Environment Agency awards £1bn beach framework deal

The Beach Management Framework, valued at up to £1.23 billion excluding VAT, will support routine and emergency works designed to reduce the risk of coastal flooding to homes, businesses and critical infrastructure. The framework was signed on 21 April 2026 and runs for an initial six-year period to April 2032, with an option to extend for a further two years.

The framework will be used to deliver beach maintenance activities along coastal frontages for which the Environment Agency is responsible. Typical works include transporting large volumes of shingle from areas of accretion to locations experiencing erosion, before redistributing material along the shoreline to maintain required protection standards.

In addition to beach recycling operations, contractors will be responsible for importing and placing both marine-dredged and land-based shingle to replenish depleted beaches. The framework also covers maintenance and repair works to coastal defence structures, rock importation and placement schemes, and emergency response and recovery support following extreme weather events.

READ MORE: UK prepares to launch £5 billion flood defence programme

Under the procurement model, contracts valued below £10 million can be awarded directly through a geographic allocation process, while schemes above that threshold will be subject to further competition between the two appointed suppliers. There is no upper value limit on individual call-off contracts.

The framework is available for use by the wider Defra group, local authorities, internal drainage boards and other public sector organisations across England.

The award comes as the Environment Agency prepares to launch a separate £5 billion programme of flood defence, infrastructure and asset management works through its forthcoming Collaborative Delivery Framework 2 (CDF2).

Expected to begin in 2027, CDF2 will support a broad range of projects including flood and coastal defence infrastructure, navigation assets, water management facilities and environmental restoration schemes. Planned works are expected to range from £1 million projects through to major £150 million construction programmes and will be delivered through regional hubs covering the North, Midlands and Southwest, and East and Southeast England.

Together, the Beach Management Framework and the planned CDF2 programme underline the Environment Agency’s growing investment in long-term flood resilience and coastal protection as communities face increasing pressures from coastal erosion, sea-level rise and more frequent extreme weather events.