List of organisations appointed to deliver fire engineering services: EIR release

Information requested

1. Approved organisations

A list of all organisations currently approved, appointed, or commissioned under any Scottish Government programme related to:
• Single Building Assessments (SBA)
• FRAEW (Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls)
• External Wall System / cladding remediation programmes
• Fire engineering services connected to residential high-rise building safety assessments

2. Framework or programme participation

For each organisation listed above, please include:
• Company name
• Registered address (if held)
• Type of appointment (e.g. SBA assessor, FRAEW consultant, fire engineering provider, framework supplier)
• Name of framework, programme, or funding route under which they are appointed
• Date of appointment or contract award (if held)

3. Contracted or commissioned work (if held)

Please also provide a list of organisations that have been contracted or commissioned to deliver:
• SBA reports
• FRAEW assessments
• Fire engineering reports relating to external wall systems
• Any related cladding remediation or residential building safety assessments

Including, where available:
• Contracting authority
• Project/programme name
• Contract value (if held)
• Date awarded

If any part of this request exceeds the cost limit, please advise how I may refine the request to bring it within scope, focusing on SBA and FRAEW-related appointments only.

Response

Having considered the nature of your request, we have concluded that the information requested falls within the definition of environmental information contained in regulation 2(1) of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), as it relates to measures and activities affecting or likely to affect the built environment and land. Your request has therefore been processed under the EIRs.

In accordance with section 39(2) of FOISA, we are applying the exemption under that section and dealing with your request solely under the EIRs.

Response

Question 1 – Approved Organisations

Scottish Ministers do not maintain a list of "approved" SBA assessors.

The Scottish Government maintains a list of authorised SBA providers, consisting of organisations that have self-certified that they meet the competency requirements set out within the Single Building Assessment Specification.

The current list of authorised SBA providers is publicly available on the Scottish Government website at:

Assessing buildings for risk - Cladding Remediation Programme: factsheet - gov.scot

Question 2 – Framework or Programme Participation

Scottish Government does not operate a framework agreement or approved supplier list for the provision of SBA, FRAEW or fire engineering assessment services.

Under the distributed delivery model, building owners, factors, developers, local authorities and registered social landlords may procure services independently, subject to programme requirements and applicable procurement obligations.

Under regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs, we advise that the information is not held by Scottish Ministers.

We have considered the public interest in making the information available against the interest in maintaining the exception. We recognise the public interest in transparency regarding procurement and building safety activity. However, there is no public interest in requiring authorities to provide information which they do not hold. We therefore conclude that the public interest favours maintaining the exception.

Question 3 – Contracted or Commissioned Work

Scottish Government does not directly commission most SBA assessments or FRAEW assessments.

Under the Cladding Remediation Programme, assessments are generally commissioned by building owners, developers, factors, local authorities or registered social landlords through the programme's distributed delivery model.

Scottish Ministers do not hold a comprehensive record of all contracts awarded by third parties for SBA reports, FRAEW assessments or related fire engineering services. Accordingly, under regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs, we advise that this information is not held.

Advice and Assistance

Under regulation 9 of the EIRs, we can advise that some information relevant to your request may be available from:

• Public Contracts Scotland;
• Publicly available procurement notices;
• Local authorities;
• Registered social landlords;
• Individual developers participating in the Cladding Remediation Programme;
• The published list of authorised SBA providers.

If you wish to refine your request to information relating solely to contracts directly let by Scottish Ministers in connection with the Cladding Remediation Programme, we would be happy to consider a revised request.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.