Published
By Ashley Cox
Estates & Facilities represents one of CPC's largest framework categories of all, with no fewer than 26 compliant agreements housed in this section. In this piece, we shine a light on several - and what they can offer members.
Security Systems
Security and safety is of key concern to education establishments and CPC's Security Systems framework is able to assist in facilitating the compliant supply of such systems, by way of a healthy selection of pre-approved providers.
Spanning five individual lots, this agreement covers the supply, installation and maintenance of CCTV solutions, along with that of intruder alarm systems, entrance and access control and car park barriers (plus more), with the framework's lifespan taking it into December 2024 and an extension period of two additional years on the table.
Among other goods, services and works procurable via this agreement, users of CPC's Security Systems offering can access upgrade labour, reactive maintenance, legacy equipment disposal and applicable consultancy services.
With more information on the specific framework page, CPC Procurement Manager Keeley Blackburn will also be able to help with various queries, should you opt to engage this framework as part of your free CPC membership.
Facilities Supplies
Offered to our registered CPC members in partnership with the contracting authority NWUPC, the Facilities Supplies framework is still less than a year old, having replaced the preceding Electrical Materials agreement. However, with a scope extending across Britain and Northern Ireland, this is an expanded offering that can help UK institutions save time and effort with their procurement obligations, while targeting financial savings to match.
Live through July 2025, with two further years potentially to follow, this framework encompasses the following:
Lot 1 of this six-lot framework covers the supply of air filters, utilised in the following areas: air filters, air purifiers and cleaners. Lot 2 mirrors the offering, also covering the fitting, maintenance and removal of air filters. Lots 3 & 4 meanwhile handle the provision of products and services for electrical materials, with cables, cable management, distribution & switchgear, heating, ventilation & washroom, lamps, lighting control gear and much more included. Finally, Lots 5 & 6 cover the provision of supplies and services for plumbing, sanitary & heating equipment, including copper fittings, brass fittings, iron fittings, internal & external plastic (tube & fittings) including waste and a lot more.
If you're looking to purchase air filters, purifiers and cleaners, this CPC framework presents a simple, time-effective route to market, with sustainable energy solutions like solar panels, heating and ventilation equipment, radiators, thermostats, cabling equipment and much more within its remit. We encourage CPC members to investigate the wider selection via the relevant framework page, or contact Senior Procurement Officer, James Riley.
Grounds Maintenance
While a good number of CPC's purchasing frameworks focus on requirements within the bricks and mortar of a textbook educational building, our current Grounds Maintenance agreement covers many of the procurements institutions might need to make in support, development and maintenance of their invaluable outdoor spaces.
With as many as 15 specialist grounds maintenance suppliers contracted to this agreement in total, a dozen regional lots account for the United Kingdom's four component nations, with a final lot servicing the full UK.
As for the services on offer, users of this CPC framework can engage suppliers of a whole host of services, from the maintenance of school playground equipment to the marking of sports pitches, as well as those evergreen grass cutting solutions, plus autumnal leaf collecting, seasonal planting and more compiled on the framework page.
Seeking someone to clean your hard surfaces or tarmac? Or a professional to handle hedges and planting? CPC's developed Grounds Maintenance framework could well be the answer you're looking for, so why not get in touch with our own Keeley Blackburn for an informal conversation on how this agreement can support your institution?
EV Charging Point - Supply, Installation, Maintenance and Consultancy
With electrical vehicles roaring (rather quietly) onto the scene, even quicker than we can write the full framework name, the CPC Electrical Vehicle Charging Point - Supply, Installation, Maintenance and Consultancy agreement compiles a number of potential solutions for institutions wishing to procure this new technology; something many might at least consider, when evaluating their environmental credentials.
A first for the education sector specifically, this framework was originally set to end in August, but has a 12-month extension end date that could see our CPC member institutions procuring their EV equipment solutions through to 12th August 2025. Enabling the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at UK education sites, our Electrical Vehicle Charging Point offering extends to relevant software, maintenance and consultancy services, as well as site surveys, grant funding assistance, assessment of energy usage and those central EV charging solutions themselves, with slow, standard, fast and rapid options available through our cohort of vetted providers, outlined online.
To summarise, Lot 1 of this four-lot framework covers the purchase of EV charging solutions, along with associated certification, training and testing, technical support, repairs and upgrades (see the framework page for a lengthier list), with Lot 2 mirroring the offering, only on a leasing basis. Lot 3 meanwhile handles the maintenance of any pre-existing EV charging point infrastructures, with Lot 4 presenting a complete, end-to-end consultancy service.
With nine or ten suppliers with experience per lot populating an environment for competitive quote-making, members keen to employ this CPC procurement framework are likewise directed to email Keeley Blackburn.
Minor Works Dynamic Purchasing System
Finally, our Minor Works DPS is one of the multiple Dynamic Purchasing Systems on offer to all CPC members.
A behemoth of a DPS, no fewer than 29 categories of minor works are available within, with each offering choice to members through the competition and flexibility encouraged and presented by a Dynamic Purchasing System.
Whether you're having issues with asbestos or needing a trusted locksmith, seeking out quality scaffolding or requiring a plumbing contractor, chances are the Minor Works DPS will have suppliers with services to support your institution, with the peace of mind each has undergone due diligence before being added to the DPS itself.
With fully auditable procurement processes, the nature of the DPS allows prospective suppliers to apply to join it across its five-year lifespan, which may fuel greater competition and subsequently lower prices for CPC member institutions, thus assisting these establishments as they endeavour to obtain the best possible value for money.
Active until 18th October 2025, Michelle Newcombe can kickstart your Minor Works DPS procurement journey.