Property Maintenance Minor Works DPS
Framework Description
Westmorland and Furness Council's Property Maintenance Minor Works DPS buys repair and maintenance works on council property, for individual projects worth up to £100,000. It covers the former Barrow-in-Furness, South Lakeland and Eden areas and is split into five trade lots, from general building to asbestos removal. The DPS runs until 30 September 2028, and tender documents are issued through The Chest procurement portal.
Context & Use Case
The council uses the DPS to buy smaller maintenance and refurbishment jobs across its buildings without running a full tender each time. When a job comes up, the council invites admitted contractors in the relevant lot to bid, so local trades can compete directly for council work. The £100,000 ceiling keeps contracts within reach of small and medium contractors.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: general building repair and refurbishment Lot 2: mechanical and electrical contractors Lot 3: roofing contractors Lot 4: painting and decorating contractors Lot 5: asbestos removal and disposal
Lots
Lot 1 General Building Repair and Refurbishment; Lot 2 Mechanical & Electrical Contractors; Lot 3 Roofing Contractors; Lot 4 Painting and Decorating Contractors; Lot 5 Asbestos Removal and Disposal
Who Can Apply
Building, M&E, roofing, decorating and licensed asbestos contractors working in Cumbria, particularly small and medium firms. As a DPS, it can accept new suppliers while it is live, so contractors can apply to one or more lots now and start bidding for jobs once admitted.
Buyer Benefits
Council property teams can get competitive quotes from pre-checked local trades quickly, which suits urgent repairs and small refurbishments. Trade-specific lots mean jobs go to contractors with the right skills and accreditations, and new local firms can be added when coverage in an area is thin.
Next Steps
Register on The Chest (www.the-chest.org.uk) and find the DPS using the Contracts Finder notice. Choose the lots that match your trades, then prepare your insurance, health and safety and trade accreditations, plus asbestos licensing if applying for Lot 5. Ask questions through the portal's messaging. Apply well before 30 September 2028 to get the most use from it.
How Athena Can Help
Athena helps contractors get onto systems like this through our framework and DPS registrations service, completing the selection questionnaire for each lot and checking it before submission.
After admission, each job is won through a short competition. Our tender writing and pricing support helps you write clear method statements, price each job to win while protecting your margin, and check submissions before they go in. Our council bidding advice helps you decide which invitations are worth answering, so a small team spends its time on the jobs it is most likely to win.
