Of the 54 winners, 47 are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the North of England.

Emma Mottram, director of operations at EN:Procure, said: “The asbestos and demolition sector is of huge importance to the construction industry, with projects needing careful planning to protect workers and the public when dealing with this hazardous material that can have serious legal and health-related consequences.

“We need this pool of highly-skilled and trusted operators to be involved in the safe handling of asbestos, in line with UK regulations. I’m also pleased to be working with such a good mix of existing and new framework contractors, with 57% of them partnering with EN:Procure for the first time.”

The framework contract is divided into lots, including asbestos consultancy and survey services, air monitoring services, licensed and unlicensed asbestos removal works, low and high-rise demolition works and water hygiene management and remedial works.

The framework will run for 48 months until 20th July 2029.