Link Group New Build Housing Framework: Selection Stage Closes 12 Noon on 2 November 2026
Link Group New Build Housing Framework: Selection Stage Closes 12 Noon on 2 November 2026
Link Group's £840m Main Building Contractors for New Build Housing Framework closes for selection stage submissions at 12:00 on 2 November 2026. This is a restricted procedure, so the 2 November deadline is not your full tender submission, just the stage that decides whether you are invited to submit a full bid later.
The framework runs for four years with an optional one-year extension, spread across up to 70 suppliers over seven lots. Find a Tender notice 093101-2026 was published on 6 October 2026 via Public Contracts Scotland. This article walks through what the selection stage tests, how to choose your lots, and how to present your evidence so an evaluator can score it quickly.
What selection stage actually tests
Selection stage is a pass or fail checkpoint. The buyer uses it to narrow the field from perhaps 40 expressions of interest down to a shortlist of 10 to 15 bidders who will receive the full invitation to tender. That invitation will include the method statements, pricing schedules and all the commercial terms.
At selection stage you are being scored on organisational capacity, not on your approach to the contract. The evaluator is working through a matrix of minimum requirements and comparative scoring bands. For a housing framework of this size and complexity, expect them to be testing:
Financial standing, typically two to three years of audited accounts showing turnover thresholds per lot. A main contractor framework will often ask for annual turnover of at least twice the anticipated annual call-off value, so if you are bidding for a lot with an estimated annual value of £15m, you will need to show £30m turnover or demonstrate equivalent financial strength through a parent company guarantee.
Technical and professional ability through at least three comparable project references. Comparable means new build housing completed in the past five years, ideally of similar value and complexity to the lot you are bidding. The evaluator is not reading your project descriptions for interest. They are checking whether each example meets the stated value threshold, whether the client reference is contactable, whether the dates add up, and whether the scope matches what Link Group intends to procure.
Health and safety record, usually your EMR (Experience Modification Rate) or equivalent. Some frameworks specify a maximum threshold such as 0.8. If your rate sits above the threshold and you do not explain a time-bound improvement plan with evidence, you will be rejected at this stage regardless of how strong your technical work is.
Insurance levels for professional indemnity, public liability and employer's liability. The selection questionnaire will state the minimum cover required per lot. You must hold that cover now or provide a binding commitment from your insurer that cover will be in place before any call-off award. A letter of intent is not enough.
Accreditations such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and membership of a construction quality scheme like Constructionline or CHAS. Most housing frameworks expect all three ISO standards as a minimum. If you hold equivalent standards under a different certification body, cross-reference them clearly and attach the certificates.
Choosing your lots
Link Group has structured the framework across seven lots. The selection questionnaire will specify the geographic areas, anticipated values, or housing types that define each lot. You do not need to bid for all seven, and in most cases you should not.
Bid for the lots where you can demonstrate a credible track record through your three project references. If you are stretching to meet the financial threshold for a lot and your comparable projects sit well below the anticipated call-off values, the evaluator will score you lower than a competitor who has done the work at scale already. The buyer is not interested in giving you a development opportunity. They want contractors who can mobilise immediately and deliver without operational risk.
A worked example to illustrate the point. Imagine Lot 3 covers new build housing across Scotland with an estimated annual value of £20m per contractor. The selection stage asks for three comparable projects completed in the past five years, each valued at a minimum of £5m. Contractor A submits three Scottish housing schemes worth £6m, £8m and £9m respectively, all completed within budget and all with client references who respond promptly. Contractor B submits two £12m projects in the North of England and one £18m project in Wales, again all delivered successfully. On paper, Contractor B has more impressive project values. But Contractor A is more likely to score higher because the geographic relevance aligns exactly with what the buyer needs and the evaluator has clear evidence of repeat capability in the target region. If the scoring model awards marks for regional presence or local supply chain, Contractor A will pull further ahead.
How to present three projects so they score quickly
The evaluator will be working through 30 or 40 selection stage submissions in a short window. Each project reference you provide needs to answer the scoring criteria in the order they appear on the evaluation matrix. Do not write a narrative description of the project and hope the evaluator will extract the relevant facts. Structure each project reference as a table or a clearly formatted block with these elements in sequence:
Project title, client name, client contact name, email and phone number. The evaluator will check that the contact responds. If your reference does not reply within 48 hours, your project may be disregarded.
Contract value, start date, completion date. Use actual dates, not approximate quarters. If the project was delivered early, state that and give both the contracted and actual completion dates. Early delivery with no retention issues is evidence of good programme management.
Scope summary in two or three sentences, focused on what the evaluator is testing. If the lot covers housing for older people and your project was a 60-unit extra care scheme, make that explicit in the first line. Do not bury it in paragraph three.
