Winners chosen for £1.5bn NWCH as big names miss out
20 Dec 2018, 11:36 Charlie Schouten
The winning contractors have been chosen for the North West Construction Hub’s high-value framework, with new names featuring Bowmer & Kirkland, Eric Wright, and Seddon, while other high-profile contractors have missed out, Place North West understands.
Under the refreshed framework, the three lots are split by value: the first covers projects between £8m and £15m; the second covers works ranging between £15m and £35m; and the third includes works worth more than £35m.
The new deal replaces the existing high value framework which is held by Bam, Galliford Try, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Morgan Sindall, and Wates, and covers projects across the North West worth more than £9m.
Some of these incumbents are understood to have missed out including Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall, which have both failed to secure a place despite bidding for all three lots. Laing O’Rourke only won a place on the lower value lot although like Morgan Sindall it also bid for all three.
Bam was also shortlisted for all three but only secured a place for the largest lot covering projects worth more than £35m. Graham is among the most successful having won a place on all three lots.
Other high-profile names to miss out are Interserve and Willmott Dixon, which both bid for lots one and two, while Robertson also failed to secure a slot on any of the lots it went in for.
New names to join the roster are Bouygues, which secured a place on lots two and three; Seddon, which has been chosen for lots one and two; and Bowmer & Kirkland, which won lots one and two. All three of these secured a place on all the lots they bid for.
It is understood the winners are:
Lot 1, £8-15m
Bowmer & Kirkland
Conlon
Eric Wright
ISG
Graham
Kier
Laing O’Rourke
Seddon
Wates
Lot 2, £15-35m
Balfour Beatty
Bouygues
Bowmer & Kirkland
Eric Wright
ISG
Graham
Kier
Seddon
Vinci
Lot 3, £35m+
Bam
Balfour Beatty
Bouygues
Graham
Kier
Vinci
Wates
The procurement for the refreshed framework was hit with some difficulty after tender documents had to be reissued in early February. This was understood to be due to issues with language used in the documents which would leave NWCH open to a legal challenge once any contracts were awarded.
Since its establishment in 2009, the NWCH has delivered around 300 projects for around 80 clients, covering a construction value of more than £1.5bn. Projects have been completed across Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, and Cheshire through the framework.
NWCH is also re-procuring its medium value framework, which covers projects between £2m and £9m, after starting soft market testing earlier this year.
The contractors currently on the medium value framework are Bam, Conlon, Galliford Try, ISG, Keepmoat, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Seddon, Vinci, Wates, and Willmott Dixon.
The North West Construction Hub declined to comment.