A £250m framework covering new builds in Scotland and Northern Ireland has failed to appoint a single firm after a two-month procurement process.
A notice of opportunity was published in August for the framework, which was intended to be used mainly for residential developments, including build and design and build works.
The tender included separate lots for Scotland and Northern Ireland, with places for up to eight contractors in each.
But a contract award notice now says that for both the Scottish and Northern Ireland lots, “no bids or requests for participation were received or all were rejected”.
The framework had been set to cover an initial period of two years, with the option to extend it by two more periods of 12 months.
It would have been available to social landlords and local authorities as well as other public sector bodies.
Although it has mainly focused on new-build residential works, the framework would also have covered the rehabilitation, renovation and extension of buildings, including those in the commercial, community and education sectors.
The recruitment was managed by the consultancy Prosper.
Tim Jennett, head of strategic procurement at Prosper, said Construction news that the framework had received a “low response”, with some submissions falling short of expected standards.
He believed this may have been partly due to a lack of awareness of Prospect in Scotland, as well as general caution among contractors in the current environment.
He added that Prospect may have “got things wrong” in some aspects of the framework, suggesting that the geographical area may have been “too large”, for example.
Jennett said the consultancy would reflect on the matter but had “no immediate plans to return” to the tender.
