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‘Disruptive’ procurement framework featuring interactive lamp posts opens to social landlords
The second iteration of a £100m framework has launched to provide social landlords with access to “non-traditional, innovative solutions” from suppliers, including a messaging service that gathers views by posting digital codes on lamp posts.
A total of 20 suppliers have been appointed to the latest Social Housing Emerging Disruptors (SHED) framework, which aims to provide associations with solutions from micro businesses and SMEs.
Launched by Procurement for Housing (PfH), the framework is worth up to £100m over three years and has been developed with the Proptech Innovation Network.
The first SHED framework was launched in January 2022 and helped insert ingenuity into supply chains and deliver better outcomes for social housing tenants, it has been claimed.
Many of the chosen suppliers in this new framework aim to provide services that can engage tenants in line with new tenant satisfaction measures (TSM) that come into effect from April this year.
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Meanwhile, these new suppliers include Hello Lamp Post, an interactive text messaging service that gathers views by posting digital codes on street furniture, and Alertacall, a contact system that creates digital communities in sheltered and supported housing so that tenants feel safe and connected.
Several suppliers also provide cost of living crisis support, while a number will offer new ways to retrofit and repair homes.
SHED said the framework has been designed to help housing associations and local authorities buy compliantly from start-ups – something that has been difficult in the past due to public sector procurement regulations.
Neil Butters, head of procurement at PfH, said: “Social landlords are dealing with rising prices, a 7% rent cap and cost of living crisis, alongside urgent targets on building safety, net zero and development.
“They desperately need brand new ideas to tackle these challenges. The Social Housing Emerging Disruptors framework is a safe space to try out these ideas without complex procurement rules, legal challenges or lengthy tender documents getting in the way.”
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