Updates from CHIC
Updates from the September CHIC Board Meeting
CHIC’s September Board Meeting reflected on a successful 2025/26, with performance ahead of target and the completion of our five-year strategy. Discussions focused on future priorities, including supporting members through sector challenges, improving procurement and project delivery, and strengthening collaboration with our members and supply chain partners.
Things You May Have Missed This Month
A quick catch up on some of our latest news from October, including recent webinars and reflections on the role housing can play in bringing communities together.
Recent webinar with the National Merchant Buying Society
Following NMBS’s appointment to CHIC’s £1.6bn Merchants Framework, our recent webinar explored how independent merchants can access public sector contracts through its 12 Lots, including specialist materials supply and managed stores.
Led by Giles Newman and Adrian Hussain, the session explained how CHIC supports members and merchants throughout the procurement process and ongoing contract delivery. It also covered CHIC’s approach to quarterly catalogue pricing, materials benchmarking and contract performance monitoring, alongside the use of the CHIC Order Management System (COMS).
Beyond the Headlines: Building stronger communities
How can the housing sector help bring communities together at a time of growing division? Following a recent panel discussion, Kyle Smith, CHIC’s Director of Partnerships and Communication, reflects on the importance of challenging misinformation and creating places where people feel they belong.
Kyle also explores how housing providers and suppliers can work together to deliver meaningful social value, using local knowledge to direct investment towards what communities actually need. His reflections highlight why long term thinking and a commitment to shared values matter, particularly when the sector faces increasing pressure.
Our new Consultancy Framework explained
Our Consultancy Framework 2026–2030 provides social landlords with a compliant route to professional consultancy services across 13 specialist lots. Members can appoint individual consultants or multidisciplinary teams, depending on their project requirements.
From stock condition surveys to building safety advice, the framework supports projects from initial feasibility through to long term asset management. Our recent launch webinar explains how members can access the framework and the services available.