The new £2.1bn-worth framework contracts have been awarded through public sector procurement specialist Scape Group. The Scape National Civil Engineering framework, which is valued at £1.6bn, covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while the Scape Civil Engineering - Scotland framework, valued at £500m, covers Scotland. As direct award frameworks, they will each be led by Balfour Beatty and delivered with subcontracting through extensive local supply chains.
Each of the two new frameworks will operate for a total of four years and will provide direct access for any public sector organisation to a principal contractor for civil engineering and infrastructure projects with values between £50,000 and £100m+. The frameworks allow local authorities, local enterprise partnerships and other public sector bodies to commission works through a procurement process designed to provide the fastest route to market and uses early contractor engagement to identify best-value solutions.
The two new frameworks will replace the existing Scape National Civil Engineering and Infrastructure framework, which expires in January 2019, awarded with a value of £1.5bn to Balfour Beatty (link opens in new tab).
Since Balfour Beatty's appointment to the original National Civil Engineering & Infrastructure framework in 2015, the company has secured over 130 projects worth a combined value of £1.5bn revenue in sectors including major highways and local roads, flood and coastal defence and public space. Almost all - 98% - of framework subcontractors were SMEs.
Balfour Beatty Group chief executive Leo Quinn said: “These frameworks enable us to build on our strong partnership with Scape. Our engineering and project management expertise coupled with our detailed regional knowledge supports Scape’s delivery of a wide range of rapidly mobilised infrastructure projects. Through our partnership we will continue to deliver added social value for the communities in which we operate by creating apprenticeship and trainee programmes, developing local supply chain spend and employment opportunities, and helping local authorities unlock vital regional growth.”
Victoria Brambini, managing director at Scape Procure, said: “This was a highly competitive procurement and the quality of bids for both frameworks were extremely high. Balfour Beatty demonstrated the right combination of civil engineering expertise and capacity in both regions, and were able to provide outstanding commitment to add value through innovation and investments that will enhance the levels of private sector spend on community benefits and social value, including significant opportunities for local small businesses to engage in public sector construction.
“We worked closely with local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) to develop each framework. Our public sector clients require partners who can engage early, get to site quickly and are committed to delivering consistent levels of quality, cost certainty, local engagement and social value. We are confident our next generation civil engineering frameworks will continue to meet the highest expectations of our clients on even the most complex of projects.”
She added that the increase in total value of our civil engineering frameworks to £2.1bn reflects the strong national pipeline of major infrastructure projects and the creation of a dedicated Scottish framework. “We are very proud to have established a dedicated Contracting Authority in Scotland, Scape Procure Scotland, to meet the specific needs of Scotland’s public sector through our frameworks. We are now partnering with over 70 public sector organisations in Scotland and can assure them of our ongoing commitment to growing levels of support and unique services.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
