Plumbing and heating tenders cover gas servicing and repairs for housing stock, boiler and heating replacement programmes, plumbing works in schools and NHS estates, and HVAC installations. Councils, housing associations and NHS trusts publish them on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. Notices that are only for supplying materials are left out. This page explains what buyers usually ask for, starting with the gas law, and how a smaller firm can win. Our tender eligibility checker is coming soon. Until then, tell us your trade and postcode to join the free weekly list of live tenders, starting soon.
What buyers usually ask plumbing and heating contractors for
Each buyer sets its own questions. These are the checks with a legal basis, plus the schemes buyers may ask for. The tender pack has the detail.
Gas Safe registration
Under regulation 3 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, nobody may carry out work on a gas fitting unless they are competent to do so. An employer may not allow employees to work on a gas fitting or service pipework, and a self-employed person may not do so, unless the employer or self-employed person is a member of a class of persons approved by the Health and Safety Executive. Expect the pack to ask how you meet that, and check which register evidence it names.
Competent person schemes for heating and hot water
A competent person scheme lets you self-certify certain building work. For heating and hot water systems, gov.uk lists APHC, BESCA, Blue Flame Certification, Gas Safe Register, Certsure, HETAS, NAPIT and OFTEC. It notes that the Gas Safe Register is “not technically a competent person scheme”, although its installers carry the same building regulations responsibilities. Membership isn’t a legal condition of tendering, but buyers may ask for it.
Insurance
Employers’ liability insurance is compulsory for employers in Great Britain, with limited exemptions (1969 Act), with cover of at least £5 million. Public liability has no statutory figure: the buyer sets it. See public liability cover.
Health and safety accreditation
Some buyers ask for an SSIP scheme or Constructionline. See SSIP and CHAS. These are a buyer preference, not a legal requirement.
Other specialist registrations
Depending on the work, buyers may ask for other registrations, for example for water systems, refrigeration gases or low-carbon heating. The buyer sets this in the tender pack.
Most notices don’t state any of this. In the week to 10 Oct 2026, 29 of 470 live notices in our data (about 6%) stated insurance requirements in the notice itself, and 29 stated named certifications (as of 10 Oct 2026). For the rest, see what our check can and can’t see.
How to win plumbing and heating contracts
Use servicing and responsive lots as an entry point
On above-threshold contracts, buyers must consider splitting a contract into lots, or give reasons for not doing so. A heating contract may be split into gas servicing, installations and responsive repairs, or by area. A servicing or responsive lot can be a manageable way in, if you have engineers within reach of the properties.
Use the below-threshold rules
Check whether a notice treats the contract as works or services, because the thresholds differ. From 1 January 2026 the full Procurement Act rules start at £5,193,000 for works and at £135,018 (central government) or £207,720 (other authorities) for services, including VAT.
Below those, a buyer inviting tenders can’t run a separate suitability stage before tenders are submitted, but it can still assess suitability at the award stage (Welsh devolved buyers and framework call-offs aside; see also the below-threshold guidance). The exception is a works contract estimated at £135,018 or more (central government) or £207,720 or more (other authorities), from 1 January 2026. Buyers must also consider the barriers SMEs face.
If a buyer advertises a below-threshold contract worth £12,000 or more (central government, including NHS trusts) or £30,000 or more (other authorities), including VAT, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice. Buyers can also invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising, as the gov.uk guidance explains.
Show first-time fix, access rates and resident communication
For responsive work, say how you aim to fix on the first visit, what you do when you can’t get in, and how you keep residents informed. Give evidence from your own jobs, not generalities.
Social value
Central government departments, their executive agencies and NDPBs must give social value at least a 10% weighting on above-threshold contracts where it is relevant and proportionate (PPN 002). Apprenticeships and local labour suit this trade, if you can evidence them.
Common pitfalls
- pricing no-access visits as if every visit gets in
- call-out response times you can’t meet
- missing certificates in the evidence you submit
- bidding for lots outside your engineers’ reach
Who buys plumbing and heating
Housing associations and councils buy servicing and replacement programmes for their stock, and schools and NHS estates teams buy plumbing works and maintenance. In the week to 10 Oct 2026 there were 119 live notices in the construction division and 42 in repair and maintenance (the parent and related sectors, not plumbing and heating alone), as of 10 Oct 2026. See construction tenders, repair and maintenance tenders for heating maintenance contracts, M&E tenders and electrical contracts.
Questions
Where are council and housing association heating contracts advertised?
Notices go on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, and TenderWorthy covers both. Scottish public bodies must advertise regulated procurements on the Public Contracts Scotland website, which TenderWorthy doesn't cover. Buyers can also invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising a smaller job.
Is Gas Safe registration required for public sector gas work?
The law says an employer may not allow employees to work on a gas fitting or service pipework, and a self-employed person may not do so, unless the employer or self-employed person is a member of a class of persons approved by the Health and Safety Executive. Expect the buyer to ask for evidence of that approval. The tender pack says what it wants to see.
What insurance do plumbing and heating contractors need for tenders?
If you employ people, employers' liability insurance is compulsory for employers in Great Britain, with limited exemptions, and must cover at least £5 million. Public liability has no statutory figure: the buyer sets it, so check the pack.
Can a small heating firm win a gas servicing contract?
Yes, if the contract or lot is sized for your team. On above-threshold contracts, buyers must consider splitting a contract into lots, and servicing and responsive work are sometimes separate from installations. Below the full Procurement Act thresholds, a buyer inviting tenders can't run a separate suitability stage before tenders are submitted, but can still assess suitability at the award stage (with an exception for larger works contracts, and Welsh devolved buyers and framework call-offs aside).
Why do some plumbing tenders only want materials?
Some buyers buy materials separately from labour, for example through a framework for plumbing and heating materials. Those supply-only notices are a different kind of contract, so this page's live list leaves them out and covers works and servicing.