Following the recent introduction to Parliament of a new Procurement Bill, which places an increased emphasis on social value, national chartered surveyors Bruton Knowles has been awarded a place on the £160m ESPO framework Estates Management Professional Services (2700).
Like all ESPO frameworks, this particular one uses a social value portal to assess impacts across the supply chain.
As an organisation which adheres to the highest professional standards, Bruton Knowles follows the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) responsible business framework, and is at the forefront of endeavours to obtain greener outcomes for clients.
This was one of many reasons that, following a competitive tender process, the firm was granted a position on Framework 2700; the third consecutive ESPO framework to which Bruton Knowles has been appointed, marking 11 years of continuous public sector consultancy service under the framework.
Most recently, it delivered circa £1m of work under a previous version of Framework 2700 over a four-year period, mainly for councils across England and Wales.
On this occasion, Bruton Knowles will deliver a range of surveying services, across seven ‘Lots,’ and within a similar timeframe. These include valuation, commercial, agricultural, lease, property, estate and strategic asset management, planning and development consultancy, compulsory purchase, and compensation.
ESPO - the Leicester-based Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation - has been operational for over 40 years and provides a streamlined buying solution for over 25,000 catalogue products, 120 frameworks and bespoke procurement services.
Users of its services are local authorities, educational establishments, blue light organisations, the health service, Government departments, registered charities, and social landlords, operating in the nine English regions and across Wales.
Many use ESPO as a public sector owned professional buying organisation (PBO) to cut out unnecessary procurement costs and reduce internal resources, and to secure best value for money over the long-term for both buyers and suppliers.
James Bailey, Managing Partner at Bruton Knowles, commented: “It’s super news that we’ve once again been selected for this significant ESPO framework. We pride ourselves on being property professionals who support clients in their journey to Net Zero, and it is clear that our values are very much aligned.
“Measuring sustainability in the context of the climate emergency means there is increasing pressure from stakeholders for the public and private sectors to accelerate the decarbonisation agenda across workplaces and communities.
“In all our work, Bruton Knowles’ objective is to pioneer better spaces that focus on more than just cost, compliance and purpose, and really consider how a circular economy can be achieved.”
Bruton Knowles will deliver the work secured via the framework through its four National Teams – Utilities and Infrastructure, Valuation, Commercial, and Building Consultancy – all of which are underpinned by the firm’s extensive planning and development service. Each team has extensive knowledge and expertise across all areas of the surveying portfolio.
Bruton Knowles has a proven record of delivering for public bodies, and works with many up and down the country, both via frameworks of this kind but also through direct instruction as a supplier. It has existing sector strengths and is responsive to changing market needs, offering clients a single point of contact to deliver an entire project to the highest possible standards.
National Teams have consolidated Bruton Knowles’ position as one of the best-known property consultancy brands in the UK. Through them, the firm can provide the very best commercial property advice by utilising its motivated and resourceful surveyors nationally, to deliver a highly specialised service at a local or national level.