2023 has been an eventful year for the Transport & Infrastructure sectors. We have seen some amazing progress on many of the UK’s major programmes as well as some setbacks that have been felt across the entire market.

As we head into Christmas, let’s celebrate some of the sector’s achievements by taking a look at the latest update from the major projects pipeline.

Have a great Christmas, and I look forward to catching up in the New Year!

Rail

HS2

• The northern leg of the programme was cancelled back in October. Phase 1 will still be completed. This not only includes the HS2 line from London to Birmingham, but up to where it joins the west coast main line near Handsacre just north of Lichfield.

• It was announced at the time that the current HS2 management team will no longer run the Euston site. Instead, a new Euston development zone would be created.

• The procurement pipeline for the next 18 months has been published, worth more than £1bn in total. More than 300 work packages are up for grabs, ranging in value from £1m to more than £500m.

• Assembly of HS2’s second TBM has been completed, which will start digging the second bore of the 3.5 mile Bromford Tunnel into Birmingham next year.

• Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture has secured an extra £200m funding for its first phase southern tunnelling section of the high speed route.

• The rail systems contracts are expected to be announced in Q1 of 2024.

Transpennine Route Upgrade

• The Minister for Rail has announced a £3.9bn funding boost for the programme. This increase takes the total funding of the project to £6.9bn

• In September, the TRU East Alliance completed three new drainage tunnels beneath the railway line at Ulleskelf Mires in North Yorkshire.

East West Rail

• The National Audit Office (NAO) has raised concerns about the costs and benefits of the current plan for the programme following the plans announced by the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to expand housebuilding in Cambridge.

• A further consultation on East West Rail is due to take place next year.

• Work is currently underway on Connection Stage 1 (CS1), which is seeing the line built from Oxford to Bletchley (Milton Keynes), with a delivery date of early 2025.

Network Rail CP7

• The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved Network Rail’s £43.1 billion plan for CP7 which will run over the next five years.

• Contractors have been alerted to the procurement of the reactive and minor works framework in the Wales and Western region worth £750m.

• Procurement has also begun for the Eastern region reactive works and small scheme framework, worth £1.15bn over a maximum of seven years.

• In August, Network Rail Scotland published its £4·2bn Strategic Business Plan for Control Period 7, covering the five years from April 1 2024.

• The Southern Renewals Enterprise have announced a registration of interest for “Ecosystem” partners.

Water

Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP)

• Activity is ongoing to shortlist contractors for the £1.75bn programme. The successful bidders are due to be announced imminently.

Thames Tideway

• Construction is now 90% complete.

• Tideway will begin testing the system next year, diverting live storm flows of untreated sewage away from the river Thames for the first time.

• The system will be fully operational in 2025.

Highways

Lower Thames Crossing

• A Bouygues Travaux Publics – Murphy Joint Venture (BMJV) has won a £1.34bn contract to design and construct the twin road tunnels.

• The DCO process is expected to run until 2024.

A303 Stonehenge Tunnel

• The DfT approved the £1.7bn tunnel – from Amesbury to Berwick Down in Wiltshire – in July. Campaigners are making a second High Court bid to try to block a road tunnel project near Stonehenge.

• National Highways are continuing to plan and make preparations for starting preliminary work and archaeology fieldwork in 2024.

Energy

Hinkley Point C

• Last week engineering teams lifted the 245-tonne steel dome capping the first Hinkley C reactor building.

• HPC celebrated a milestone with the installation of a polar crane at the top of the first reactor building. It is one of the final pieces of equipment to be installed in the reactor building before the dome is lifted into place to close the roof.

• In August, National Grid’s Hinkley Connection Project completed the installation of all 116 T-Pylons.

• They are on target to start generating electricity in 2027.

Sizewell C

• In August, the government pledged another £341m to speed up preparations for Sizewell C’s construction.

• Ministers are searching for new investors in the project, which could cost between £20bn and £44bn, after removing the Chinese state-owned CGN last year due to security concerns over UK infrastructure amid poor Anglo-Sino relations.

• The search has begun for civils and installation works to create an electrical system for the £20bn nuclear plant.

National Grid Eastern Green Link

• Eastern Green Link 1 has awarded £1.8bn of contracts to deliver the UK’s first high-capacity east coast cable project. The full details can be found here. Current plans will see a design phase start next year and construction the year after, in 2025.

