Roadshow promotes massive council construction programme
Firms in the construction sector are being urged to access a £1bn-plus construction framework being established by North West councils.
The North West Construction Hub will run for up to five years and use collaborative procurement between local authorities to make cost savings on building work.
Three tiers of framework are being established, for jobs up to £500,000, another between £500,000 and £10m and the largest for contracts above £10m.
Primary schools, fire stations, recreation centres, bus depots, libraries, and retirement homes will all be built using the joint procurement body, which is being managed by Manchester City Council and covers Cumbria, Merseyside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
The frameworks represent the largest collaborative procurement exercise for construction projects in the region.
A roadshow of events is now under way to outline opportunities arising from the construction hub.
A seminar aimed at SMEs will be held at the new art and design academy off Brownlow Hill in the university district of Liverpool city centre on 4 November to introduce the NWCH.
Prof Peter McDermott, associate director of training body Constructing Excellence in the North West will explain the impact of new forms of procurement in the construction industry.
He will be joined by John Finlay, procurement manager in corporate technical services at Manchester City Council, who is responsible for developing new framework agreements.
- The event takes place from 5pm to 7pm on Wednesday 4 November at LJMU's Art and Design Academy, 2 Duckinfield Street, Liverpool, L3 5RD. To reserve a place at the event please contact Barbara Parry at barb_and_ian@tiscali.co.uk
