As 2024 comes to a close, Procure Plus is reflecting on a year of progress, collaboration, and impact

From helping social housing providers adopt a proactive approach to strategic asset management to tackling pressing challenges in retrofit and building safety, the work that Procure Plus has done this year has demonstrated the power of combining expertise, innovation, and social value.

Leading the way in strategic asset management

This year, we’ve seen the sector embrace a more proactive and strategic approach to managing housing stock, attempting to move away from traditional reactive maintenance.

Central to this shift is ensuring landlords have access to robust, reliable data about their homes.

By leveraging new technologies, landlords can collect more accurate and relevant information, which provides deeper insights into their assets.

But data alone isn’t enough. This must be combined with an ability to understand and work with the market and the supply chain to adapt to this more forward-thinking approach.

With our substantial market intelligence and bespoke consultancy services, we’ve empowered our partners to make these insights actionable- ensuring every step, from planning to completion, delivers meaningful results.

Accelerating retrofit with insight and innovation

Retrofit and decarbonisation continue to be a priority, and we’ve been proud to support social housing providers in both accessing the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and then mobilising the delivery of much-needed investment works.

This year, we’ve expanded our focus to private homes through the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) programme, enabling councils to deliver energy-efficient retrofits to more communities.

We’ve been working with local authorities and government to make sure the next phase of investment through the Warm Homes fund includes streamlined processes and reduced administrative burdens, paving the way for faster and more effective retrofitting—an approach that benefits government, councils, and homeowners alike.

Ensuring safety through expertise

Ensuring building safety remains a key focus across the housing sector.

As can be expected, we saw a huge spike in building safety spending immediately following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower.

This has stabilised in more recent years, but the introduction of the new Building Safety Regulator and gateway system has brought about some challenges.

The government has acknowledged that there have been some teething problems with the new systems, with a huge backlog on safety works awaiting approvals via the gateway.

There is clearly a shortage of staff within the regulator to process the volume of applications they have seen.

We expect spending to spike as the gateway backlogs clear,

At Procure Plus, we’ve been working closely with our clients to help them navigate these challenges, ensuring their projects stay compliant and on track while managing costs effectively.

Holding the market to account

Spending on Decent Homes works continues – even without confirmation from government on the specifics of the new standards.

The market in this area has stabilised after the spikes in inflation and the shocks of Covid and Brexit, but price transparency has been a recurring theme in 2024.

We’ve partnered with landlords to hold contractors to account on projected price rises, ensuring that any proposed cost increases are justified. By asking the right questions and demanding clarity, we’ve helped maintain value for money while safeguarding the quality of repairs.

Looking ahead to 2025

As we head into the new year, we’re excited to build on the progress made in 2024. Our priorities for clients include:

• Working with landlords as they continue to shift toward more strategic asset management planning and continuing to share innovations and best practice in this area.
• Driving retrofit delivery through the Warm Homes Programme, ensuring efficient, effective solutions for landlords and homeowners.
• Supporting clients as they adapt to building safety regulations, helping them navigate the gateway system.
• Strengthening transparency in repairs and maintenance, ensuring contractors remain accountable.
• Preparing for the implementation of the Procurement Act in February 2025, ensuring our clients are ready to comply with new procurement rules and take advantage of the opportunities it presents.

At Procure Plus, we don’t just provide off-the-shelf solutions—we’re account managers, consultants, problem solvers, and above all, partners. We listen, adapt, and innovate to meet the needs of our clients and the communities they serve.

And beyond procurement, we’re proud to reinvest our profits into creating opportunities for those furthest from the labour market, delivering real, lasting social value.

Here’s to another year of collaboration, progress, and impact. Together, we’ll continue to deliver market-leading solutions that make a difference.