• Eastern Green Link 2 to be delivered as a joint venture between National Grid and SSEN Transmission is currently in the early development stage. Planning consent has now been granted for all onshore and offshore elements.

National Grid HDVC

• Three frameworks have been released to the market to deliver plans for major power line links and high voltage direct current converter stations to hook up the offshore wind farm:

• £12.77bn for civils and major works
  • £24.6bn for converter systems
  • £21.3bn for cables

National Grid Viking Link

• The final cable testing for the world’s longest onshore and subsea HVDC interconnector is now complete.

• Commercial operation is expected to commence on 29 December 2023.

Offshore Wind

• No companies hoping to build offshore windfarms in the UK took part in the government’s most recent annual clean energy auction in September. As a result, Ministers have agreed to raise the starting price of the government’s next auction for offshore wind subsidies by around two-thirds to £73 per megawatt hour.
  

Carbon Capture        

• The Government have identified two new carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) facilities for support alongside its announcement on new oil and gas licences. Project Viking (which features a partnership between RWE, Drax and SSE) is based in the Humber while Project Acorn (Shell and National Gas) is based in North East Scotland. (Energy UK update in inbox)

Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

• 6 companies have been selected to advance to next phase of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) competition for innovative nuclear technologies:
  • EDF
  • GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LLC
  • Holtec Britain Limited
  • NuScale Power
  • Rolls Royce SMR
  • Westinghouse Electric Company UK Limited

• Successful companies are expected to be announced in Spring 2024 and contracts awarded in Summer.

Aviation

Manchester Airport

• Mace has started work on the final phase of Manchester Airport’s £1.3bn transformation programme.

• Work has begun on the construction of a new pier, Pier 2, which will connect to Terminal 2.
  
  
• Completion is scheduled for 2025.

Building

Restoration & Renewal

• In October the Delivery Authority held a consultation with potential suppliers for Strategic Partners in advance of full-scale procurements which will commencing in 2024. They are looking to procure:

1. A Design Services Partner
2. An Integrator to oversee, manage and integrate the programme
3. A Construction Partner to support the development and completion of the design and procure, undertake, and manage the works.

• Procurement of 3 delivery partners is expected to commence in 2024.

Let’s get some time in to catch up on your business plans for the new year. Let me know what times work for a 15-minute phone call or alternatively you can access my diary here.

Check out the latest developments across Transport and Infrastructure. Here’s a roundup of the major contracts awarded over the past month.

Highways

Birmingham Highways

Kier wins £2.7bn Birmingham highways maintenance and management PFI contract.

Following government approval, the new deal will start on the 1^st of February 2024 and continue until June 2035. It will cover 2,500km of roadways and 5,000km of footways across the UK’s largest local authority.

Lincolnshire County Council

Balfour Beatty’s highways maintenance deal with Lincolnshire County Council has been extended to spring 2032, giving the firm a further £330m of work on Lincolnshire’s roads.

Lower Thames Crossing

Lower Thames Crossing has awarded a £1.34bn tunnelling contract to a Bouygues Travaux Publics-Murphy JV.

At 2.6 miles, the tunnel will be the longest in the UK and one of the widest in Europe.

Water

South West Water

South West Water has announced the companies that will deliver its £2.8bn, 5-year infrastructure programme from 2025-2030.

They have appointed six contractors as main construction partners: BAM Nuttall, Clancy and Mott MacDonald Bentley for the West Region, and Tilbury Douglas, MWH Treatment and Network Plus Envolve for the East.

South West Water have also announced their consultancy partners:

• Project management – Stantec, Long O Donnell, and Turner & Townsend.
• Cost consultants – AECOM, ChandlersKBS, and Turner & Townsend.
• Design – AECOM, Arcadis, Pell Frischmann, Stantec, and WSP.

Thames Water

J Browne has been awarded three contracts under Thames Water’s Area Wide Capital Delivery Framework, with a combined value of up to £200m. The work is to be delivered between 2023 and 2029.

Find a full list of the awarded work here.

Rail

London North Eastern Railway (LNER)

CAF has been awarded a contract by LNER to supply 10 tri-mode intercity trains to operate in the UK. They will run between London, Yorkshire, northern England, and Scotland.

The fleet of new trains will be able to run on battery power, electricity, and diesel.

The contract also includes an eight-year maintenance services agreement with an option to extend.

