They are vying for five places on the National Capital Works Framework, which will be used for design and build projects worth up to £50m.

It is due to be awarded before the end of 2013 – six months ahead of the previous schedule – and run for four years, with the potential to extend for up to three years.

Tenders are due to be returned by mid-February and selected firms will be expected to comply with fair payment practices and use project bank accounts.

The framework forms part of the DIO Next Generation Estate Contracts programme, and will operate alongside six regional capital works frameworks for projects valued below £12m.

It has an estimated value of between £250m and £400m over the four-year period and could be used at any site across the defence estate.

Jon Wooden, NGEC Capital Works Frameworks project manager, said: “This national framework is designed to deliver a range of potential major construction projects to support the Defence frontline.

“We are determined to ensure firstly that all companies involved in the tendering process have a full and robust understanding of the potential demand, and secondly that we use the evaluation process to identify the best providers to meet that demand.”

The NGEC Capital Works Frameworks are designed to support the Government Construction Strategy by reducing costs, improving value for money, and incorporating measures such as the ‘NEC3’ form of procurement, more focused performance management, and continuous improvement mechanisms.

For all projects contractors will be required to use systems that meet UK Government requirements for Building Information Modelling (BIM).