SCAPE Civil Engineering Framework - England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Framework Description
SCAPE's Civil Engineering Framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is a £3.25bn single-supplier framework with Balfour Beatty as sole delivery partner. Awarded in late 2022 for four years, it has been extended by two years and now runs to 21 November 2028. Work is let across three value bands: up to £7.5m, £7.5m to £75m, and £75m and above.
Context & Use Case
Public sector clients sign an access agreement with SCAPE and then commission Balfour Beatty directly, without running their own tender. The framework is used for highways and bridges, flood defence and coastal protection, waste facilities, car parks and public space, and rail infrastructure, and suits clients that need a contractor mobilised quickly on schemes from a few million pounds to major programmes.
Scope of Services
Three value bands: up to £7.5m; £7.5m to £75m; £75m and above Site investigation Highways and bridges Structures and infrastructure Flood defence and coastal protection Car parks, public space and waste facilities Rail infrastructure
Lots
Up to £7.5m; £7.5m to £75m; £75m and above
Who Can Apply
There are no framework places to apply for: Balfour Beatty holds the sole appointment until 21 November 2028. The opportunity for civil engineering subcontractors, specialist suppliers and SMEs is Balfour Beatty's SCAPE supply chain, which buys work packages for schemes delivered under the framework.
Buyer Benefits
Clients appoint a single, pre-qualified contractor without a further competition, so schemes mobilise quickly and repeat procurements for individual projects are avoided. Social value measures are built into the framework, and the three value bands mean a small bridge repair and a major flood scheme can use the same commercial route.
Next Steps
Subcontractors should approach Balfour Beatty's SCAPE civil engineering delivery team to join its supply chain, with evidence of relevant civils work, safety accreditations and social value commitments. For a framework place in its own right, the next chance is SCAPE's successor procurement as the 21 November 2028 end date approaches; watch SCAPE's procurement pages for preliminary market engagement.
How Athena Can Help
With Balfour Beatty as sole partner, most firms will win SCAPE civils work as subcontractors, and tier-one supply chain tenders still need well-evidenced responses. Athena's help with bid writing covers those packages, from method statements to social value and pricing.
For the bigger prize, the successor framework, our public sector bidding team can assess whether a prime bid is realistic, and we include SCAPE's next civil engineering procurement in a framework opportunity pipeline so you are ready when it opens.