Network Rail

Network Rail has readied firms to bid for two major frameworks worth c£2.5bn for the Eastern and Midlands regions. One framework is a £1.4bn major alliance deal, which is planned to deliver the Midlands Rail Hub programme of major works across the West, Central and East Midlands. The other is worth £1.1bn for the Reactive and Small Scheme works covering building and civil assets within the Eastern region over 5 years.

Network Rail has also made firms aware of an upcoming tender race for a Reactive and Minor Works framework renewal in the Wales and Western railway region. This is a £750m framework and is expected to go live by 1^st April 2025. Further details can be found here.

Additionally, Costain has been given an extension to its existing Service Partner Framework contract with Network Rail. This is a 12-month extension which runs until the end of January 2025 and is expected to be worth more than £5m.

Marine

Submarine Delivery Agency

Babcock International Group have signed a four-year £750m contract with the MOD’s Submarine Delivery Agency to deliver infrastructure upgrades to The Royal Navy’s Devonport Dockyard. As part of the major infrastructure programme underway at the Devonport site, Babcock will deliver substantial upgrades to existing infrastructure.

A part of the programme which is already underway is the rebuilding of 10 Dock. Supporting Babcock on 10 Dock are delivery partners Costain and Mott MacDonald, and main works contractor Kier BAM.

Power

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks have signed agreements worth over £1bn with three contractors – Keltbray Energy, OCU Services, and Clancy – for significant network upgrades to electricity infrastructure.

The three contractors will each carry out upgrade works in three allocated areas within SSEN’s central southern England distribution area, from Berkshire and West London to Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight.

National Grid

National Grid has announced three frameworks for plans to deliver major power line links and high voltage direct current converter stations to hook up the offshore wind farms.

The three frameworks are:

• HVDC Major Works & Civils
• HVDC Converter Systems
• HVDC Cable

The core construction framework will be worth c£12.8bn. Find further details about the frameworks and application deadlines here.

Thyssenkrup Steel

Jacobs has been selected as program and construction management partner (PMCM) for Thyssenkrup Steel’s $2.5bn effort to decarbonise its steel mill in Duisburg, Germany. 

The project encompasses a new process using green hydrogen for iron reduction, replacing traditional coal-powered blast furnaces with hydrogen powered electric smelters.

The plant is due to go into operation at the end of 2026.

Sizewell C

AtkinsRéalis has been awarded a contract with Sizewell C to design key elements of the main nuclear power station site as part of its ongoing work on the project.

These include parts of the proposed new nuclear power station, design of the Conventional Island, Balance of Plant and Heat Sink, as well the development of the concept design for permanent roads and networks to support construction and the sites operation.

It builds on work AtkinsRéalis have delivered for Sizewell C since 2014.

EDF

Costain and Jacobs have won roles on EDF Energy frameworks to deliver services across eight nuclear power stations in the UK.

As part of the Project Management Resources framework, Jacobs will oversee operations at Dungeness B, Hartlepool, Heysham 1, Heysham 2, Hinkley Point B, Hunterston B, Torness and Sizewell B power stations.

On the Project Controls framework, Costain will support the safe operation and decommissioning of all these sites.

Want to make additions to your senior team in 2024? Let’s have a chat. Email me your availability for an introductory call.

Cameron is back in the cabinet; Farage is in the jungle and Sunak is learning how to hammer (I don’t see a future for him in engineering!)

Are the movers and shakers across Transport & Infrastructure as exciting as UK politicians?

Take a look at who’s who with our latest Movers and Shakers roundup…

Any big moves to announce in our final roundup of 2023? Drop me an email with your news.

Check out the latest developments across Transport and Infrastructure. Here’s a roundup of the major contracts awarded over the past month.

Energy

Contracts For Difference (CfD)

A record total of 95 clean energy projects have been successful with their bids in this latest allocation round – up from 93 in the previous round last year.

Half of this year’s total capacity has been secured by new solar projects, while onshore projects have delivered almost 1.5GW of capacity and secured more than double the projects (24) than last year’s round (10).  See the full list here.

UK Government

Designs from six companies have been chosen to go forward to the next stage of the selection process in plans to build the next generation of mini nuclear reactors: EDF, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LLC, Holtec Britain Limited, NuScale Power, Rolls Royce and Westinghouse Electric Company UK Limited.

The chosen designs are considered, by the government and Great British Nuclear, to be the most able to deliver operational Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) by the mid-2030.

