Authority Hub · Procurement
Built for procurement teams.
Free to the client. Auditable. Framework-friendly.
Quick answer
Accommodation procurement is how organisations contract emergency, decant and programme accommodation compliantly — through frameworks, mini-competitions or direct award. Buy the capability before the emergency: evaluate suppliers on response time, suitability process, safeguarding, audit trail and consolidated billing, not on room rate alone.
Procurement teams engage Jigsaw for venue finding, emergency accommodation and corporate accommodation without paying us a fee — our commission is paid by the venue or operator. That commercial model, combined with our governance posture, is what makes us procurement-safe.
Written by Katie Richardson, Operations Director · Public Sector Procurement Specialist Last reviewed June 2026
Why procurement teams choose Jigsaw
Enterprise and public-sector procurement functions do three things when they engage an accommodation partner: they qualify the supplier on price, on process and on posture. We answer all three transparently.
On price — there is no client-side fee. Suppliers pay us. Every quote we produce is bench-markable against direct market rates.
On process — every enquiry generates an auditable brief, an auditable shortlist and an auditable confirmation trail. Nothing is verbal-only.
On posture — we treat GDPR, safeguarding, resident welfare and framework compliance as first-class deliverables, not afterthoughts.
What matters here
No client-side fee
Our commission is paid by the venue or operator. Clients pay nothing to Jigsaw. Every quote is directly comparable to market.
Auditable trail
Every enquiry, brief, shortlist, quote and confirmation is logged. Available for internal audit or FOI response on request.
GDPR posture
Standard DPA available on request. Data-processor stance for placement personal data. Named DPO contact.
Framework alignment
Jigsaw Conferences Ltd is one of four appointed suppliers on the PfH Temporary Accommodation & Decant Managed Services framework (FTS 2023/S 000-012741, live to 23 July 2027). Commercial terms adapt to your framework rules.
Safeguarding & welfare
Placements aligned to Housing Act 1996 Part VII, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, Equality Act 2010 duties where applicable.
Named account owner
Every enterprise buyer gets a named account owner. Escalation is one email, not a queue.
Engaging Jigsaw as a procurement team
- 1
Discovery call
We understand your policy, spend profile, framework position, reporting cadence and audit needs.
- 2
Commercial terms
We agree the commercial model in writing. No client-side fee, no lock-in, transparent commission mechanics.
- 3
DPA and governance
Standard DPA exchanged. Named DPO contact shared. Reporting cadence agreed.
- 4
Onboarding
Enquiry channel set up (email, portal or API). Reporting dashboard configured. Named account owner assigned.
- 5
Live engagement
Enquiries flow. Quotes are directly comparable. Every placement is logged, auditable and reportable.
Which route to contract fits your situation?
The Procurement Act 2023 gives buyers several compliant routes. The right one depends on urgency, spend pattern and governance appetite.
If
A statutory deadline or live emergency requires accommodation now
Then
Use a direct award with a documented justification and keep the full evidence trail — urgency justifies the route, the audit file defends it.
Emergency accommodationIf
Recurring accommodation spend across the year
Then
Call off through an established framework. Pre-tendered terms cut procurement time and give your audit file a compliant foundation.
ProcurePublic routeIf
A new major contract or programme is being let
Then
Run an open or competitive-flexible procedure with a weighted evaluation matrix — response, suitability, governance, security and value, not room rate alone.
Evaluation matrix guideIf
You inherited a contract and don’t know if it still fits
Then
Run the twenty-question readiness assessment and take the traffic-light board report into your next contract review.
Readiness assessment (free)Routes to contract compared
| Direct award | Framework call-off | Open tender | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | Fastest — days | Fast — weeks | Slowest — months |
| When to use | Genuine urgency, low value, or documented justification | Recurring spend against pre-tendered terms | New major contracts and programmes |
| Compliance burden | Justification note and audit trail | Framework rules and call-off records | Full procedure documentation |
| Competition | None — justify why | Mini-competition optional | Full market competition |
| Risk profile | Challenge risk if justification is thin | Low — compliance inherited from framework | Low, but slow for urgent needs |
Under the Procurement Act 2023, the defensible choice is the one your audit file can explain — document the route decision, not just the outcome.
Procurement guidance
What good accommodation procurement looks like
The Procurement Academy holds the full curriculum — evaluation matrices, tender templates, board papers, KPI and SLA libraries, and supplier due diligence. These are the four habits that matter most.
- Evaluate suppliers on evidenced response times, suitability process, safeguarding and audit trail — weighted, not implied.
- Contract the KPIs you will actually measure: placement time, breakdown rate, statutory compliance, invoice accuracy.
- Stress-test the contract against a multi-household incident before you sign, not after the first one.
- Re-assess readiness quarterly — supply, legislation and your own risk profile all move.
Proof, not promises
Downloads
Working documents for your team — everything in them is also published in full as HTML on this site.
Related services
Sectors we serve
Frequently asked questions
Do you charge clients a booking fee?
What GDPR posture do you take?
Can I audit your placement decisions?
Which frameworks do you work under?
Related knowledge
Official legislation & guidance
Brief us once. We handle every detail.
Trusted by housing associations, insurers, local authorities, NHS organisations, pharmaceutical companies, corporate organisations and event professionals across the UK.