Frameworks Conference 2006: Profiting from Frameworks

FRAMEWORKS CONFERENCE 2006

Profiting from Frameworks

Thursday 28th September 2006 – Aston Villa F.C., Birmingham

Local authorities in England spend £14bn a year on construction.

However, under pressure from central government to find more efficient methods of procurement, many local authorities are simplifying their procurement processes.

Instead of going out to tender for a whole range of small individual contracts, many have decided to roll contracts for traditional new build and repair and maintenance work in housing, property, schools and roads into large framework agreements lasting up to four years.

Local authorities differ in the way they have let frameworks. Some have appointed just one main contractor to oversee the work, others between two and six. A few, aware of the impact frameworks could have on the livelihoods of their local construction firms, have broken the frameworks down into smaller trade packages – although this appears to be the exception, rather than the rule.

For SMEs in construction, this move has been tough. Most are too small to take on and manage such large amounts of work. Major national contractors, previously uninterested in bidding for the small contracts used before, have spotted a major opportunity and are moving in.

As a result many SMEs have lost local authority contracts, which were often a substantial part of their business and which provided regular work.

But there is a way forward for SMEs. Contract Journal is organising a conference in association with the National Federation of Builders, which will look at how SMEs can win work in a world that is increasingly dominated by framework agreements.

This conference will be unmissable for all firms who want to win a slice of the massive amount of new build and maintenance work being let under local authority framework deals.

This one-day high-level conference will look at:

• Why frameworks are the future
• What government and local authorities will expect of you
• How you can compete with national contractors
• Learn from successful framework SMEs
• Potential weaknesses and how to avoid them
• How to work in partnership and manage your supply chain

For more details contact:

Louise Palmer
Email: louise.palmer@rbi.co.uk