In the next stage of the process, companies will be able to bid for government contracts with successful bids from the six companies going to contract award stage next summer.

National Grid

Arup and AECOM have been appointed to deliver management of the environmental impact assessment work for National Grid’s Grimsby to Walpole £1bn upgrade project.

The project will build a new high voltage overhead line in Lincolnshire, including new pylons and substations.

Water

Yorkshire Water

BarhaleEnpure JV has been selected by Yorkshire Water for an £18m project to upgrade their Dewsbury Wastewater Treatment Works.

Thames Water

Have awarded Barhale a £16.8m contract to upgrade an important water trunk main running through the London Boroughs of Barnet and Enfield. The work forms part of Thames Water’s AMP7 Conditional Allowance Trunk Main Schemes.

Works are expected to be completed by December 2024.

Thames Water has also agreed a five-year contract extension with Mott MacDonald Bentley, which will take their current agreement through to the conclusion of AMP8 in March 2030.

Severn Trent

Costain has been awarded a £79.8m package of work to improve wastewater quality and protect wildlife for Severn Trent.

Rail

Department for Transport

Arriva Group’s CrossCountry train operating company has been given an extension to their current contract to continue operating services. The new contract started on the 15^th of October, with a guaranteed four-year core term.

The Department for Transport have also extended the National Rail Contract for the West Coast Partnership (WCP). WCP comprises of Avanti West Coast and West Coast Partnership. The contract started on the 15^th of October and begins with a core three-year term to the 18^th of October 2026. Subject to ongoing DfT approval, the contract can last until 17^th October 2032.

Network Rail

J Murphy & Sons Ltd has been awarded the second of two contracts to build the new railway station for Chelmsford’s Beaulieu development. This is a £124m contract and includes main construction work for the new station on behalf of partners Essex County Council and Chelmsford City Council.

Beaulieu Park station is currently expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Network Rail have also awarded a £93.4m main works contract to J Murphy & Sons to build the new Cambridge South Railway station. This follows enabling works conducted by Murphy in June.

The station is expected to be completed in 2025.

Transport for London

Balfour Beatty has been awarded a c.£43 million contract by TfL to deliver essential upgrade works on the Piccadilly Line.

Highways

Manchester City Council

Manchester City Council has granted nine firms places on their latest Highways Construction Work framework for transport infrastructure projects across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Cheshire roads.

This is a £100m framework and will run for two years, with an opportunity for a further two-year extension. The work has been split into two lots: small works up to £1m and projects above £1m.

Companies on Highways Construction Works up to £1m: A E Yates, Bethell Group, Carnell Support Services, Eric Wright Civil Engineering, Rosgal and The Casey Group.

Companies on the Highways Construction Works £1m-plus: BAM Nuttall, Bethell Group, Colas, Eric Wright Civil Engineering, Octavius Infrastructure and The Casey Group.

Somerset Council

Kier has been awarded a £225m, eight-year, road-maintenance contract with Somerset Council.

The contract will see Kier replace the current provider, Milestone Infrastructure, in taking responsibility for Somerset’s road maintenance.

Birmingham Highways

Kier has been named as the preferred bidder for a restructured £2.7bn 11-year PFI contract to maintain Birmingham’s Roads, subject to government approval.

Kier’s services under the new contract would begin on 1 February 2024 and continue until June 2035.

The revised contract is awaiting government approval. The city council and Birmingham Highways are currently in discussions with the Department for Transport and Treasury and are reviewing the business case for the revised deal.

Transport for London

Transport for London has awarded contracts to Arriva London, Go-Ahead London, Stagecoach London and Abellio London to ensure a further 152 new electric busses are added to the capital’s peak vehicle requirement (PVR).

The routes were confirmed across two tranches on the 12^th and 20^th October. Find details about the chosen routes here.

Arriva London will take the bulk of the addition zero-emission buses via a PVR of 76 across both tranches. Go-Ahead London will account for 49, Stagecoach London 16 and Abellio London 11.

Want to make additions to your senior teams, but aren’t finding the best talent? Email me your availability for an introductory call.

Keep up to date with who’s who across Transport & Infrastructure with our latest Movers and Shakers roundup…

Want to have a chat about any team moves your planning? Pop me an email to discuss.

You’ve probably heard the following statistic:

“Men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them.”

