Southern Housing is seeking contractors for up to £1.7bn worth of projects over the next 20 years.
The housing association’s official tender notice for its Capital Investment Works 2026 to 2046 framework shows 10 lots covering a range of tasks across London, Sussex and Kent.
The main packages involve external work such as windows, roofs and doors, as well as internal jobs, including kitchens and bathrooms.
The framework also includes provision for fire safety and retrofitting.
Selected contractors must be capable of acting as principal designers and principal contractors under the terms of the Building Safety Act, the tender notice states.
Bidders are also asked to give prices for asbestos surveying and removal, although Southern Housing described this as a “contingency”.
Firms may apply for places on as many lots as they wish but will only be offered spots on one or two.
Contracts will initially last for 10 years with an optional 10-year extension.
Southern Housing, which looks after 80,000 properties, said it wanted to create an integrated supply chain and standardised components.
It said this should bring benefits ranging from commercial incentives to financial savings, consistency of delivery, simplified payment processes and improved social value.
The framework is expected to operate from 1 May next year.
Contractors have until 5pm on 28 April to submit tenders for the work. Selections will be decided on a ratio of 60 per cent quality and 40 per cent price, with the winners expected to be announced before Christmas.
Housing has been the weakest-performing sector of late, with a sharp downturn recorded in the construction sector in February, according to research published earlier this month.
The latest S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index showed residential construction had a reading of just 39.3 in February compared with 44.9 the month before (numbers above the neutral mark of 50 represent output growth).
It was the fifth consecutive month of declining workloads in the sector.
