National Fuels 3
Framework Description
National Fuels 3 (RM6305) is a PCR 2015 framework, closed to new applications, from the Government Commercial Agency (GCA, formerly Crown Commercial Service) for regional and national supply of fuels and related services to the UK public sector. It runs for four years from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2028 with no extension. Liquid fuel is split into 14 regional lots plus a national lot, alongside national lots for LPG, biomass, associated services and bureau services.
Context & Use Case
Central government departments, agencies, the wider public sector and charities use National Fuels 3 to buy heating oil, transport fuel, LPG, LNG and biomass. Buyers can sign up with a supplier at any point during the framework, and contracts can last up to four years from when supply starts, so contracts placed late in the term will run well beyond 2028.
Scope of Services
Lots 1A–1N: Liquid fuel by region, covering Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland Lot 1O: Liquid fuel, national Lot 2: LPG, national Lot 3: Biomass, national Lot 4: Associated services, including fuel tank replacement, maintenance and fuel testing Lot 5: Bureau services, including bill validation
Lots
Lot 1A: Liquid Fuel - Scotland North; Lot 1B: Liquid Fuel - Scotland West; Lot 1C: Liquid Fuel - Scotland Central; Lot 1D: Liquid Fuel - Scotland South; Lot 1E: Liquid Fuel - England North West; Lot 1F: Liquid Fuel - England North East; Lot 1G: Liquid Fuel - England Midlands; Lot 1H: Liquid Fuel - England East Anglia; Lot 1I: Liquid Fuel - England London & South East; Lot 1J: Liquid Fuel - England South; Lot 1K: Liquid Fuel - England South West; Lot 1L: Liquid Fuel - South Wales; Lot 1M: Liquid Fuel - North Wales; Lot 1N: Liquid Fuel - Northern Ireland; Lot 1O: Liquid Fuel - National Lot; Lot 2: LPG - National; Lot 3: Biomass - National; Lot 4: Associated Services - National; Lot 5: Bureau Services - National
Who Can Apply
Membership of RM6305 is fixed for its term, so fuel distributors and associated service providers not appointed cannot join before it ends on 30 September 2028. Regional lots give local distributors a realistic route into the successor, without needing national coverage.
Buyer Benefits
Buyers get regional or national supply of heating oil, transport fuel, LPG, LNG and biomass through one agreement, and can sign up with a supplier at any time. Bureau services help them check fuel invoices, and the associated services lot covers tank replacement, maintenance and fuel testing.
Next Steps
Expect successor market engagement in 2027 or 2028, so follow the GCA page for RM6305 and GCA's upcoming agreements. Decide which regional or national lots you can supply and gather delivery performance, pricing and environmental data. Appointed suppliers should keep service levels high, as performance data will support the next bid.
How Athena Can Help
Athena helps fuel distributors prepare for the National Fuels 3 successor. A bid audit of past fuel awards shows which regional lots to target, and our framework bid preparation service builds the application, from delivery evidence to compliance checks.
Appointed suppliers can use our pricing and competitor modelling to compete for call-offs, and our compliant bids for public contracts cover fuel tenders let outside frameworks. We also check every submission against the lot requirements before it goes in.
