The NHS SBS framework 2028-32 is moving forward, with NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) preparing the procurement vehicle that will govern architectural and built environment appointments across the health estate from 2028 through to 2032. Tenders for inclusion on the framework will be evaluated on a weighted basis, with quality carrying the greatest share of the assessment.
How the NHS SBS framework 2028-32 will be scored
According to the Architects’ Journal, tenders submitted for a place on the framework will be assessed using a 60 per cent quality, 30 per cent commercial and 10 per cent social split. That weighting places quality firmly at the centre of evaluation, meaning that design capability, technical competence and delivery track record will carry more weight than price alone.
The 10 per cent social weighting is also worth noting for practices building their sustainability credentials. Social value criteria in NHS procurement frameworks typically encompass local employment commitments, supply-chain diversity and community benefit, though bidders will need to review the detailed specification to understand exactly what NHS SBS requires under this heading for the 2028-32 cycle.
The 30 per cent commercial element means cost is far from irrelevant, but the balance reflects a procurement model that resists pure price competition, a position consistent with the direction of travel in public-sector built environment commissioning more broadly, where lowest-fee selection has come under sustained criticism for its impact on design quality and project outcomes.
NHS SBS accreditation and what it means for framework users
NHS SBS holds Accredited Framework Host status through the NHS England Framework Accreditation Scheme, as confirmed by NHS SBS. That accreditation is material for contracting authorities across the health sector: it signals that the framework has been assessed against NHS England’s standards for governance, compliance and value, giving NHS trusts, foundation trusts and other eligible bodies the assurance they need to call off services without running a separate full procurement exercise.
For architects and construction consultants, Accredited Framework Host status matters because it widens the pool of potential clients able to use the vehicle. A trust that might otherwise face procurement complexity can instead access design and construction services directly through the framework, reducing barriers to appointment and providing a more predictable pipeline for practices that secure a place.
The NHS estate represents one of the largest and most complex built environment programmes in the UK. Frameworks of this kind sit at the core of how health infrastructure is procured, covering everything from new-build hospital projects and diagnostic hubs to estate refurbishment and decarbonisation retrofit programmes. With the health sector under sustained pressure to reduce both operational and embodied carbon, the weighting applied to quality criteria in frameworks like this one has a direct bearing on what kinds of practice and what kinds of design approach get through the door.
Practices with experience in low-energy health building design, Passivhaus or BREEAM Excellent-rated healthcare schemes, or whole-life carbon assessments aligned with LETI targets will be best placed to demonstrate quality at the level the 60 per cent weighting demands. The social value element, meanwhile, creates a further lever for practices with strong local supply-chain or community engagement commitments to differentiate themselves from larger national competitors.
Full details of the tender requirements, including the precise scope of lots and the eligibility criteria for contracting authorities wishing to call off the framework, are set out in the competition notice listed by the Architects’ Journal. Interested practices should review the specification closely before the submission deadline to ensure their quality and social value responses address the criteria in the terms NHS SBS has set.
