Fifteen Contractors Win Places on £1bn North West Framework

Fifteen contractors have secured places on the North West Construction Hub's new £1bn high-value building framework, nearly doubling the existing eight-firm line-up. The expansion, procured by Manchester City Council, redraws the competitive map for public-sector construction across the North West.

For practitioners, the decisive change is structural. The framework replaces the existing two bands — £8m to £25m and above £25m — with three project-value lots. That gives smaller and mid-tier firms a more precise lane to compete in, while reserving the largest jobs for a six-firm roster.

Who won the major projects lot?

Six firms will deliver jobs worth more than £45m: BAM Construction, Graham, Kier Construction, McLaren Construction, Robertson Construction and Vinci Building.

The £18m–£45m lot carries seven firms:

• Bowmer & Kirkland
• Eric Wright Construction
• Graham
• Kier Construction
• Morgan Sindall
• Robertson Construction
• Vinci Building
• Wates Construction

The £8m–£18m lot lists nine firms:

• Bowmer & Kirkland
• Equans Regeneration
• Eric Wright Construction
• F Parkinson
• GMI Construction
• Henry Brothers
• Morgan Sindall
• Seddon Construction
• Wates Construction

Who is new, and who is out?

Ten firms join the roster compared with the existing arrangement: BAM, Equans, F Parkinson, GMI, Graham, Henry Brothers, McLaren, Robertson, Seddon and Wates.

The shake-up brings BAM, Graham, Seddon and Wates back into the fold after all four held places on the earlier 2019 framework. Bowmer & Kirkland, Eric Wright, Kier, Morgan Sindall and Vinci retain their places from the current arrangement.

Two incumbents lose out. Russell WBHO and Sir Robert McAlpine drop out of the line-up, closing off a pipeline of council-backed work for both firms in the region.

What does the framework cover?

Procured by Manchester City Council, the framework covers new-build, demolition, development, refurbishment and remodelling of properties owned or used by participating clients across the North West. The scope spans the full asset lifecycle. Demolition sits alongside refurbishment, which widens the range of commissioning routes available to participating public bodies.

The timetable is fixed. The framework starts on 1 January 2027 and runs for three years, with an option to extend until the end of 2030. Winning firms now face a wait of more than a year before the first call-offs begin.

What happens next?

The awards remain subject to a standstill period ending on 2 November, with contracts due to be formally signed on 30 November. Until signatures land, an appeal from a disappointed bidder could still reorder the line-up. Absent that, the fifteen winners hold a near-decade position — through the extension option — on a £1bn pipeline of public building work in the North West.