Grounds Maintenance
Framework Description
Grounds Maintenance (EFM3161 CPC) is a single-lot higher education consortia framework that gives member institutions and public sector organisations access to grounds maintenance contractors, covering routine grass cutting and hedge work, horticulture, sports pitches, arboriculture and winter maintenance. Its fixed term, with no option to extend, finishes on 22 February 2027; it is a conventional framework rather than a DPS. With about four months of the term remaining, a replacement is likely to be procured in the near future. This framework is used by NWUPC and SUPC.
Context & Use Case
Universities often manage large, open campuses where lawns, planting and outdoor spaces shape first impressions for students, staff and visitors. Estates teams use this framework to appoint contractors for that upkeep without running a tender of their own, and public sector members of NWUPC can use the same route for grounds at their own sites.
Scope of Services
Single lot: grounds maintenance services Upkeep of university campus grounds Grounds maintenance at other public sector member sites
Lots
Single lot
Who Can Apply
It suits landscape and grounds maintenance contractors with experience on campuses or other large public sites. Applications for this framework are closed, so contractors not already appointed cannot join before it ends on 22 February 2027. The replacement tender is the next entry point.
Buyer Benefits
Campus grounds are seen every day by students, staff and prospective applicants, so buyers value contractors that turn up as scheduled and hold standards steady through the seasons. A pre-vetted panel saves estates teams a full tender each time a grounds contract comes up and gives them terms already tested for the sector.
Next Steps
Watch the consortia tender notices for the EFM3161 CPC replacement, which is likely to appear around the 22 February 2027 end date. Prepare evidence now: grounds specifications you have delivered, staff training and machinery, biodiversity practices, health and safety records, and references from universities, councils or other public landowners.
How Athena Can Help
The EFM3161 CPC replacement is close, and grounds contracts are usually judged on method and price together. Athena can prepare your framework submission, from selection questions and policies to case studies of campus sites, and check it for compliance before it goes in.
Our win-theme led bid writing shows evaluators how your crews, machinery and seasonal plans keep grounds at standard, and our help with social value answers evidences local employment and environmental benefits in the way public buyers score them.
