ESPO (Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation) has recently opened a Vehicle Charging Infrastructure framework to support the public sector with fleet electrification.

The Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (VCI3) framework gives councils, NHS trusts and other public bodies compliant access to a vast range of vehicle charging infrastructure solutions.

The framework enables public sector bodies to access end-to-end charging support, from transition planning and infrastructure design through to installation and ongoing energy optimisation, without running a full procurement process.

With many public sector fleets under pressure to decarbonise while maintaining frontline services and managing tight budgets, this framework is designed to reduce procurement complexity and help fleet managers align vehicle replacement with charging infrastructure and grid capacity.

Drax Electric Vehicles has secured a place on the ESPO VCI3 framework, giving public sector organisations a compliant, streamlined route to access its expertise in fleet electrification and charging infrastructure.

The appointment of BMM Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of Drax, enables councils, local authorities, NHS trusts and other public sector bodies to procure Drax’s end-to-end electric vehicle and charging support through an established framework agreement, reducing procurement complexity and accelerating project delivery.

Naomi Nye, head of sales at Drax Electric Vehicles, said: “Public sector fleets are balancing ambitious decarbonisation targets with a unique set of challenges around governance, compliance and delivery of their strategy.

“Our recent appointment to the ESPO VCI3 framework will help fleet managers to bridge the gap between their ambitions and actual implementation. It provides a clear and compliant route for these fleet teams to access the technical, operational and energy expertise needed to deliver successful electrification programmes.

“By connecting public sector organisations with the right specialists at the right time, we can help turn strategy into practical, scalable action.”