Vehicle Leasing Associated Services framework

The framework was procured as an open procedure under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, advertised via the UK Find a Tender Service. It’s available to Scottish housing associations, local authorities, ALMOs, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, universities and further education establishments, registered charities, and subsidiaries of the above. Using this pre-tendered framework removes the need for a standalone procurement exercise and provides a compliant, defensible route to vetted suppliers. 

The Scottish Government’s net zero target creates a real planning challenge for landlords with existing diesel or petrol fleets. Lot 1 includes access to electric, hybrid, and hydrogen vehicles, giving members a compliant route to start transitioning their fleet without the capital outlay of outright purchase. Lease arrangements make it easier to plan a phased transition, replacing vehicles at the end of contract terms with lower-emission alternatives. The telematics lot also supports sustainability objectives by enabling fuel monitoring, route optimisation, and driver behaviour analysis, all of which reduce emissions and operating costs. When running mini-competitions, members can incorporate Fair Work First criteria and additional environmental requirements aligned with the Scottish Government’s Sustainable Procurement Duty under the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014. 

Transitioning a housing fleet to electric vehicles involves more than just changing the vehicles. Charging infrastructure is a significant practical consideration, particularly for organisations with dispersed depots or staff who take vehicles home overnight. Grant funding may be available through Transport Scotland or the Energy Saving Trust’s fleet support programmes to help with the cost of charge points and vehicle conversion. Lease arrangements through this framework give organisations flexibility to trial electric vehicles before making long-term commitments, and specification advice from Lot 1 suppliers can help you identify which vehicle classes are ready for electrification now and which operational use cases may need more time. 

Racking and vehicle conversions are subject to a range of health and safety requirements, including compliance with Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. Poorly designed or poorly maintained racking creates risk of injury for operatives loading and unloading vehicles, and can also affect vehicle handling and road safety. Lot 2 suppliers carry out CAD design and manufacture to meet relevant standards, and the servicing and maintenance element of the lot ensures racking remains compliant throughout the vehicle’s operational life. This is particularly relevant for maintenance teams carrying heavy or awkward materials across Scottish housing stock. 

The operational geography of Scottish social housing creates fuel and scheduling challenges that telematics can directly address. Real-time vehicle tracking allows repairs teams to be deployed more efficiently, reducing unnecessary journeys and idle time. Driver behaviour monitoring can identify patterns that increase fuel consumption or accelerate vehicle wear, and proactive maintenance scheduling through fleet reporting tools reduces the likelihood of unexpected breakdowns. For organisations managing fleets across Highland, Island, or rural stock where breakdowns carry a significant operational cost, the reporting and alert functionality in Lot 3 can provide meaningful budget savings over the contract term. 

Fleet operators have duties under health and safety law to ensure that vehicles are roadworthy and that drivers are properly supported. Lot 1 can include MOT scheduling, maintenance programmes, and breakdown cover, all of which support a landlord’s duty of care to staff. The telematics lot goes further by providing automatic driving assistance systems and wireless safety communications. For organisations with lone workers operating across remote areas of Scotland, the combination of vehicle reliability, breakdown cover, and telematics tracking provides a stronger overall lone worker safety framework. PfH Scotland can advise on how to structure these requirements alongside the Lone Worker Protection framework if that’s relevant to your organisation. 

The 60% price weighting reflects the commercial nature of fleet procurement, where competitive lease rates and whole-life vehicle costs are a primary consideration for most members. The 40% quality element means suppliers were still assessed on their service delivery capability, health and safety approach, and operational capacity before appointment. The minimum quality threshold of 20% across all lots means no supplier was appointed on price alone. Members benefit from this pre-assessment, which removes the need to repeat detailed capability checks at the call-off stage. 

The framework covers lease periods from a minimum of two years to a maximum of five years, with the flexibility to select whatever term best suits your operational and financial planning requirements. Shorter terms suit organisations that want to retain flexibility as the electric vehicle market develops or as their fleet requirements change. Longer terms typically offer more competitive monthly costs. Lot 1 suppliers can provide specification advice to help you identify the right vehicle and contract term combination for your specific use case, and PfH Scotland can support you through that process. 

Yes. Membership of PfH Scotland is open to all Scottish housing associations and local authorities regardless of size, and there’s no minimum fleet size requirement to access the framework. Smaller organisations often benefit most from frameworks like this because they don’t have the internal procurement resource to run their own vehicle leasing tender, and the pre-competed pricing and vetted supplier list removes that burden entirely. PfH Scotland’s team can support you through the process from initial scoping through to contract award, acting as an extension of your procurement function where needed. 

PfH Scotland supports members from requirements definition through to contract award and ongoing management. For mini-competitions, the team can arrange and process the comparison exercise on your behalf, including side-by-side device evaluations. Template call-off documentation and specification assistance are available for both access routes. Throughout the contract term, PfH Scotland’s platforms provide reporting and performance monitoring capabilities, and the price increase protection policy managed by PfH Scotland protects members against unexpected cost rises. If you’re not yet a PfH Scotland member, membership is open to all Scottish housing associations and local authorities regardless of size. 

The framework is available to any contracting authority listed in the FTS notice, including PfH Scotland members, registered social landlords, local authorities, arm’s length management organisations, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, universities and further education establishments, registered charities, and subsidiaries of the above. If you’re unsure whether your organisation qualifies, PfH Scotland can confirm eligibility before you proceed.