HS2 bidders use NEC event to target suppliers for £900m service contracts

SUPPLIERS are being given the opportunity to meet companies bidding for the first major contracts to be procured as part of the multi-billion HS2 high speed rail project.

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association is staging an event at the National Exhibition Centre next month so suppliers can try and match their services to the needs of the seven big consortia bidding for the project’s £900m enabling works.

All seven of the consortia will be represented at the event, which takes place on February 3.

The seven teams in contention for the works are:

• Balfour Beatty Vinci JV
• Carillion/Eiffage/Kier JV
• Costain Skanska JV
• Laing O’Rourke/Murphy Group JV
• Fusion (Morgan Sindall/BAM/Ferrovial)
• Align JV (Bouygues/VolkerFitzpatrick/Sir Robert McAlpine)
• Momentum Infrastructure (Hochtief/Dragados/Galliford Try).

The CECA said the teams were keen to meet companies with the specific capabilities that will be required to deliver the enabling works.

In particular they are said to be looking to engage with companies that deliver:

• Demolition & site clearance
• Fencing
• Security
• Environmental services
• Remediation
• Utilities
• Bulk excavation
• Civils sub-contracting
• Highways surfacing and construction
• Exhumations
• Structure (Bridges/Buildings) strengthening specialists
• Acoustic specialist installation for sound protection work to properties
• Archaeological investigations
• Habitat and species relocations
• Soft and Hard Landscaping
• Management of invasive plants: Japanese Knotweed and Hogwood
• Diversity and inclusion specialist training providers
• Instrumentation and Monitoring
• Existing building surveys
• Temporary road diversion
• De-vegetation
• Waterway Diversion
• Compounds + access roads
• Temporary Works including Bridges
• Geotechnical Surveys

The event has been timed to take place immediately before the seven JVs are formally invited to tender for the works.

Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of the CECA, said: “The delivery of HS2 offers opportunities for supply chain companies from across the UK, and will create significant demand on key competencies.

“We wanted to ensure that those companies with the right abilities had the chance to put themselves in contention to work as a supplier on these substantial contracts.”

Companies looking to take part in the event must book their place before January 27.