SHED 5 framework: £500m procurement shift and lessons for housing project teams
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
SHED 5 has appointed 27 suppliers to Procurement for Housing’s fifth-generation Social Housing Emerging Disruptors framework, a £500m, three-year vehicle quadrupling the previous iteration’s £100m value as contract awards in 2025 surged versus 2024. Targeting early-stage tech that does not fit standard OJEU-style routes, the SME-focused process uses a rapid desk-based selection to let councils and housing associations procure solutions such as recycled-glass modular panels, self-testing fire doors, anti-mould coatings and smart heat schedulers. The framework aligns with UK procurement reforms aimed at simpler, more flexible, SME-accessible public purchasing.
Technical Brief
- SHED 5 appoints 27 suppliers, the largest cohort since the framework’s launch in 2022.
- Contract awards via SHED increased fourfold in 2025 compared with 2024, indicating rapid uptake.
- PfH again partners with the Disruptive Innovators Network to pre-vet early-stage technology providers.
- Through a quick desk-based selection process, landlords can identify suppliers, obtain pricing information and complete the contracting process.
- Services include modular housing panels made from recycled glass.
- Services include a self-testing fire door that monitors its own compliance.
- Services include a platform predicting home hazards and health risks.
- Portfolio also includes anti-mould coatings, smart heat schedulers and digital resident-communication tools.
Our Take
The step-up in SHED framework value to £500m over three years signals that Procurement for Housing is consolidating more retrofit and refurbishment spend into centralised UK frameworks, which can give appointed suppliers a clearer pipeline for investing in offsite and low‑carbon solutions.
Our database links PfH to the Bromsgrove District Housing Trust retrofit contracts awarded to United Infrastructure in the Midlands, suggesting that SHED 5 could become a key route for similar large-scale social housing decarbonisation and upgrade programmes.
With 27 firms appointed, SHED 5 is likely to remain competitive rather than a closed club, but the framework’s fifth generation status indicates that incumbents who can demonstrate measurable sustainability outcomes in UK social housing will have an edge in future iterations.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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