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A public construction framework sets the terms for awarding future project contracts; each project-specific contract awarded under it is a call-off. Lots define which parts of the work suppliers can compete for, and a mini-competition is a further competition for a particular call-off. Before choosing an award route, check which legal regime governs the framework and what its own documents permit: a framework established under legacy rules may still follow those rules even though the Procurement Act 2023 is now in force.
What is a public construction framework?
Section 45(2) of the Procurement Act 2023 defines a framework as a “contract between a contracting authority and one or more suppliers that provides for the future award of contracts by a contracting authority to the supplier or suppliers.” The Cabinet Office reproduces that definition in its Guidance: Frameworks. In practical terms, the authority establishes a supplier pool and the conditions for using it, so that it can award later contracts without starting an entirely new procurement for every project.
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The framework and the project contract are not the same thing. The framework establishes the terms and award process; the call-off is the contract for a specific piece of work. A framework usually does not require the buyer to place an order, although some frameworks may commit the authority. A supplier’s appointment to a framework therefore does not, by itself, mean that it has been awarded a construction project.
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Frameworks are a substantial part of public purchasing. In the foreword to The Framework Practice Guide, published on 10 September 2026, Government Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Forzani said that a large proportion of the UK’s £400 billion of public procurement spending is channelled through frameworks. That is the figure and characterisation given in the foreword, rather than a separately verified statistical series.
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What do lots do?
A lot is a defined part of a procurement or framework structure, not an individual project contract. A construction procurement might divide work by type, value band, geography or another part of the requirement. The lot definition determines the scope suppliers are appointed to cover and, later, which part of the supplier pool is relevant to a call-off.
Lots can make a large procurement more accessible to suppliers that are specialist, regional or better suited to a narrower category of work. They also help buyers match the project to suppliers appointed for the relevant scope. A lot is useful only when its boundaries are clear: suppliers and buyers need to understand what work it covers and how it relates to the procurement’s award process.
Under the Procurement Act 2023, before issuing a tender notice an authority must consider whether the requirement could reasonably be supplied under more than one contract and whether it is appropriate to divide the procurement into lots. If it considers lots appropriate, it must use them or explain why it has not done so. Section 18 of the Act addresses the lot duty; the Cabinet Office’s Guidance: Lots explains its application. Where lots are used, the notice and documents should explain each lot’s scope and criteria, as well as any limit on how many lots a supplier may bid for or win.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFor a supplier, the practical question is not simply whether it appears on the framework. It is whether it is eligible for the lot and the particular work. For a buyer, the relevant pool is not automatically every supplier appointed anywhere on the framework: check the lot and eligibility provisions before inviting suppliers or selecting a route.
What is a call-off contract?
A call-off is the buyer’s award of a particular contract under the framework. It turns the framework’s general arrangements into a project-specific procurement and contract. Its scope, required outcomes and terms must fit within the framework, and its award must follow the selection rules stated there.
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The framework may provide for a competitive selection process, an award without further competition where permitted, or more than one route. Buyers cannot treat a framework as a general licence to choose any supplier or invent a new method when a project arises. The governing law and the framework documents together determine what route is available and how the authority must apply it.
A call-off may involve project-specific information and requirements, but the authority must keep the selection process within the framework’s stated scope and rules. In particular, do not assume that appointment order or a supplier’s ranking at the original framework competition automatically determines the call-off winner. The framework’s own selection method controls.
How does a mini-competition work?
A mini-competition is a further competition for a particular call-off among eligible suppliers in the relevant framework pool or lot. The buyer invites those suppliers to respond to the project requirement, assesses their submissions against the stated criteria and makes the award under the framework’s selection rules.
- Confirm the framework and regime. Identify the framework documents, the legal rules under which it was established and any buyer guidance that explains its call-off process.
- Define the project and find its lot. Check that the work falls within the framework’s scope, and identify the lot, geography, value band or other category that applies.
- Identify eligible suppliers. Use the framework’s eligibility rules to establish which suppliers can be invited for this requirement. Do not assume the entire framework pool is eligible.
- Issue the invitation under the stated process. Provide the project information and apply the competition stages, timetable and requirements allowed by the framework. A Procurement Act framework may provide for more flexible or multi-stage competitive selection, but the buyer cannot create a call-off process that the framework does not provide for.
- Evaluate and award against the stated criteria. Assess submissions using the framework’s selection rules and the criteria communicated for the call-off, then document the decision and complete the required notices.
The framework’s documents matter at every step. They establish who can compete, what information can be requested, which criteria apply and how the authority reaches an award. Flexibility under the Procurement Act is not permission to improvise outside those terms.
Can a buyer award directly from a framework?
Sometimes, but not as an unrestricted choice. Use the framework’s own terminology—often “award without further competition”—and first confirm that both the governing legal regime and the framework documents allow that route. Under the Procurement Act, a multi-supplier framework that permits an award without competition must specify the core terms for the call-off and an objective method for selecting the supplier. The buyer must use that method rather than choosing a supplier at discretion.
