Grounds Maintenance Framework
Framework Description
The National Framework Partnership (NFP) Grounds Maintenance Framework is a single-lot framework for appointing pre-qualified grounds maintenance contractors. It runs from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2029, a four-year term, and sits in NFP's Facilities & Estates category. Clients use direct selection or a mini-competition to call off work, and applications to the supplier list are closed, so it cannot be added to during the term.
Context & Use Case
Contracting authorities use it to buy grounds and landscaping services across their estates, from routine grass cutting and hedge work through to tree surgery and biodiversity schemes. It suits both recurring maintenance contracts and one-off specialist projects, because the client can either appoint a contractor directly or ask several appointees to price a defined specification.
Scope of Services
Routine grass cutting and landscape maintenance Hedge and shrub maintenance Tree surgery and inspections Environmental and biodiversity projects
Lots
Single lot
Who Can Apply
Fits grounds maintenance and landscaping contractors with public sector delivery experience and relevant accreditations. The framework only began in October 2025, so firms not appointed face a long wait: it is closed to new applications until the re-tender, likely around September 2029.
Buyer Benefits
Grounds work is recurring and seasonal, so buyers want a contractor in place before the growing season without running a tender each year. Being able to combine routine maintenance with tree and biodiversity work through one route also helps estates teams meet environmental commitments with fewer separate contracts to manage.
Next Steps
Appointed contractors should prepare for mini-competitions by having seasonal schedules, mobilisation plans and biodiversity examples ready to adapt. With the framework running until 30 September 2029, other contractors should bid for council and housing grounds contracts tendered openly in the meantime and build the track record they will need for the NFP re-tender.
How Athena Can Help
Grounds maintenance call-offs are often won on price and mobilisation detail. If you are appointed, Athena's bid management support can build pricing models for seasonal schedules, write win themes around your biodiversity work and score your response against competitors before you submit.
If you are not on it, we can help in two ways: our public sector bidding service helps you win openly tendered grounds contracts now, and our framework registration specialists will plan your entry to the 2029 re-tender.