Relevance statement explaining why this project is comparable to the anticipated call-off work. This is where you connect the dots. For example: "This project demonstrates our capability to deliver Link Group's anticipated Lot 3 requirements. It involved new build housing across multiple sites in Scotland, working with a housing association client under an NEC4 contract, and was completed within a similar value range to the estimated call-off awards."
Performance evidence such as final account reconciliation, KPIs achieved, handover defects rate, or client satisfaction scores. If you have nothing quantified, your project reference is weaker than a competitor who can show they handed over 85 units with four minor defects and a client satisfaction score of 9.2 out of 10.
Common reasons selection stage responses fail
Incomplete insurance or accreditation evidence. You cannot submit a placeholder and promise to provide the certificate later. The evaluator will mark you non-compliant and move to the next submission.
Project references that do not meet the stated minimum value or date range. If the selection questionnaire asks for projects completed in the past five years and you submit one from the earlier period in the second half of the previous decade, you are outside the window as of this week (week starting 2026-10-22). The evaluator will disregard it and score you on two projects instead of three, which usually means automatic failure.
Assuming that a parent company's turnover or balance sheet will automatically cover you. It will, but only if you submit a parent company guarantee in the prescribed form. Most buyers provide a template guarantee in the selection pack. Use it. Do not draft your own version unless the instructions explicitly allow it.
Late submission, even by two minutes. Public sector portals timestamp your upload. If you submit at 12:01 on 2 November 2026, your response will be rejected unopened. Treat 12:00 as your absolute latest upload time, not your target. Aim to submit by 10:00 that morning to allow for portal errors or document corruption on upload.
Scoring worked example (illustrative)
Imagine the selection stage scoring model allocates 30 marks for technical capacity, assessed through your three project references. Each project is scored out of 10 using a five-band scale: 0 for non-compliant, 2 for poor, 5 for acceptable, 8 for good, 10 for excellent. The criteria include value, relevance, performance and client feedback.
You submit three projects. Project One is an £8m new build housing scheme for a housing association in Glasgow, completed three months early with a defects score of 0.6 per unit and a client reference who confirms you would be their first choice for repeat work. This scores 10 out of 10.
Project Two is a £6m scheme in Edinburgh, delivered on time but with a final account disputed for four months and eventually settled at 3 per cent over the original contract sum. The client reference is lukewarm and notes that site coordination could have been better. This scores 5 out of 10.
Project Three is a £15m mixed-use development in Aberdeen that included 40 housing units alongside commercial space. It meets the value threshold and was completed on programme, but only 40 of the 120 total units were housing. The evaluator decides it is partly relevant and awards 6 out of 10.
Your total technical score is 21 out of 30. A competitor who submits three consistently strong housing references, all scoring 8 or 9 out of 10, will achieve 25 or 26 out of 30 and rank higher on the selection shortlist. The difference between being invited to tender and being eliminated is often this narrow.
If you need support structuring your selection response, our main contractor bid support service works on the evaluator's scoring sheet first, so we know what evidence to prioritise and how to present it. We also handle urgent bid writing where the deadline is tight and you need resource deployed immediately.
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit a selection response if I do not yet hold all the required accreditations?
No. The selection stage tests your current capacity, not your future intentions. If the questionnaire states that ISO 45001 is mandatory and you do not hold it as of 2 November 2026, you will be marked non-compliant. Some buyers allow a short window to obtain missing accreditations after provisional selection, but that will be stated explicitly in the instructions. Do not assume.
How many lots should I bid for?
Bid only for the lots where you can evidence credible track record and meet the financial thresholds comfortably. Bidding for all seven lots when you can only demonstrate capability in three will dilute your response and raise questions about your strategic focus. Evaluators notice when a contractor bids for everything. It signals optimism rather than operational realism.
What happens if my client reference does not respond in time?
Your project reference will likely be disregarded, and you will be scored on the remaining projects. If the selection questionnaire requires a minimum of three references and you are left with two, you will fail at selection stage. Contact your referees at least a week before the deadline to confirm they are available and willing to respond. Send them a draft of the questions they may be asked, so they can prepare consistent answers that align with your submission.
This is a restricted procedure. Once Link Group shortlists the contractors after selection stage, only those contractors will receive the full invitation to tender. If you are eliminated at selection stage, you have no route back into this competition until the framework is retendered in four or five years. Treat this deadline as the gateway it is.
Confirm all dates, lot structures and submission requirements on Find a Tender notice 093101-2026 via Public Contracts Scotland. The procurement timetable can shift, and your formal obligation is to the published notice, not to secondary commentary. If you are managing multiple tender deadlines in the same window and need late-stage bid support to get this over the line, plan your resource now.
Our revenue model is a success fee tied to call-off contract wins, not to framework awards or selection stage outcomes. We only earn when you win work that generates revenue, so our incentive is to help you submit a response that not only passes selection stage but positions you competitively for the call-off competitions that follow.
Call 020 3668 5488
Glaxtons, 3 More London Place, London SE1 2RE