The name has changed, the rule hasn't

Crown Commercial Service (CCS), the agency that runs most of central government's commercial frameworks, became the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) on 1 April 2026. Suppliers still say CCS, and many bid packs still use it. The carbon rule behind its frameworks is the Cabinet Office's PPN 006, which replaced PPN 06/21 for procurements starting on or after 24 February 2025. Our post on PPN 006 and PPN 06/21 explains which one applies to an older framework.

When a framework needs a Carbon Reduction Plan

PPN 006 applies to frameworks and dynamic markets only where an individual contract awarded under them is expected to be worth more than £5 million a year, including VAT. It is the value of a single call-off that counts, not the total value of the framework. Even then, the buyer can leave it out where it isn't relevant or proportionate, although the guidance expects it to apply in most cases.

So two lots on the same framework can differ. Check the selection questionnaire in the bid pack. GCA's own guidance adds a warning worth taking seriously: check your framework's terms, because some smaller contracts may still need a plan. Our Do I need a Carbon Reduction Plan? checker works through the value test in three questions.

What you are asked at framework stage

Where PPN 006 applies, the questions are standard and are marked pass or fail:

  1. Confirm you have published a Carbon Reduction Plan that meets the reporting standard, and give a link to it. If you don't have a website, GCA says to submit it as a PDF with your tender.
  2. Confirm you are taking steps to reduce your emissions and are publicly committed to net zero by 2050, and give your net zero date.

You then declare your Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for your baseline year and your reporting year. Those figures are for information. They are not scored, but they are used to follow your progress over time, so they need to match the plan on your website. The plan itself must follow the five required Scope 3 categories and be signed off by a director or equivalent: see who signs a Carbon Reduction Plan.

After you're on the framework

Getting a place is not the end of it. Three things keep coming back:

  • Call-off checks. PPN 006 lets buyers verify that you still meet the condition before awarding a call-off, and the guidance allows them to repeat the framework's conditions in a further competition or a direct award. An out-of-date plan can cost you work you thought you had.
  • Annual updates. The technical standard says plans should be reviewed and updated every year. Our post on publishing your plan covers keeping the page current.
  • Consortium partners. If you bid as a consortium, each member should have its own plan, and GCA checks the other members' compliance if you win.

Common reasons plans fail

  • No public link, or a link to a page that doesn't open.
  • No clear commitment to net zero by 2050 or earlier for UK operations.
  • Scope 3 left blank, or filled in with 0 or N/A. GCA says these won't be accepted: give a figure, or say what you are collecting and when.
  • Different reporting periods for different scopes. Use one 12-month period throughout.
  • Relying on a parent company's plan without meeting all of PPN 006's conditions, including publishing it on your own website.

A worked example

An illustrative small supplier bidding for a facilities lot uses 30,000 kWh of electricity and 40,000 kWh of gas a year at its depot, and its vans burn 6,000 litres of diesel. With the 2026 government factors:

  • Scope 1, gas and diesel: 7.29 + 15.50 = 22.79 tonnes CO2e
  • Scope 2, electricity: 3.93 tonnes CO2e

The vans are 58% of this firm's Scope 1 and 2, so a credible plan puts fleet changes first. That is also where the real-world cut is: every litre of diesel not burned avoids the emissions on that line. Add the Scope 3 categories, sign it off and publish it before the bid opens.

How Carbon Recycling helps

Carbon Recycling builds a PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan from your bills, fuel cards and travel records, with the baseline and reporting year side by side, the five required Scope 3 categories, your reduction target and pathway, and the declaration ready for a director to sign. It shows the figures you need for the framework's emissions declaration, and next year's update uses the same data. If you'd rather start on paper, our free template follows the government format.