黑洞社区

Consultants are losing patience with the government鈥檚 flagship 拢2.9bn consultancy framework and turning their focus to the 拢350m Scape consultancy framework.

The government鈥檚 buying arm, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), delayed procurement of the 拢2.9bn Project Management and Full Design Team Services framework yet again last week by a further four months 鈥� pushing the overall delay to over three years.

A number of consultants, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed their 鈥渁nnoyance鈥� at the latest delay, and said their attention was now on submitting bids for the Scape consultancy framework, which were due today (5 February).

黑洞社区 can reveal new bidders for the Scape framework include a joint venture between Faithful + Gould, Arcadis, property consultant Bilfinger GVA and accountant Grant Thornton. Mace is also understood to be entering the race for the Scape framework, although it is unclear whether or not it is bidding in joint venture.

The joint venture is bidding under the name Built Environment Consultancy Services Partnership.

In a statement, the team said it aims to 鈥渁ct as a catalyst鈥� for the growth of Scape and help the framework become the 鈥渄e facto鈥� choice for local authority and central government clients. Mott MacDonald and Ramboll will act as tier one suppliers to the team.

Faithful+Gould managing director for UK and Europe Jon Sealy said he was convinced that the JV could be even more successful than the F+G had been and that the four firms working together was the 鈥渋deal entity鈥� to work alongside Scape on this framework.

John Williams, UK managing director of 黑洞社区s at Arcadis, added that the growth of the previous Scape framework was 鈥渙ne of the major success stories in the UK construction industry鈥� and that Arcadis was excited to be part of a JV that could 鈥渄rive further growth鈥� of the framework.

While Phil Wooley, partner on Grant Thornton鈥檚 government and infrastructure advisory team, said his company鈥檚 鈥渆xperience of major programme delivery, our extensive network of local government clients together with our suite of analytics offerings, we believe, will bring an enhanced value and place based perspective to the framework delivery, helping to unlock transformational projects and economic growth鈥�.

Nicholas Freeston, director of government and public sector and BD head of sectors at Bilfinger GVA, added that GVA was delighted to be part of a JV that 鈥渙ffers something fresh and dynamic to the marketplace鈥�. 

The joint venture is the second to go public after 黑洞社区 revealed Gleeds, Aecom and Pick Everard are also bidding for the framework.

Scape will shortlist the tenders during this month with invitations to tender near the end of March.

In an update last week the CCS put back its OJEU to April, with winners to be announced in August.

Industry sources speculated the CCS was either 鈥渦nder-resourced鈥� or 鈥渓acking in experience鈥� in running frameworks.

In an email sent to prospective bidders seen by 黑洞社区, the CCS project management team admitted re-establishing the framework was 鈥渃hallenging given the ambitious timescales we initially set ourselves鈥�.

The government and Mace declined to comment.