£8 billion in contracts up for grabs: Major projects at tender stage

The race is on for a wave of significant construction contracts, with £8 billion worth of projects currently at the tender stage.

Spanning multiple sectors and regions, these schemes represent a wealth of opportunities for contractors with awards expected imminently, and competition is set to heat up.

The biggest is a £3 billion trackwork scheme on the High Speed Two (HS2) rail link (Project ID: 19314880), while United Utilities is developing a £1.8 billion aqueduct resilience programme due to begin in September 2024. (Project ID: 19384153).

London boost

The next largest scheme at the tender stage is a £540 million HS2 signalling and traffic management scheme (Project ID: 20425845) planned for London, where a revival in the commercial building market is also having an impact.

A £400 million plan to demolish Edward Edwards House on Blackfriars Road in Southwark to make way for a 21-storey office complex is moving ahead with the appointment of a contractor imminent (Project ID: 19299671). The joint clients, JTRE London and Southwark Charities, also want to build 64 almshouses as part of the development, which is expected to commence on-site in May this year.

In Camden, north London, a contractor is being recruited under a pre-construction services agreement for the £400 million Euston Tower Science Innovation Hub (Project ID: 23220803).

Commercial plans

An upturn in the wider commercial sector is also evident in the regions and decisions are due on contracts on a pair of schemes in the North East worth a total of £800m.

Contractors are circling the £450 million Crown Works Studios plan in Sunderland (pictured) being developed by FulwellCain Studios and the city council (Project ID: 23063401). Once a construction deal is finalised, work could begin as early as March this year.

Construction is expected to start in October in nearby Gateshead on Ask Patrizia’s £350 million Sage Arena development, which also includes a hotel (Project ID: 23273078).

North West work

The North West has traditionally been the main focus of commercial development in northern England and a rise in data centre construction is due to bring a £350 million scheme to Stockport (Project ID: 23180902).

Detailed planning has been secured for the KAO Data Campus. With tenders for the main contract returned, a start on-site is expected this spring.

The biggest scheme in the North West at the tender stage is the £400m Essar Hydrogen Plant, which is being developed at the Stanlow Refinery at Ellesmere Port (Project ID: 20080820). Work could begin this summer.

Midland boost

The West Midlands continues to benefit from HS2 and the contract for a £523 million power package is due to be awarded soon (Project ID: 20326311).

HS2 is also helping generate confidence in other sectors in the Midlands and tenders have also been returned for the £350 million Stone Yard residential scheme in Birmingham (Project ID: 05393578).

New year, new work

The imminent award of a host of major contracts across the country should provide a New Year boost to industry confidence.