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Scape’s regional construction framework creates £4.6m social value in first 12 months

Scape Group have issued figures that say its regional construction framework has created £4.6m of social value during its first year of operation. 

The public sector procurement specialist says £4,669,232 of social value has been created via local employment, spend in the local supply chain and spend with local SMEs. For every pound spent, 58p of social value has been created. 

The framework, says Scape, was configured to take a strengthened approach to demonstrating value for money, and measures social value via the National TOMs (Themes, Outcomes, Measures) method developed in association with the Social Value Portal. 

The National TOMs used to measure social value in the Scape regional construction framework are built around five key themes – jobs, growth, social, environmental and social innovation – with each of these supported by 18 outcomes and 38 specific measures. This, says Scape, enables an in-depth understanding of the additional value of the contracts being delivered.

The £1.1bn framework was awarded to 11 contractors in early 2018 and provides construction services for public sector projects in the Midlands and East of England. 

As SME engagement is a key priority, each partner’s ability to demonstrate experience of working collaboratively to deliver public sector projects was central to them being awarded a lot on the framework and in the last 12 months the delivery partners have spent £2.56m with local SMEs.  

Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive, said: “We adopted the National TOMs for the regional construction framework in order to demonstrate the social value add that these projects are delivering in local communities, which is essential to measuring the success of the framework. To create over £4.6m worth of social value in the 12 months since its inception is a testament to the hard work each and every partner puts into ensuring a project's benefits are felt by the wider community during the construction works as well as after the project’s completion. 

“Our aim was to provide the public sector with access to a suite of contractors that deliver high quality and cost-effective services, and we look forward to seeing our delivery partners continue to demonstrate their ability to do this while delivering greater value for local communities in the future.”

Rachael Johns, head of business development at Clegg Construction Ltd, said: “Social value is an essential part of what we do within our local communities, We are supporting a number of local initiatives to help promote careers in construction, inspire young people and promote gender equality. It is important to us that our work leaves a lasting legacy to both the local economy and improves the face of the construction industry.”

Andrew Morris, business development manager at Ashe Construction, said: “The use of the TOMS measurement on the Scape regional construction framework finally enables us to accurately record tangible social value results that can be used to demonstrate the success of our approach to our clients, and others within the industry, and hopefully will encourage more businesses to get actively involved in undertaking social value activity for the benefit of all our communities”

Scape Group is currently working with the Social Value Portal to encourage government to adopt the National TOMs method to measure social value in central government procurement.

The delivery partners appointed to the 11 Lot framework in 2018 are:

  • Seddon Construction
  • Lindum Group
  • John Graham Holdings
  • Jeakins Weir
  • GF Tomlinson
  • Fortem
  • Morgan Sindall
  • RG Carter Building
  • Conamar Building Services
  • Clegg Construction 
  • Ashe Construction

Click here to find out more about the regional construction framework.

If you would like to contact Rob O’Connor about this, or any other story, please email roconnor@infrastructure-intelligence.com.