Willmott Dixon estimates that under the previous Scape framework, where it was the incumbent contractor, local authorities saved a minimum of 14p in every £1 they spent on projects procured through Scape. Willmott Dixon aims to increase that saving to 20p in every £1, while ensuring 60 per cent of project budgets are spent on companies within a 20 mile radius of each Scape site, and raising employment and skills targets by 1,400 per cent.

Scape specialises in providing a range of national and regional procurement frameworks enabling the UK public sector to procure construction services quicker and more efficiently, without having to go through lengthy and costly OJEU processes each time.

Scape’s frameworks are worth £3bn and over the last decade Scape has delivered over 1,200 projects on time and in budget for 250 public sector clients.

Scape’s new major works framework, which Willmott Dixon won after a seven-month re-procurement process, is expected to generate £1.25bn of construction work over the next four years. It comes as public sector budget cuts and reduced spending on capital projects put the spotlight on contractors generating even more value and efficiency in their construction output.

The benefits to clients of using Scape, including the reduced procurement time it brings, was underlined by Willmott Dixon delivering all 157 projects under the previous framework on time and in budget.

Other highlights of the previous framework included:
• Local employment: four jobs created for every £1m spent, plus employment and skills targets exceeded by 256%
• Local economy: 54% of project budget spent within 20 miles of Scape sites and 88% within 60 miles
• Safety: average Scape project AFR - 0.086 (400% below the industry average score of 0.35)
• Supply chain payment: 100% within 30 days
• Sustainability: 95% of waste diverted away from landfill

The scope of work procured under Scape is also becoming more varied, with clients using it to procure schools, leisure facilities, public amenities like council offices and police headquarters, as well as housing and care home accommodation. New opportunities include infrastructure, development funding and energy efficiency services such as driving improvement in building performance and environmental impact, plus working in Northern Ireland with Willmott Dixon’s partner Farrans.

Key innovations being planned on the new framework include a national materials database to track 80% of building products used on Scape sites. This database will offer live, aggregated savings across Scape projects to increase local spend and reduce capital cost to clients.

Another feature will be a fellowship programme to offer additional savings and benefits to repeat clients spending over £15m.

Mark Robinson, CEO of Scape commented: “We’re pleased to have appointed Willmott Dixon as the major works construction partner after a rigorous procurement exercise. Scape’s frameworks are becoming increasingly sought after with the number of public bodies using Scape’s services doubling over the last two years. It is important that this new framework focuses more than ever before on supporting local people and local businesses in a tough economic climate.”

John Frankiewicz, CEO of Willmott Dixon Capital Works, said: “The new Scape framework will allow us to expand our potential in areas like project delivery, local spend, while also creating apprenticeship and training opportunities. We want as many companies as possible to benefit from Scape work and we’ll make sure it acts as a stimulus in a construction industry that remains constrained by a harsh trading environment. We also want to use this to enhance Scape’s reputation as a ‘best in class’ route to delivering value for money. The past year has seen Willmott Dixon work closely with Scape to create Sunesis, an innovative suite of standardised building solutions which exemplifies our joint approach to delivering ‘more for less’. More and more public bodies are using Sunesis designs and we look forward to further innovation with Scape, particularly given the wider scope of work in the new framework.”

The new framework will also introduce a number of joint services and commitments with partners on Scape’s other three frameworks. The national major works framework completes the suite of framework services Scape offers which already includes a national minor works framework, a quantity surveying and project management framework and an asset management, surveying and design services framework.