Active Environments Framework

• Local authorities in England
• Town or parish councils
• County councils
• Mayoral combined authorities
• Mayoral strategic authorities
• Foundation strategic authorities
• Local planning authorities in England
• Neighbourhood forums
• Urban development corporations, including Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and any other set up by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (or successor) during the lifetime of this framework under section 149(1), (3), (11) and (13) of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980(1)
• Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation
• Greater London Authority (GLA)
• London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC)
• Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRP)
• Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
• Department for Education (DfE)
• Active Travel England (ATE)
• Department for Transport (DfT)
• Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID)
• Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
• Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs)
• Historic England
• Natural England
• Homes England
• Other non-departmental public bodies
• Leisure services providers including leisure operators and trusts
• National governing bodies of sport
• Football Foundation
• Active partnerships
• Community sports clubs
• Educational establishments
• Housing associations
• Charities that include active environment partners such as National Trust, Canal & River Trust, Natural England, Forestry Commission
• Sport Wales, Ireland, and Scotland
• National parks
• National sports centres (NSCs).

It is aligned to Sport England Strategic Outcomes Planning Guidance and Leisure Services Delivery Guidance.

Scope of services

The service covers the development of shared local outcomes for a local authority area or place, informed by local strategic priorities, customer insight, and local community needs.

This will also include developing sustainable interventions that make a compelling case for investment. Where relevant, the service will also cover project management on leisure procurement and implementation of the new leisure operating contract arrangements.

Services that a framework user may wish to receive include:

• Strategic assessment and review of national and local policies and strategies
• Development of strategies for sport and physical activity with vision and shared outcomes using Sport England’s Strategic Outcomes Planning Guidance
• Influencing and working with leadership teams, including politicians, to drive cultural change
• Community and stakeholder consultation
• Engaging with local communities
• Preparation of briefs for, and interpretation of, needs analysis and supply and demand analysis
• Feasibility studies for leisure facility development, including capital delivery and revenue modelling
• Options appraisals
• Business planning
• Defining key performance indicators and data capture methodology. Leverage data from Moving Communities
• Supporting local authorities in the procurement of new, or review of existing, leisure operating arrangements based on the delivery of strategic outcomes, using Sport England’s Leisure Services Delivery Guidance
• Leisure management options appraisals, procurement evaluation, and development of procurement strategies using strategic outcome planning principles
• Leisure facility business planning including shadow bids and affordability assessment
• Project management of the procurement process in accordance with Public Procurement Regulations and 2023 Procurement Act
• Preparation of tender documentation including Standard Selection Questionnaire, Invitation To Tender, Specification and Leisure Operating Contract
• Preparation and development of evaluation processes
• Preparation of contractual documentation
• Attendance at meetings / site visits / delivery of workshops to support tender process
• Contract monitoring and review at key points during a term to feedback and provide support to local authorities and Sport England
• Working with and interfacing with other Sport England frameworks
• Environmental sustainability review.

Lot B – Assessment of Need

This lot focuses on supporting partners in the development and use of assessments of need for sport, recreation and physical activity provision covering indoor and outdoor sports facilities (including playing pitches), along with informal sport and physical activity provision through the wider environment.

Services that a framework user may wish to receive include (in line with relevant Sport England policy and guidance):

• Develop robust area and site-based assessments of need for sport and recreation facilities which meet the requirements of the government’s National Planning Policy Framework (paragraphs 103 and 104)
• Use the findings from assessments of need to:
  • Determine what provision is required to meet the needs
  • Develop and prioritise recommendations and actions to meet the needs
  • Set out a plan/strategy for how to deliver the required provision, recommendations, and actions
  • Advise on and support processes for keeping assessments of need and related recommendations, actions, plans and strategies up to date.
• Apply the findings from assessments of need, along with related recommendations, actions, plans and strategies, to inform:
  • The development of planning policy and planning guidance
  • Infrastructure planning and approaches to developer contributions
  • The development and assessment of planning and funding proposals and applications
  • The management, use, operation, and maintenance of provision
  • Wider related plans and strategies, including but not limited to:
    • Health and wellbeing strategies
    • Green infrastructure strategies
    • Open space strategies
    • Sport and physical activity strategies
    • Local nature recovery strategies
• Support the review, development and update of guidance and tools related to developing and applying assessments of need
• Support and facilitate the promotion and roll out of guidance and tools related to developing and applying assessments of need, including but not limited to webinars, workshops and developing case studies
• Community asset mapping: support to help understand what locally trusted assets there are and their needs
• Asset transfer: support to develop asset transfer.

Lot C – Urban Design Services

This lot focuses on the provision of services of master-planning and design services to support the creation and maintenance of active environments, with a focus on ensuring that new developments and works to remodel existing places provide the right physical characteristics to enable people to become more physically active.

Services that a framework user may wish to receive include:

• Review and critique of developing masterplans (using the active design checklist) to offer advice on how these can be amended to promote an enhanced sporting offer and high levels of physical activity
• Generic and project-specific application of active design principles within development proposals and schemes
• Development of and advice on design codes, policy and design guides by local authorities or site developers which place a strong emphasis on sport, physical activity and health objectives, with the aim of creating active environments
• Co-creation with local communities and consultation around creating active environments, design codes/guides, and early design concepts; and master-planning
• Use of existing tools and development of new approaches which promote behaviour change through walkable communities, connected routes, co-location, networks of open space and appropriate inclusive and accessible infrastructure
• Development of case studies and exemplars of active environments, demonstrating a coordinated and holistic approach to the design and operation of streets, neighbourhoods and public open spaces, which are promoted and supported by policies, standards and planning of infrastructure
• Review and update Sport England guidance (and guidance prepared by partner bodies such as OHID, ATE) documents and tools related to active environments, such as but not limited to, active design guidance
• Provide expert practitioner knowledge to promote active environments, including active design principles, by leading, inputting, and/or facilitating: webinars, seminars, workshops, presentation, site/study tours.
• Promote the concept of active environments across sectors, such as planning, urban design, highways, development, physical activity/leisure and health.
• Statistical analysis and reporting on measuring the impacts of the implementation of active design projects, specifically in relation to impact on physical activity levels.