Since Hewlett Packard published the report that made this claim, there have been dozens of reports that debunk this drastic difference. Unsurprisingly though, all the reports, that I’ve seen, do demonstrate some difference between the confidence and approach of men and women to applying for jobs.

This got me thinking.

If women are less confident to apply for a job – are they less willing to sell their skills and experience to hiring managers as well?

Looking at a random sample of 50 men and 50 women on our database, we found that men had 32% more keywords on their About Me section of their LinkedIn profiles than the women did.

In the world of executive search, we rely on keywords.Our research focuses heavily on keyword searching for those ideal candidates that fit your brief.  Of course, we use a combination of LinkedIn, our database, extensive desk research, industry events, networking and a whole host of other resources to make sure no one slips through the net.

However, time scarce hiring managers or contingent recruitment firms may solely focus on LinkedIn searching.  Logic suggests that women are 32% less likely to show up on a longlist.

So, make sure your search partner is utilising all research options, not just LinkedIn, to ensure you are getting the most diverse longlists and shortlists possible.

We really pride ourselves on making a difference when it comes to supporting diversity across Transport & Infrastructure. Having placed 33% female leaders into senior roles compared with an industry average of 16.6%, we have a few tips to attract and retain diverse talent.

Drop me an email to discuss how we can help you with your next executive search.

Focus on these four points when trying to attract leaders into your major project roles. You’ll find candidates are much more open to considering the move.

Major infrastructure projects landscape can be volatile, one minute a scheme is viewed as nationally critical and a week later it can be on the shelf to be reconsidered many years later. 

Changing jobs is one of the most important and stressful things you can do in life.

With HS2 north of Birmingham being pulled, how do other major programmes sell opportunities when a project’s viability is being questioned?

The media like to paint a doomsday picture, often not even remotely close to the reality of the situation. This was something that we experienced a lot in the early days of Crossrail. Make sure you can get across to candidates what is really going on versus what they are seeing in the press. 

In order to “sell certainty” to a leader you are hoping to attract you need to focus on:

1. Does it have political certainty?

Is this something that has cross party backing? Especially relevant with the election looming next year.

2. Does it have planning certainty?

If it is highly disruptive to the local community and environment, or likely to have other powerful objectors – what are the realistic odds of the project get planning permission or a DCO?

3. Does it have funding certainty?

Does it have a strong enough business case to be granted the money to complete the project?

4. Is this role actually needed?

Is this a core role embedded within the organisation or is it just an unnecessary overhead that will be the first to be cut if project finances inevitably tighten?

Leaders across Transport & Infrastructure understand the nature of the major projects landscape and that even the programmes that are looking promising can go pear shaped.

Many candidates will be willing to take calculated risks. What they really need to know to make these life changing decisions is what they are honestly going in to.

The same theory applies to companies facing tumultuous times, especially in the economic landscape we are seeing at the moment.

Selling certainty doesn’t always mean selling the dream.

What has your experience been in the past when moving between projects or companies? Have there been any standout pitches that really made you buy into a project?

Drop me an email with your experiences.

Check out the latest Movers and Shakers across Transport and Infrastructure from September…

Moving into the final quarter of the year, lots of our clients are assessing their senior teams to ensure they have the right capability to meet targets and fulfil objectives.

If you’re like the people we have been speaking to over the past month, then drop me an email to discuss how an executive search could uncover the best people to help meet those goals.

Check out the latest developments across Transport and Infrastructure. Here’s a roundup of the major contracts awarded over the past month.

Rail

Department for Transport

37 companies have been appointed by the UK DfT on its latest Specialist Technical and Commercial Advice for Rail and Other Transport Modes (STARThree) framework.

The DfT have appointed six “prime” suppliers who are taking on lot-wide remits, covering all categories alongside a host of specialist companies with more targeted briefs. This is the first time the DfT has employed “prime” suppliers to one of its frameworks.

The six “prime” suppliers are Arup, Costain (in partnership with GHD), Jacobs, Mace, Mott MacDonald and Steer|WSP Alliance.

The full list can be found here.

Transport for London

TfL has invited operators to express interest in an estimated £2.3bn franchise to operate and maintain the Docklands Light Railway automated light metro.

The current contract is due to expire on 1^st April 2025.

The new contract is due to run for an initial eight-year period, with an option to extend up to two years and a separate option for a further seven months.

