How to Get on Construction Frameworks: A 2026 Guide
The short answer
Pick frameworks and lots that match your size, register on Find a Tender, get pre-qualified through the Common Assessment Standard, then bid when the framework opens. Dynamic markets take applications at any time; closed frameworks open once every few years.
- A framework is a panel, not a contract for work. Being appointed gives you the right to compete for, or be directly awarded, call-off contracts. It guarantees nothing.
- Timing decides everything. A closed framework normally lasts up to 4 years. Open frameworks must reopen within 3 years. Dynamic markets accept applications at any time.
- Register on Find a Tender first. Under the Procurement Act 2023, buyers check that you've registered and shared your core supplier information there.
- PAS 91 is withdrawn. Construction pre-qualification now runs through the Common Assessment Standard, delivered by seven recognised bodies including CHAS and Constructionline.
Written by Sviat Jay, founder of BizMentor and of Craftex, a London design & build company that tenders for its own projects every month. Legal points are from the Procurement Act 2023 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland has its own rules), checked on 17 October 2026.
Want to get on construction frameworks but not sure which ones your firm can win? Book a free strategy call and we'll map the frameworks and lots that fit your turnover and case studies.
The short answer
Getting on a framework is a tender in its own right. You win a place on a panel, then compete for the actual jobs.
- Choose frameworks and lots that fit your size and the work your case studies prove.
- Register on Find a Tender and share your core supplier information.
- Get pre-qualified through the Common Assessment Standard.
- Watch the timing. Closed frameworks open once every few years; dynamic markets are open all the time.
- Bid to the scoring guide, then win call-offs once you're on.
Two ways to lose before anyone reads your price: applying for the wrong lot, or finding the window has already closed.
Frameworks, dynamic markets and approved lists compared
Three routes are called "frameworks" in conversation. They work very differently.
| Route | How you get on | When you can join | How long it lasts | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framework | Win a tender against other suppliers | Only when the buyer runs the tender | Normally up to 4 years | The right to compete for (or be directly awarded) call-offs |
| Open framework | Win a tender; it reopens on a schedule | At least once in the first 3 years, then every 5 | Up to 8 years in total | The same, with more chances to get on |
| Dynamic market | Meet the membership conditions | Any time while it runs | Set by the buyer | Membership; contracts are then competed among members |
| Approved / supplier list | The buyer's or main contractor's own vetting | Usually any time | Until removed or reviewed | Invitations to quote; nothing guaranteed |
Dynamic markets replaced the old dynamic purchasing systems under the Procurement Act 2023. The buyer must accept applications at any time and admit every supplier that meets the conditions. There's no cap on members. For a small firm, they're often the fastest way in.
Celebrating the appointment. A framework place guarantees no work. You still have to win call-offs, often in a mini-competition against the other firms on your lot.
Losing tenders usually starts before the bid. The free 4-minute Construction Business Scorecard shows your weakest area, from pipeline and pricing to cash flow.
Step 1: pick the right framework and lot
Frameworks come in three broad sizes:
- National frameworks run by central government commercial bodies, split into many lots.
- Regional frameworks run by councils, groups of councils and public-sector buying organisations.
- Single-buyer frameworks, such as one council's or housing association's minor works panel.
Public buyers must consider dividing contracts into lots and give reasons if they don't. They must also have regard to the barriers small firms face. Use that: look for lots by value band (minor works, small works) and by region.
Pick the lot where you can show three to five similar jobs of similar value, in that sector. Buyers score proof. A £3M lot with £150K case studies loses before price is read.
Step 2: register on Find a Tender
Since 24 February 2025, Find a Tender is the government's central digital platform. Two reasons to register now:
- Notices. Buyers publish framework, dynamic market and below-threshold notices there. Set alerts by keyword (minor works, refurbishment, your trade) and region.
- Supplier information. Buyers must confirm you've registered and shared your core supplier information before you take part. That means basic details, financial standing, connected persons and exclusion grounds. Do it once, keep it current. Step by step in the Procurement Act 2023 for small construction contractors.
Also watch pipeline notices. Any public body expecting to spend more than £100 million in a year must publish one. Within 56 days of its financial year starting, it lists the contracts over £2 million it plans to tender in the next 18 months. That's your early warning for big frameworks.
Contracts Finder still lets you look up past tenders and contract awards. Use it to see who won the last round of a framework you want and roughly at what value.
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Step 3: get pre-qualified the current way
Many guides still tell you to complete PAS 91. PAS 91 was withdrawn by BSI on 21 April 2023.
