FWP placed on major frameworks

Preston-based construction specialist Frank Whittle Partnership has secured places on two major purchasing frameworks.

The framework agreements are with the NHS Shared Business Services, which is tasked with saving £16m per year, and the Liverpool-headquartered Construction Impact Framework, which has a £200m budget to support the public sector.

NHS SBS replaces a previous agreement that has been in place since 2014 and has saved the public sector in excess of £12m, thanks to typical savings of between 10 to 15 per cent compared with buying direct.

The four-year framework enables organisations in both the NHS and wider public sector to access services such as quantity surveying, architecture, mechanical and electrical and project management that FWP specialises in.

CIF’s new framework is a ‘one-stop shop’ providing construction works and services to universities, NHS Foundation Trusts, local authorities and social housing providers, in part, due to its ethical approach to procurement.

Martin Whittle, managing partner at FWP, said: “The NHS SBS framework provides a fully compliant route for public sector purchasing teams to access a comprehensive range of construction consultancy services like ours.

“Last year, more than 300 organisations purchased construction consultancy services via the NHS SBS framework, with almost two-thirds (66 per cent) being non-NHS organisations.

“The CIF strategy of procuring construction services while simultaneously supporting initiatives that will hopefully relieve the pressure on public services is one we fully support.

“We have worked previously on projects at Salford Royal Infirmary and John Moores University and we have also had framework agreements in place before with individual NHS Trusts.

“Working on frameworks such as these enables us to protect the jobs of more than 60 staff in Preston city centre and our offices in Manchester and London and it’s a boost to SMEs to be able to share in large public sector contracts.”