Expressions of interest should be submitted by 2^nd October, and invitations to tender are expected to be issued on 2^nd January 2024 to a maximum of five prequalified candidates.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland

TII has appointed a multidisciplinary client partner team to deliver Dublin MetroLink Ireland’s first metro railway. The partnership is made of Turner & Townsend, WSP supported by O’Connor Sutton Cronin, Mace and PwC.

Turner & Townsend will lead the client partner team.

Iarnród Éireann

Egis has been awarded a four-year project to support Iarnród Éireann in modernising the existing signalling, electrical and telecommunications (SET) systems in Cork.

The Egis team, which includes experts from both Ireland and the UK, will also integrate key staff from JB Barry & Partners, following the recent acquisition of the Cork-based engineering firm by Egis.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Telent has been appointed by GTR to provide planned and reactive maintenance services for more than 4,000 security and information assets across GTR’s entire southern estate.

The contract includes Customer Information Systems and Public Announcement and runs for an initial two-year term.

Social Infrastructure

NHS Consultancy Framework

The winners of the £1.6bn NHS Shared Business Services Construction Consultancy framework have been confirmed. The full and updated list can be found here.

Ministry of Justice

Kier, Laing O’Rourke, and Wates have been appointed by the MoJ to provide up to 1,200 new prison places across the UK. Construction work is anticipated to begin in 2024.

Highways

Connect Plus

Connect Plus have chosen Jackson Civil Engineering, Octavius Infrastructure and Milestone Infrastructure to deliver the COFA3 call-off framework that will run for six years.  

This is a renewed deal for the three firms who previously held the COFA 2 deal alongside a fourth contractor R&W Civil Engineering, which collapsed last month and was bought in administration by Octavius.

Energy

National Grid

Jacobs and Turner & Townsend are the latest companies that have been appointed to National Grid’s new General Management Consultancy Framework to support the energy utility’s business service operations needs in the UK and US. They join ARCADIS who was awarded a place earlier this year.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

WSP has been appointed by BEIS to advice on progressing the development of Carbon Capture Usage and Storage in the UK.

WSP will lead a consortium alongside Crondall Energy and GeoEnergy Durham to provide engineering and technical advice to the department over the next two years.

Utilities

United Utilities

United Utilities has invited contractors to express interest in a c£6bn build-only ten-year framework.

The framework is split into two key lots covering essentially new treatment works and new pipeline work. 

Firms have until 25^th September to submit prequal documents with shortlisted firms invited to bid on 24^th October.

Want to make additions to your senior teams, but aren’t finding the best talent? Email me your availability for an introductory call.

What makes a successful collaborative enterprise?

We’ve been interviewing for a number of enterprise models recently, who are utilising Project 13 approach. So having spoken to a good chunk of people who are living and breathing this ethos right now, I thought I would share some insights gleaned from these conversations.

1. Align the objectives of all organisations involved.

Crucially aligning commercial incentives to the programmes interests rather than to the partner organisations. Objectives have to be win win or lose lose. Everyone is in this together.

2. Put in the work upfront to determine the culture and values of the integrated organisation.

Establish how the culture differs from parent companies – taking aspects from each.

3. Agreeing how disagreements will be solved.

In a true alliance the client has a very different relationship with their contractors and there must be established procedures for talking through disagreements at alliance board level. Understanding different perspectives and listening to all parties.

4. De-badging of the parent company and re-badging as the alliance.

Treat the alliance/enterprise as an organisation in its own right. People should view themselves as working for the alliance and not their parent company.

In part this is down to good branding and internal communications, but it’s also important that parent companies don’t reach in through the back door and follow proper communication channels.

5. Co-locating.

The alliance/enterprise needs its own offices and business systems, but deeper than that, companies need to integrate. Don’t have all the employees from one company grouped together.

6. Having one source of truth.

Establish an Integrated Management System that each organisation can pull information from. One system, one source of truth.

Companies can then take data as necessary to report back to their businesses but there is no room for discrepancies.

Holding workshops to determine what systems are used can also be useful so that everyone gets a say and buys into the decision.

7. Sharing.

It must be counter intuitive to suddenly start sharing information with your competitors about what makes your project delivery so good. But this is the only way to find new solutions and create efficiencies.

Sharing best practice is fundamentally why Enterprise models will revolutionise programme delivery.

In true collaborative style it would be great to hear from you on any gems you’ve discovered from working with or in a collaborative environment. If we get another batch of great insights, I will be sure to circulate them.

Drop me an email with your thoughts.

