The companies opted for a £1.2bn modular housing framework

A number of modular companies have been named in a £1.2bn framework to build thousands of homes across the UK using modern construction methods (MMC).

The new modular and off-site homes will be delivered under the new Modern Methods of Building New Homes (NH3) framework from not-for-profit public sector building framework provider London Housing Consortium Procurement Group (LHC).

The framework was designed to help increase the delivery of homes needed to meet the housing needs of communities in England, Scotland and Wales. The framework will run until May 2027.

NH3 will be delivered through LHC London and South East (LSE), Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA), South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA), Consortium Procurement Construction (CPC) and Welsh Procurement Alliance (WPA).

NH3 replaces the previous NH2 framework and has been shaped by extensive engagement with contractors and homebuilders. It allows for a variety of housing types, from low and medium/high to specialist accommodation such as care homes. The framework also provides for the delivery of “room on the roof” projects and adaptable capsules.

LHC head of technical procurement Dean Fazackerley described NH3 as “a vital addition to support further programs to build modern, low-carbon homes by housing associations and local authorities across the country”.

He added: “It will adopt MMC and off-site techniques to produce energy-efficient homes for the communities they serve. We are looking to build on the success of our previous framework, NH2, which has so far enabled off-site housing projects to value of £93.5 million with a total expected value of £277 million.

“NH3 has been developed to be a market-leading framework that offers a wide range of systems and project delivery models to give public sector organizations the flexibility to deliver MMC projects the way they want. With the range of manufacturers and contractors appointed to this framework, NH3 provides an excellent option for customers to access a range of MMC solutions and suppliers and is designed to facilitate greater collaboration between suppliers and the public sector.”

Fazackerley stressed that through the framework, LHC was “seeking to support the public sector to increase the use of MMC and deliver low and net zero carbon homes with high levels of prefab value”.

NH3 also fulfills a key guiding principle of the LHC to increase public sector access to regional and local supply chains, encouraging the participation of SMEs and driving economic uplift in regional areas.

Covering the full range of MMC categories, the workflows covered by NH3 are:

• Workstream 1: Three-Dimensional (3D) Modular Systems – Category 1
• Workflow 2: Two-Dimensional (2D) Panelized Systems – Category 2
• Workstream 3: Prime contractors offering MMC solutions, all categories
• Workstream 4: Groundwork and site preparation for MMC housing projects