Do I need a Carbon Reduction Plan to bid for NHS contracts?

In April 2024, NHS England extended the PPN 006 requirement to all NHS contracts regardless of value. This removed the previous £5 million threshold and made it the largest single enforcement of carbon planning in UK procurement.

According to NHS England's procurement policy, the requirement now applies to all NHS contracts regardless of value. Previously, the requirement only applied to central government contracts over £5 million under PPN 006. The NHS removed that threshold entirely.

This means that whether you are bidding for a £10,000 cleaning contract or a £10 million IT services framework, you need a published Carbon Reduction Plan. According to NHS Digital, the NHS employs over 1.3 million people and its procurement decisions affect hundreds of thousands of suppliers across the UK.

The NHS operates a two-tier approach where larger contracts require a full CRP and smaller ones may accept a Net Zero Commitment. In practice, most trusts now expect a full CRP even for smaller contracts.

The two tiers are:

• Full Carbon Reduction Plan — required for contracts above £5 million. Must include quantified Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, a baseline year, reduction targets, and board-level sign-off.
• Net Zero Commitment — accepted for contracts below £5 million. A lighter-touch declaration confirming your commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050, with a description of the measures you are taking.

According to NHS Supply Chain, most NHS trusts now expect a full CRP even for smaller contracts. Having one gives you a competitive advantage and avoids any ambiguity about compliance.

Your bid will be automatically excluded at the selection stage. NHS procurement teams treat the CRP as a mandatory pass/fail requirement — no exceptions.

According to NHS England's procurement guidance, your bid will be automatically excluded. NHS procurement teams treat the CRP as a mandatory pass/fail requirement at the selection questionnaire stage. No CRP means no evaluation — regardless of how strong your bid is in every other respect.

This has caught many small and medium-sized businesses off guard. According to the Federation of Small Businesses, over 40% of NHS suppliers were initially unaware of the expanded requirement. If you currently supply the NHS and plan to rebid when your contract comes up for renewal, you need a CRP in place before that happens.

The requirement applies across the entire NHS family, from individual trusts to national frameworks. Every NHS procurement route now includes a CRP check at the selection stage.

According to NHS England, the requirement applies to:

• NHS trusts and foundation trusts
• NHS England (including regional teams)
• Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)
• NHS Supply Chain and framework providers
• NHS Property Services and Community Health Partnerships

For full details on the underlying policy, see our PPN 006 explained guide. For help with the template structure, see our CRP template UK guide.

CarbonPass calculates your emissions and generates a fully compliant CRP in under 20 minutes. You can publish it immediately and include the URL in your next NHS bid.

CarbonPass calculates your emissions from your utility bills using the latest DEFRA 2024 conversion factors and generates a fully compliant Carbon Reduction Plan. According to DEFRA, using their official factors is mandatory for PPN 006 compliance. You can publish the CRP on your website immediately and include the URL in your next NHS bid.

Do all NHS contracts require a Carbon Reduction Plan?

Yes. From April 2024, all NHS contracts require suppliers to have a Carbon Reduction Plan regardless of contract value. This applies to NHS trusts, foundation trusts, Integrated Care Boards, and NHS England procurement.

What is the difference between a full CRP and a Net Zero Commitment?

A full CRP includes quantified Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, reduction targets, and board sign-off. A Net Zero Commitment is a lighter-touch declaration used for very small suppliers, confirming commitment to Net Zero by 2050 without requiring full emissions data.

Can I bid for an NHS contract without a Carbon Reduction Plan?

No. Without a CRP your bid will be excluded at the selection stage. It is treated as a mandatory pass/fail requirement — procurement teams will not evaluate your technical or commercial submission.

Does the NHS check if my Carbon Reduction Plan is real?

NHS procurement teams verify that a CRP is published on your website and follows the required structure. Increasingly, trusts are also checking that emissions data is current and that reduction targets are credible.

I supply multiple NHS trusts — do I need a separate CRP for each?

No. You need one Carbon Reduction Plan for your organisation. It should be published on your website and you provide the URL in each bid. The same CRP covers all NHS and government contracts.

Does the NHS CRP requirement apply to agency staff suppliers?

Yes. Agency staff suppliers, locum providers, and temporary staffing frameworks all fall under the NHS procurement rules. If you are bidding for any NHS contract or framework, you need a published CRP.

What is the NHS Greener NHS programme?

Greener NHS is NHS England's programme to reach net-zero by 2040 for direct emissions and 2045 for the full supply chain. The CRP requirement for suppliers is one of the key tools used to achieve this target.

Can CarbonPass help with NHS contract compliance?

Yes. CarbonPass generates a fully PPN 006 compliant CRP that meets all NHS procurement requirements. Most businesses complete the process in under 20 minutes.