with our consultants to the benefit of local neighbourhoods.

"Now more than ever we need to put plans in place for a fair economic recovery - both on businesses and their employees, and on the future of our planet - so I'm pleased that we've also been able to secure so many quality SME suppliers. This has been a challenging time for the industry but the investment we'll be making in Edinburgh's future can support employment too."