Southern Housing has selected 10 contractors to deliver £2.38bn worth of retrofit and fire safety improvement works across London and the South East over the next 20 years.
The long-term programme has been split into 10 geographical lots covering both internal and external refurbishment works until 2046.
Six of the lots focus on kitchen and bathroom replacements, while the remaining four cover windows, roofs, and non-fire door upgrades.
Amber Construction Services secured the largest single contract, a £311.9m VAT-inclusive deal to deliver internal refurbishments in London North and Essex.
The firm also picked up a £239.6m contract for similar work in East Sussex.
Axis Europe was awarded two contracts: a £239.6m deal for internals in London South East, and a £246.2m package for external upgrades in London South.
Highview Group won both external contracts for London North and Kent, valued at £147.7m and £180.6m respectively.
Chas Berger Limited took the £262.6m external works lot for Sussex.
HLS McConnell Limited picked up two internal packages in Kent and London South West, worth £259.3m and £206.8m respectively.
Architectural Decorators Limited secured a £282.3m contract for internal works in West Sussex.
Tendering was competitive, with over 150 bids received across the lots.
Notable unsuccessful bidders included Kier, Morgan Sindall, Vinci and Wates.
The 10 contracts are worth a combined £1.99bn excluding VAT.
They will run from April 2026 to April 2036, with potential extensions to 2046 subject to performance and market testing.
For all lots, Southern Housing said it has adopted the NHF Form of Contract 2023. This is a specialist contract for repair and maintenance work in the social housing sector.
Each contract includes the option for additional works, including fire safety upgrades and non-Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund retrofit measures.
Contractors are required to take on legal duties as both principal contractor and principal designer under the Building Safety Act and CDM regulations.
Framework lots:
| Lot and region | Contractor | Contract value (inc VAT) |
| 1 (London North – External) | Highview Group | £147.7m |
| 2 (London South – External) | Axis Europe | £246.2m |
| 3 (Sussex – External) | Chas Berger | £262.6m |
| 4 (Kent – External) | Highview Group | £180.6m |
| 5 (London North & Essex – Internal) | Amber Construction Services | £311.9m |
| 6 (London South West – Internal) | HLS McConnell | £206.8m |
| 7 (London South East – Internal) | Axis Europe | £239.6m |
| 8 (West Sussex – Internal) | Architectural Decorators | £282.3m |
| 9 (East Sussex – Internal) | Amber Construction Services | £239.6m |
| 10 (Kent & Medway – Internal) | HLS McConnell | £259.3m |
Source: Gov.uk Find a Tender
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Ben Vogel