NHC Procurement
Framework Description
NHC Procurement is an agreement listed by SUPC, the Southern Universities Procurement Consortium, that gives its member universities access to Northern Housing Consortium procurement arrangements for construction and estates services. It is a single-lot arrangement with Northern Housing Consortium Ltd as the only listed party. It began on 1 August 2021 and runs to 31 July 2027, with no extension.
Context & Use Case
SUPC member universities and colleges use it to reach the procurement arrangements run by the Northern Housing Consortium, rather than tendering construction or estates services themselves. Because Northern Housing Consortium Ltd is the only party listed on the SUPC agreement, the contractors and consultants who deliver the work are those appointed to NHC's own frameworks.
Scope of Services
Construction procurement services Estates management support Associated consultancy and advisory services
Lots
Single lot
Who Can Apply
There is no place for contractors on this agreement itself. Construction and estates firms that want this university work need a place on the relevant NHC framework, and can join an NHC framework that is closed to new applications only when NHC re-tenders it. The SUPC agreement ends on 31 July 2027.
Buyer Benefits
Universities get construction and estates arrangements that a public sector consortium has already tendered, so they can start projects sooner and spend less on procurement. Using NHC's established frameworks also gives estates teams with limited procurement capacity contractors who already work within public procurement rules and reporting.
Next Steps
Firms already on NHC frameworks should make sure SUPC member estates teams know they can be reached through this route, and treat each university call-off as a fresh bid. Others should check which NHC frameworks cover their services and when those are re-tendered, and watch SUPC ahead of 31 July 2027 for any change to the access arrangement.
How Athena Can Help
University estates teams compare bids closely on value and risk. If you hold a place on an NHC framework, Athena's mini-competition writing support helps you build win themes for university call-offs, model likely scores against rivals and set prices that win and still pay.
If you do not, our help choosing frameworks to join identifies which NHC and higher education frameworks are open now or due to be re-tendered, and our university bidding advice helps you decide which of those tenders to pursue first.
