The North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) has named Esh Construction as a supplier on its newest civil engineering and infrastructure framework.
The next-generation framework is designed for local authorities and public sector organisations to procure civil engineering contracts worth up to and over £10 million.
Esh Construction’s civil engineering division has been appointed as a ‘primary supplier’ on all Lots tendered, which includes Lots 1 up to 9 and specialist marine works Lot 11, covering projects across the North East, Tees Valley and nationally.
The framework will operate from March this year and run for four years, with an option to extend for a further two years.
It builds on the success of Esh’s work on two previous frameworks with NEPO, having been first appointed in 2016. Ross Markwell, Business Development Director at Esh Construction, said: “We pride ourselves on developing and maintaining good working relationships therefore it is testament to the hard work and efforts of the whole civil engineering division at Esh that we have secured our place on the latest framework.
“Being an appointed supplier with NEPO has afforded Esh the opportunity to work with all 12 local authorities across the North East and Tees Valley, delivering small value schemes up to multi-million pound projects. This has enabled our civil engineering division to grow substantially over the years, leading to us expanding our capabilities into major capital projects which started with the award of Phase 3 of the Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor in 2019.”
Notable live projects secured through NEPO include the Tyne Bridge restoration, the £23 million Stockton Waterfront Urban Park public realm scheme and an infrastructure upgrade scheme at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP).
In 2019, the NEPO 211 Framework for Civil Engineering and Infrastructure Works was utilised to procure Phase 3 of the Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor – also known as SSTC3 – a £42.5 million capital investment scheme for Sunderland City Council. By utilising the framework route, it provided an opportunity to pilot the National Themes, Outcomes, Measures (TOMs) Framework which gives a minimum reporting standard for measuring social value.
Markwell added: “Esh was the first to use the TOMs framework through the NEPO procurement route and our achievements on SSTC3 – £26 million spend within the local area and a 98% North East workforce – set the benchmark for all future schemes.
“Since then, we have continued to grow our delivery of social and economic value across the region, and on the Tyne Bridge restoration we are currently forecast to deliver 55% social return on investment. We look forward to continuing this fantastic work across all future NEPO schemes.”
Being an appointed supplier with NEPO has afforded Esh the opportunity to work with all 12 local authorities across the North East and Tees Valley, delivering small value schemes up to multi-million pound projects. This has enabled our civil engineering division to grow substantially over the years, leading to us expanding our capabilities into major capital projects which started with the award of Phase 3 of the Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor in 2019."