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Even where a framework permits an award without further competition, the buyer should check that the specific requirement fits the route and that all stated conditions are met. The method may determine which supplier is selected; it should not be replaced with an assumed ranking rule or an informal preference. Legacy framework documents may use “direct award” differently, so the label alone is not enough to establish what process applies.
The framework’s award route and its practical consequences should be considered together. A mini-competition lets eligible suppliers compete for the project under the prescribed process. An award without further competition uses the framework’s specified selection mechanism instead. The framework may offer only one route, or it may permit a choice; neither route is universally preferable.
| Decision point | Mini-competition | Award without further competition |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier selection | Eligible suppliers in the relevant pool or lot are invited to compete. | The framework’s stated selection mechanism identifies the supplier; it is not an unrestricted buyer choice. |
| Project-specific assessment | Submissions are evaluated against the call-off criteria and process set by the framework. | The authority applies the objective mechanism and core call-off terms required by the applicable framework rules. |
| When available | Only when the framework provides for the competitive selection process being used. | Only where the applicable law permits it and the framework documents expressly provide for it. |
| Key check | Confirm the eligible lot pool, invitation process, stages and award criteria. | Confirm the mechanism, its conditions and the framework’s core call-off terms. |
This is a comparison of the routes, not a claim that one always offers better value or is faster. Suitability depends on the project, the supplier pool, the framework provisions and the applicable legal regime.
Check the legal regime before choosing a procedure
The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025. No new frameworks can be established under the former Public Contracts Regulations 2015 after that date, but frameworks validly created under the former rules remain live. Their call-offs continue under those rules until the framework expires. The Government Commercial Function’s Framework Practice Guide, published 10 September 2026, warns against mixing procedures from different regimes.
That transition means a buyer should not assume that the date of a call-off decides which rules apply. The framework’s origin and terms matter. Before planning a call-off, confirm the governing regime in the framework documents or buyer’s guide; then use that regime consistently. Sector-specific requirements may also apply, so the framework’s procurement context should be checked rather than inferred from the general rules alone.
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Under the Procurement Act regime, framework call-offs require a contract award notice stating whether the authority used a competitive selection process or an award without further competition. Lot information also features in tender, award and contract-details notices as applicable. The specific notice obligations and what must be reported depend on the framework and the applicable requirements; consult the Cabinet Office’s Guidance: Contract Award Notices and Standstill alongside the framework documentation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Construction Framework 2025: a specific example
The Department for Education’s Construction Framework 2025 (CF25) illustrates how a construction framework can organise call-offs under the Procurement Act 2023. It is an example, not a standard that every public construction framework follows. Its handbook describes two award options: a mini-competition among members of the relevant lot, or direct allocation under the framework’s stated process. Read “direct allocation” according to CF25’s own handbook and process, rather than assuming it describes every framework’s award-without-competition route.
CF25 also describes different procurement routes. Which route is available depends on factors including the value band and characteristics of the scheme. The handbook covers batching schemes and, in stated circumstances, inviting eligible members across adjacent lots. Those are particular provisions of CF25, not general permissions for other frameworks. The Department says the handbook and associated routes may be updated, so buyers should use the current handbook and call-off documents for the live opportunity.
For a CF25 call-off, check the relevant lot, value band, eligible suppliers, route and award criteria, together with any conditions in the handbook and call-off documents. Those checks answer whether a project fits the framework and how it can be awarded. Do not import an option such as batching or inviting across adjacent lots into a different framework unless its own documents permit it.
A practical pre-award checklist
Before starting a call-off, a buyer can work through these checks in order:
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- Framework identity: confirm the framework is live, identify its documents and establish which authority and suppliers may use it.
- Legal regime: determine whether it was established under the Procurement Act 2023 or legacy rules, and check for relevant sector-specific requirements.
- Requirement fit: ensure the construction work is within the framework’s scope and identify the appropriate lot and any applicable value or geographic boundary.
- Supplier eligibility: establish the suppliers permitted to participate for that work, including any stated restrictions on bidding or awards across lots.
- Permitted route: verify that the framework provides for the planned mini-competition or award without further competition and that the project meets its conditions.
- Selection rules: identify the criteria, stages and supplier-selection mechanism before inviting responses or making a selection.
- Transparency and recordkeeping: establish which award notice and other records are required for the applicable regime and framework.
These checks reduce the risk of treating framework membership as sufficient authority to award work. If any point is unclear, the controlling documents are the framework notice and terms, its buyer guidance and the call-off documents—not a procedure borrowed from another framework.
How to choose between available routes
Where the framework genuinely gives the buyer a choice, assess the project against the framework’s rules rather than starting with a preferred label. Competition and value matter: consider whether suppliers need to compete on the particular project and how the permitted criteria assess value. Lot fit and eligibility matter because the right route must use the pool appointed for the relevant work.
Next, verify the framework authority for the proposed process. A route that looks workable is not available unless the framework expressly supports it and the project satisfies its conditions. Then consider time and complexity in light of project needs, without treating convenience as a reason to depart from the rules. Finally, check regime and transparency obligations: the applicable law affects the process and the notices the authority must complete.
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