Manchester City Council has appointed 15 contractors to the North West Construction Hub’s £1bn High Value Construction Framework, with BAM, Graham, Kier, McLaren, Robertson and Vinci selected for the largest projects, worth more than £45m.
The framework will cover public-sector building projects valued above £8m and is divided into three lots, spanning schemes worth between £8m and more than £45m.
Six contractors have secured places on the highest-value lot: BAM, Graham, Kier, McLaren, Robertson and Vinci. The council originally estimated that £450m of work would be procured through this lot over the framework’s lifetime.
Eight firms have been appointed to the middle lot, covering projects valued between £18m and £45m. They are Bowmer & Kirkland, Eric Wright Construction, Graham, Kier, Morgan Sindall, Robertson, Vinci and Wates.
The lowest-value lot, covering projects worth between £8m and £18m, has nine appointed contractors: Bowmer & Kirkland, Equans, Eric Wright Construction, F Parkinson, GMI Construction, Henry Brothers, Morgan Sindall, Seddon Construction and Wates.
The procurement attracted 24 bids for the smallest lot, 20 for the middle lot and 12 for the largest. Galliford Try, Tilbury Douglas and Willmott Dixon were among the unsuccessful bidders, with none securing a place on the framework. Morgan Sindall, Bowmer & Kirkland and Wates missed out on the largest lot but won appointments on the two smaller packages.
The council’s original procurement notice put the framework’s total estimated value at £1bn, excluding VAT. This comprises £230m for the £8m-£18m lot, £320m for projects valued between £18m and £45m, and £450m for schemes exceeding £45m.
The framework will cover a broad range of public-sector construction work, including new-build developments, demolition, refurbishment and the remodelling of existing buildings.
It is scheduled to run from January 2027 to December 2029, with an option to extend for a further 12 months. Individual projects may be awarded directly to appointed contractors or through further competitions, depending on the procurement requirements. The framework does not guarantee any minimum volume or value of work.
The appointments remain subject to a standstill period ending on 2 November, with contracts expected to be signed no earlier than 30 November.