Construction pre-qualification now runs through the Common Assessment Standard (CAS), Build UK's industry question set. Build UK says public bodies should use it to pre-qualify suppliers. It's delivered by seven recognised bodies:
- Achilles
- Compliance Chain
- Constructionline
- CQMS
- SCCS
- Smas Worksafe
- Veriforce CHAS
You choose a desktop or site-based level to suit your trade, size and clients. Micro-businesses are assessed proportionately. Check which level your target framework asks for before you pay.
Craftex holds CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001. The pack behind them (policies, risk assessments, training records, insurance, case studies) is the same pack every framework tender asks for. We compare the schemes in CHAS vs Constructionline vs SafeContractor, and explain when ISO 9001 is worth it for construction companies.
I made this mistake myself. At Craftex I paid a lot for accreditations, and on their own they never paid off. Get an accreditation only when a specific tender for a specific project asks for that specific accreditation. Most schemes take 2–3 months, so you will have time once the request is real. Don't buy them hoping work will start pouring in. It won't.
Step 4: know the rules that help small firms
The Procurement Act 2023 limits what buyers can demand at the pre-qualification stage. Conditions must be proportionate to the contract. And buyers may not:
- Demand audited accounts from a firm that isn't legally required to have them audited.
- Require contract insurance to be in place before award. You can arrange the cover once you've won.
- Insist you've worked for that particular buyer before.
- Name a qualification without accepting equivalents.
You can also meet a condition through a partner: a joint bid, a subcontractor or a guarantor who commits to the contract. Two small firms can bid together for a lot neither could win alone.
Two more points matter for cash flow. A framework may charge a fee as a fixed percentage of each contract you win, so check the levy and price it in. And public contracts carry 30-day payment terms, which also apply down the chain to subcontracts.
Step 5: time your bid
| Route | What the law says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Closed framework | Normally up to 4 years | Find out when the current one expires and prepare 6–12 months ahead |
| Open framework | Reopens at least once in its first 3 years, then every 5; ends within 8 years | Missed the first round? Prepare for the reopening |
| Dynamic market | Applications accepted at any time | Apply as soon as your pre-qualification is ready |
Miss a 4-year framework's tender and that buyer's door can stay shut for years. Meanwhile, the firms on it are building the case studies that win the next round.
Step 6: write a bid that scores, then win call-offs
Buyers award the most advantageous tender, scored against published criteria. They can reject a price that's abnormally low. So:
- Answer exactly what's scored, in the order it's scored, with evidence from your own jobs.
- Price from the bottom up Labour, materials, prelims, overheads, then margin. Never "to get on".
- Ask for your assessment summary. For competitive awards, the buyer must give every assessed bidder a summary of how their tender scored against the winner. Use it for the next round.
Once you're appointed, the work comes through call-offs. That's a mini-competition among the firms on your lot, or a direct award where the framework sets out how suppliers are picked. Respond to every relevant call-off on time, with a sharp price and a method specific to that job.
The full method for pricing and writing tenders is in how to win construction tenders in the UK. If you want a second pair of eyes on your first framework bid, book a free strategy call.
Construction Project Leads Guide
Where to find projects before they reach tender, public and private.
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Many small contractors get onto public work through the firms already on the framework. Main contractors on big frameworks subcontract packages constantly and keep their own approved supplier lists.
- Find out who won the frameworks in your region (Find a Tender and Contracts Finder award notices).
- Get on their supply chain Their pre-qualification usually asks for the same CAS-level evidence.
- Deliver one package well, then ask for the next.
- Collect the evidence. Every public sector package becomes a case study for your own framework bid later.
The 30-day payment terms in public contracts also apply to these subcontracts.
At Craftex we tender for our own projects every month: choosing the buyers, pricing the job ourselves and negotiating the contract before we sign. Marek & Piter, two clients we worked with, won a £450K tender in South Kensington. "The fee has already returned 5×." Individual results, not typical or guaranteed.
If you'd rather have the framework bid run by contractors, not writers, see our construction bid writing service.
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Your framework checklist
General information on the Procurement Act 2023 as of October 2026, not legal advice. Always follow the tender documents for each framework.
Before you go
- Registered on Find a Tender with core supplier information shared
- CAS certificate at the level your target buyers ask for
- Three to five case studies matching the lot's value and sector
- Expiry dates of the frameworks you want are in your calendar
- Alerts set for dynamic markets and minor works lots in your region
