DIO awards Clyde Construction Framework

A flagship ten year construction framework has been awarded by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

The Clyde Commercial Framework supports the £1.3Bn Clyde programme to ensure that personnel responsible for delivering the UK’s continuous at sea nuclear deterrent are able to live work and train in safe, state-of-the-art facilities.

The companies selected for the framework are VolkerStevin, Kier Graham Defence and Morgan Sindall. They will advise and deliver cost effective construction services and other infrastructure solutions to enable Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde to continue to endure in its new role as the Royal Navy’s Single Integrated Operating Base.

DIO, along with support from a team of procurement specialists including Mott Macdonald and Jacobs, adopted an innovative process to choose the successful suppliers.

In the past teams working on Clyde projects had tried various methods of contracting suppliers with varying degrees of success. All companies which bid for work on the Clyde programme could meet the core construction requirements of the contract, but through the new process the team was looking for an approach that could help them select not only a good construction company but a good partner.

Selection focused primarily on the company’s relationship with the Clyde team and its ability to work collaboratively. This new approach was put to potential bidders at a range of industry days and all were supportive of this new way of working.

This unique way of choosing suppliers, having established they all had the required technical capability, focused on evaluating their behaviours and on how well they work together with teams at the Clyde.

The Clyde team worked with behavioural experts to set out the criteria for successful companies. This team of experts then observed, scored and helped to evaluate the behaviours of each company as they took part in a series of practical exercises with members of the Clyde project teams.

Ian Arbuckle, DIO Assistant Head of Commercial Services, said: “We are incredibly pleased to launch our new framework for the Clyde. We have successfully selected three reputable industry partners who have demonstrated a commitment to delivering better value for Defence.”

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