Birmingham City Council Launches £400M Framework for Highways and Infrastructure Services with Focus on SME Engagement

Birmingham City Council has begun the procurement process for a major framework agreement valued at up to £400 million, intended to deliver technical and professional services supporting highways and infrastructure projects across the region.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Professional Services Framework, announced this week, is planned to last for up to eight years if multiple suppliers are appointed, running from 26 January 2026 to 25 January 2034. In the event that only one supplier is selected, the contract term will be limited to four years. The council aims to appoint up to four firms to participate in the framework.

The total framework budget is estimated at £400 million, with approximately £240 million allocated for Birmingham City Council’s own projects. The framework will also be accessible to other local public bodies within the East and West Midlands, subject to separate access agreements.

Historically, Birmingham’s highways and infrastructure professional services have been supported by established consultancies such as Amey, WSP, and Atkins, who have played key roles in delivering complex transportation and civil engineering projects. This new procurement opens the field to both incumbents and new entrants, reflecting the council’s commitment to innovation and competitive sourcing.

The multi-disciplinary framework will encompass a wide array of services, including transport design and delivery, civil engineering, highways maintenance, and other infrastructure works. Typical tasks identified in the procurement include highway upgrades, bridge and culvert maintenance, public realm enhancements in town centres, drainage improvements, traffic management and road safety auditing, street lighting schemes, transport planning, structural engineering, environmental and air quality consultancy, archaeological investigations, and programme and risk management. All contracts under this framework will utilize NEC4 contract conditions.

Birmingham City Council has specified that successful suppliers must demonstrate substantial national and international experience, along with adequate staffing levels across the relevant disciplines. Additionally, firms must be registered on the UK government’s Central Digital Platform to participate.

In an effort to promote local economic growth and widen supply chain diversity, the council will require suppliers to subcontract a minimum of 20% of the work to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Unlike creating specialist smaller lots, this approach encourages mainstream contractors to actively engage SMEs within their delivery models, in line with government procurement best practices.

Designed as an open framework, the agreement allows for periodic reopening to admit new suppliers. Birmingham plans at least two such reopenings: the first within three years following the initial award, and the second within two years after the subsequent round. Each reopening will establish a new framework agreement while allowing existing call-offs to continue uninterrupted.

This latest procurement signals Birmingham City Council’s ongoing ambition to modernise its highways infrastructure, increase competition, and ensure wider access to local firms while maintaining the high standards established by previous contractors.