What is Evergreen Level 1?

The minimum level in the NHS Evergreen sustainable supplier assessment, an online self-assessment that scores your sustainability maturity in levels. Level 1 means a net zero commitment, a published PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan and reported UK Scope 1, 2 and relevant Scope 3 emissions.

When do I need Evergreen Level 1?

At the point of tender close, for every NHS Supply Chain tender since 6 April 2026. If you reach it after the tender closes, it is too late for that tender.

Does Level 1 apply to small contracts?

Yes, for NHS Supply Chain tenders. Direct NHS contracts of £5 million a year or less only need a Net Zero Commitment, but NHS Supply Chain asks for Level 1, including a PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan, whatever the contract is worth.

Is a Net Zero Commitment enough for Level 1?

No. A Net Zero Commitment is part of it, but Level 1 also needs a published PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan and reported emissions.

Where do I complete the assessment?

On the Evergreen sustainable supplier assessment platform run for the NHS. Complete it, and keep it up to date with your latest plan, before you bid.

Evergreen Level 1: what NHS suppliers need before tender close

Since 6 April 2026, every NHS Supply Chain tender needs Evergreen Level 1 at the point of tender close. To reach it you need a commitment to net zero by 2050 or sooner, a published PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan, and reported UK Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3 emissions, whatever the contract is worth.

Updated 6 October 2026 by the Carbon Recycling team. Figures use the official UK government conversion factors and are checked against the current gov.uk guidance.

Why Level 1 matters now

Evergreen is the NHS sustainable supplier assessment: an online self-assessment that scores your sustainability maturity in levels. For a long time it was something suppliers could do to show good practice. Since 6 April 2026, NHS Supply Chain has required Level 1 at the point of tender close for every tender. That makes it a pass or fail gate, and it applies whatever the contract is worth.

The timing matters. NHS Supply Chain checks your level when the tender closes, not when the contract starts. If your Carbon Reduction Plan is still in draft, or your Evergreen assessment isn't finished on that date, you can't rely on fixing it afterwards.

What Level 1 asks for, in plain English

Requirement	What it means for you	Evidence to have ready
Commit to net zero by 2050 or sooner	A clear statement of your net zero year. The NHS encourages 2045.	The commitment in your Carbon Reduction Plan, approved by a director
Publish a PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan	A plan in the government format, signed and on your website	The web address of the published plan
Report UK Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3 emissions	Measured figures, in tonnes of CO2e, for your UK operations	The emissions tables in your plan, with the year and method

Look closely and the three are really one piece of work. A Carbon Reduction Plan written to PPN 006 already contains a net zero commitment by 2050 at the latest, and it already reports Scope 1, Scope 2 and five Scope 3 categories. So if you have a current, published plan, you have most of what Level 1 needs. If you don't, the plan is where to start.

Before tender close: a checklist

Check which rules apply to you. Our NHS supplier checker asks five questions and tells you what you need for the way you sell to the NHS, today and from April 2027.
Make sure your Carbon Reduction Plan is current. The PPN 006 technical standard asks for it to be reviewed and updated within six months of your financial year end. If yours still says PPN 06/21, see what changed between the two notes.
Check every required category has a figure. Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 categories 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9. If one doesn't apply to you, say so and why. Estimates are fine if you explain how you made them.
Get it signed. A director signs and dates the plan on behalf of the board. An unsigned plan is still a draft.
Publish it. Put it on your website at a stable address. See how to publish your plan.
Complete or update your Evergreen assessment on the Evergreen platform, using the figures and link from your published plan.
Leave yourself time. Gathering a year of bills, fuel records, travel and a commuting survey takes longer than the write-up. Don't start in the week the tender closes.

If you are starting from nothing

Plenty of small NHS suppliers have never measured their emissions. That is fixable, but it isn't an overnight job. You need one full year of records: electricity and gas bills, vehicle fuel or mileage, business travel, a short staff commuting survey, waste reports and courier invoices. Our posts on writing a plan without a consultant and choosing a baseline year when records are patchy walk through it. For a first plan, your baseline year and current year can be the same year.

Common reasons suppliers get caught out

Assuming a small contract only needs a Net Zero Commitment. That is true for direct NHS contracts of £5 million a year or less, but not for NHS Supply Chain tenders, where Level 1 needs a full Carbon Reduction Plan.
A plan that exists but isn't published, or is only attached to a past bid.
A plan that is out of date, with figures from years ago and no new sign-off.
Missing Scope 3 categories, especially commuting.
Leaving the Evergreen assessment until the last minute, when the plan behind it isn't finished.

Looking ahead

Level 1 is the minimum, and NHS requirements keep rising. From 1 April 2027, contracts of £5 million a year or more and all new NHS frameworks need a plan with a global boundary covering all relevant Scope 3 categories. Our post on what changes for NHS suppliers in April 2027 covers what to start now, and the NHS supplier net zero guide has the full timeline.

How Carbon Recycling helps

Add your bills and records, and Carbon Recycling calculates Scope 1, Scope 2 and the five PPN 006 Scope 3 categories with the government factors for each year, and produces your Carbon Reduction Plan in the government format. It stays marked as a draft until a director's sign-off is recorded, so you can see at a glance whether it is ready to publish before tender close.