Calico seeks partner for 10-year joint venture

BURNLEY-based social housing landlord Calico Homes is seeking a contractor to embark on a joint venture which could be worth up to £88m over a ten-year period.

The organisation has issued a tender seeking a partner which will not only deliver up to £5.8m worth of development and maintenance works on Calico’s own stock, it will also identify and win up to £3m a year for the partnership from other social housing groups around the North West.

The firm said the partnership would be responsible for delivering planned works such as roofing, fencing and the installation of new doors as well as an element of routine repairs, although it plans to maintain its own Direct Labour Organisation.

It said the joint venture partner will be expected to have their own directly-employed workforce and a turnover of at least £5m to ensure it has the necessary scale. It is also expected to provide employment opportunities for people within the Pennine Lancashire area, including apprenticeships.

The tender document states that the joint venture “will identify, win and successfully deliver works for other clients over and above Calico Homes”.

Firms seeking to apply to be a joint venture partner need to currently have a turnover of over £5m to ensure they have the necessary resources, it said.

“The Calico executive team will have an ongoing role in managing and shaping the JV and will expect the same commitment from the JV partners’ executive team,” it states.

“Prospective partners will not be required to have previous experience of involvement in a joint venture arrangement. However, Calico will seek contractors who can bring ideas to the table, proactively seek to resolve issues and can demonstrate experience of delivering excellent results using a collaborative approach.”

Calico will look to take at least six bids through the tender process. It is hosting a Meet The Buyer event for interested parties tomorrow (Dec 15, 2011). For details, email CalicoJV@valueworks.co.uk.