Provider name, Lot A – Strategic Outcomes Planning and Leisure Services Delivery

Continuum Sport & Leisure Ltd
Fathom Consultancy Solutions Ltd
FMG Consulting Ltd
Knight, Kavanagh & Page
Max Associates (Holdings) Ltd
Miova Ltd
My Leisure Consultant Limited
RPT Consulting Limited
Strategic Leisure Limited
The Sport, Leisure and Culture Consultancy Ltd
The Sports Consultancy Ltd

Provider name, Lot B – Assessment of Need

Belap (Bennett Leisure & Planning Ltd)
Continuum Sport & Leisure
FMG Consulting Ltd
ICF Consulting Services Ltd
Knight, Kavanagh & Page
Max Associates (Holdings) Ltd
Sports Planning Consultants Ltd
Strategic Leisure Ltd
Stuart Todd Associates Ltd
The Sports Consultancy Ltd
Urban Foresight Ltd

Provider Name Lot C – Urban Design Services

Arkwood Ltd
AtkinsRéalis UK Ltd
David Lock Associates
fabrik Ltd
Gillespies
Harper Perry Ltd
Land Use Consultants Ltd (LUC)
Mace Consult Ltd
Place Services
SPACE & PLACE (AFLSP Ltd)
Systra Ltd
Urban Foresight Ltd
Urban Movement Ltd

• Direct Award – for commissions < £25,000
• Mini Competition – with very flexible procedures to ensure compliance with an understanding of your own needs.

Any sub-contracting arrangements should be clearly stated as part of the response to a Mini Competition and authorities should ensure they are satisfied with the experience and capability of any sub-contractor providers are proposing to complete the work.

For the protection of ordering bodies, the terms of each Call-Off Order contain detailed obligations on suppliers regarding the appointment and management of their sub-contractors and their supply chain.

Suppliers should notify you of proposed sub-contractors prior to awarding each Call-Off Order.

The suppliers appointed to the framework remain fully responsible for the deliverables and outputs of any sub-contractors used.

If your requirement spans more than one subject matter, you should split your scope of work per lot to ensure you receive the most appropriate and best quality responses.

You will then gain access to the Sport England suite of restricted documents, which will assist you in selecting the appropriate supplier to move forward with on your project.

Once you have chosen an appropriate supplier, you will then be required to complete the
Direct Award template, which will enable your selected supplier to submit their proposed fee.

You can then prepare your order form, incorporating the standard framework terms, and once this is signed by both you and the chosen supplier, the supplier will then undertake the work.

Please note that you may only use the Direct Award process for commissions with a value of less than £25,000.

The framework is designed to be fully compliant while maintaining simplicity and speed of appointment.

The duration of each individual Call-Off Order will be set out in the award form or order form for that Call-Off Order as applicable.

The applicable rate card and 'Baseline Rates' for each supplier are confirmed in the supplier’s overarching contract with Sport England when the supplier is appointed to the framework.

This information is made available to ordering bodies once they have signed the Access Agreement.

Certain activities are not considered chargeable as part of work under any Call-Off Order e.g. travel time. 

The detailed charges under a specific Call-Off Order for any services will be calculated by the supplier, as directed by you, using one or more of the following mechanisms:

• Rates no less favorable than the Baseline Rates (or on a case-by-case basis less than the Baseline Rates)
• A fixed-price quotation based on rates no less favorable than the rates referred to above; and/or
• An alternative method of charging as agreed in advance with you.

The Procurement Act 2023 came into force 24 February 2025 and introduces a new unified procurement regime in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The Procurement Act 2023

The National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS), required by the Act, sets strategic priorities for public procurement, contracting authorities must follow.
Guidance documents

Local authorities will also have their own standing orders / contract procedure rules / internal policies that must come together with the legislative obligations.
Local Government Association

• Read the call-off terms and conditions
• Check for lot structure, scope and any restrictions
• Make sure the services you want fall within the framework’s scope.

Ensure you're a named organisation

Check if your organisation is listed as a permitted user in the framework documentation.

Follow the framework’s call-off procedures.

Two options:

• Direct Award
• Mini Competition - observe minimum time limits for tender submissions (25 days default minimum period for competitive tenders if they can be submitted electronically and all tender documents are available with the tender
  notice).

Keep a record of your decision (transparency duty)

Under the new Act:

• You must record your justification for supplier selection (especially for Direct Awards)
• You will need to publish a Contract Award Notice on the new Central Digital Platform (replacing Contracts Finder, Find a Tender)

Publish notices (transparency requirements)

Under the Procurement Act 2023, transparency increases:

• Contract Award Notices must be published even for call-offs
• If it is a high-value contract, you may also need a Contract Detail Notice
• Use the new Central Digital Platform (CDP) for all notices.

Monitor contract performance

KPIs to be submitted back to the Framework authority.