Bramall Construction awarded EN Procure Framework contract

Published by Diana Maccarthy for Bramall Construction in Housing and also in Communities

LEADING regeneration specialist Bramall Construction is celebrating after being awarded a contract under the EN Procure Elemental Works Framework.

The Framework, which has an estimated £975 million demand, has been developed by Efficiency North, a consortium of 14 social housing providers inYorkshireand theHumber.

Its purpose is to create efficiencies in the procurement of contractors carrying out trades works commonly used in the improvement and maintenance of housing.

Rotherham-based Bramall, which is celebrating its 80^th anniversary this year, has been appointed to all three sub-regions under the Framework: West, East and South.

Neil Baxter, Managing Director of Bramall Construction, said: “This is an innovative Framework which will create efficiencies in social housing acrossYorkshireand theHumber. Being awarded contracts across the three sub-regions is an achievement of which we are incredibly proud, and we look forward to working with and providing best value for the Framework’s member organisations.”

Consortium members include: A1 Housing, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Berneslai Homes, City ofYork Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Hull City Council, Leeds Federated, North Lincolnshire Homes, Selby District Council, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Homes, St Leger Homes,Wakefieldand District Housing and Yorkshire Housing.

The appointments follow an unprecedented level of interest from contractors throughout the region when the OJEU was posted on the Supplier Contract Management System (SCMS) in November 2010.

A project team comprising of staff from five of the member organisations worked closely together to ensure the highest level of accuracy, evaluating the hundreds of PQQs, tender documents and thousands of references. Contracts have now been awarded to 98 contractors.

The Framework was divided into the three sub-regions to ensure that local SMEs had every opportunity of securing a place. Of the successful contractors, 80% were local small to medium-sized companies, including 15% microsized companies.

The Framework will provide works, materials and services which can be accessed by any public sector body and principally by social landlords.

Provision is contractually embedded into the Framework for local training, apprenticeship and employment programmes, sustainability initiatives, SME and supplier engagement and local economic regeneration.

The framework is designed to deliver expenditure and process efficiency savings of 10% against annual throughput. Any surplus revenue accrued is collected in a ‘4 Good Fund’ which can be accessed by authorities using the Framework to fund projects which support the strategic themes of Efficiency North and realise social and economic benefits in the local community.

Commenting on the Elemental Works Framework Contract Award, Lee Parkinson, Director of Efficiency North, said: “We are delighted to have achieved such a diverse offer in the Framework, with a mix of larger national players as well as smaller local businesses. All the successful contractors demonstrated in their tender submissions that the improved certainty of time, quality and cost the Elemental Works Framework aims to establish will be delivered. We are very much looking forward to working with them all.”