Construction firms aim for contracts

Construction firms in the North East are primed to benefit from the government’s procurement reforms in 2021, according to a trade body.

The Construction Alliance North East (CAN) says Government plans to overhaul its procurement procedures will produce wider benefits from public money spent on procurement and cut red tape.”

CAN says the new rules for lower-value contracts would allow more SMEs to win government business.

CAN was formed in 2015 to better represent regional SME contractors in the North East and has since grown to represent more than 500 businesses in the region.

Chairman Ken Parkin, who is also a regional director at Keyes Bros. Construction Limited and director at Opion Limited, said: “The reforms will be a major step in the right direction and we will continue to campaign to raise awareness of the local construction industry’s capability.

“Intelligent procurement is central to our agenda and our key mission is to place local construction companies at the heart of public and private sector supply chain strategies.

"Regional SMEs are the lifeblood of the local economy and provide sustainable longterm growth, and the regional industry is ready to step in and support the spending programme.”

He added: “With £250billion worth of infrastructure work pledged under the government’s Project Speed in the form of 40 new hospitals, 10,000 prison places and a school rebuilding programme, we are confident our region will get its fair share.”