Got a tricky senior role to fill and need help finding great people? Drop me an email and let’s brainstorm.

Make sure you’re up to date with all the big moves across Transport & Infrastructure from August…

Ready to discuss your senior hiring requirements?

Let me know a time that suits you for a call.

Check out the latest developments across Transport & Infrastructure. Here’s a roundup of the major contracts awarded over the past month.

Highways

Lower Thames Crossing

National Highways have named Skanskaas the preferred bidder on a £450m Kent Roads contract for Lower Thames Crossing. This is the second of three major contracts to be awarded, the first was to Balfour Beatty for the £1.2bn contract to deliver the ‘Roads North of the Thames’.

MHA+

Three consultants have been awarded places on the new Midlands Highway Alliance Plus fourth-generation professional services framework. Amey OW and AECOM have renewed their contracts, and WSP have joined the existing line up.

The framework is expected to be in place for up to eight years and is estimated to be worth c£960m. 

Yorkshire Highways

Balfour Beatty, BAM Nuttall, Farrans and John Sisk have been selected to deliver a £360m major works contractor framework covering highways and transportation projects in Yorkshire.

The framework was awarded as a single lot to the four contractors. The agreement will span four years to 31 March 2027.

Kier

National Highways has appointed Kier to carry out an essential programme on eight bridges spanning the M6 in Cumbria. Kier Design Solutions (KDS) has already commenced its three-year design stage for the contract.

Water

United Utilities

United Utilities have awarded Costain a contract extension to work as the Managed Service Provider (MSP) for a further two years, from May 2024 to May 2026.

This contract is an extension to the original five-year MSP contract awarded in 2019 and the has an option to be extended for a further three years, taking the partnership into the next regulatory cycle.

United Utilities are also looking for contractors to deliver their AMP8 and AMP9 investment plans.

These are set to be significantly larger than previous years – c£5.5bn over 10 years.

Works have been split into two lots – Complex Non-Infrastructure (c£4bn of work) and Complex Infrastructure (c£1.5bn of work).

Firms are required to submit prequalification documents by September 6^th.

Northumbrian Water

Northumbrian Water is inviting expressions of interest in its £8bn framework for next seven years, including AMP8.

They are aiming to reshape the way they deliver capital investment and have drawn up a collaborative model of delivery that reflects long and short cycle work. Northumbrian Water are using the procurement race to create new capacity in the water industry and support market entrants.

Contractors will work in integrated client teams delivering major design and build contracts under what will be known as Living Water Enterprise lots.

Firms are required to submit prequalification documents by August 11^th.

Energy

SSEN

Have confirmed ten preferred bidders for a £10bn onshore infrastructure upgrade. Balfour Beatty, Siemens Energy BAM, J. Murphy & Sons, Wood Power Solutions, Omexom Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Burns & McDonnell, Morrison Energy Services, Linxon, IQA and NKT have all been selected.

Cadent

Cadent has awarded Prestige Pipelaying contract to deliver Standard and Non-Standard Connections in the East of England.

The tender was expected to be awarded to multiple companies but Cadent has chosen Prestige to be their sole supplier for the region.

This is a four-year contract that has potential to be extended to eight years.

National Grid

Arcadis has been appointed to National Grid’s new Global Management Consultancy Framework.

They will advise the National Grid on decarbonising the UK’s energy supply and highlight priorities for the use of innovative new technologies and cyber security.

Rail

London Overground

Arriva has been granted a two-year extension as delivery partner for the London Overground Concession, operated with Transport for London.

Following the contract extension, Arriva will operate the London Overground network up to May 2026. 

Department for Transport

The Department for Transport has appointed 37 contractors to their £600m STARThree framework to advise on the delivery of rail, road and aviation projects.

STARThree is the Specialist Technical and Commercial Advisory for Rail and Other Transport Systems Framework.

It is split into two lots: Lot 1 worth £575m and Lot 2 worth £25m.

You can see all of the appointed contractors here.

Scape

Scape, a public sector procurement body, has unveiled two frameworks worth £4bn in total and have invited contractors to express interest.

Each framework will run for four years with an option to extend by a further two years. The first framework, worth £3bn, is for work in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; the second, worth £1bn, covers Scotland.

Work will include construction, civil engineering, and infrastructure across a wide range of public utilities projects, including gas and heating, electricity, water, nuclear, ports, airports, and transport services.

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