Consultancy Framework - Planning Services
Framework Description
Planning Services is a lot of South East Consortium's Asset & Development Consultancy framework, giving public sector organisations access to planning consultants for planning, development and environmental matters. It was awarded on 21 January 2025 and runs until 20 January 2028, with an option to extend by 12 months to a maximum of four years. It is a conventional framework rather than a DPS.
Context & Use Case
Housing associations, councils and other public developers use it on schemes that need close work with local planning authorities and stakeholders. Consultants run community engagement events, prepare application documents including Environmental Impact Assessments, coordinate technical reports, present to planning committees where needed and keep trackers so conditions are discharged on time.
Scope of Services
Pre-application consultation with planning authorities and stakeholders Community engagement events Planning applications, including Environmental Impact Assessments Coordination of technical reports and surveys Planning committee presentations s106 negotiations Discharge of pre-commencement conditions
Lots
See framework link
Who Can Apply
Suits planning consultancies with a record of securing consents for housing and development schemes, including EIA development. Applications for this lot are closed, so firms not appointed must wait for SEC's re-tender, likely around 20 January 2028, or a year later if the extension is used.
Buyer Benefits
Buyers get consultants who take a scheme from first contact with the planning authority to discharged conditions, which shortens programmes and reduces the risk of a costly refusal. Having engagement, technical coordination and s106 work under one appointment saves client teams time.
Next Steps
Appointed consultants should keep SEC members informed about recent consents and committee successes. Others should prepare for the re-tender, likely between January 2028 and January 2029. The last tender weighted cost at 55% and quality at 45%, with quality focused on reliable data, keeping up with legislation and managing project risk, so prepare competitive fees and evidence of approvals, EIA work and s106 outcomes.
How Athena Can Help
Planning consultancy bids score best when they show consents secured and problems solved. Athena's bid writing and proofreading service turns your case history into tight, criteria-led quality answers and models how you compare with competing practices.
Our framework targeting and applications support finds other planning and development frameworks you can join before SEC re-tenders, and our bid/no-bid assessments make sure you put effort into the competitions you can realistically win.
