Facilities Management and Construction

For construction works, utilities, hard and soft facilities management services, land disposal and acquisition and directly related professional services

The Fire and Rescue Service operate from buildings collectively representing the sector’s largest corporate assets (not including staff). The construction, maintenance and running of these buildings is currently the largest category of expenditure for the fire sector. The effective procurement and management of these assets, from their construction, throughout their working life to their eventual disposal or replacement, is vital to ensure the best value is achieved. The aim of the strategy for FM & Construction is to identify where the best value and cost savings can be made across the fire sector through the procurement of construction and facilities management services.

 

FM and construction strategy

Over the past few months, the NFCC Procurement Hub has further strengthened its collaborative relationship with the National Fire Estates Group (NFEG), with the view of working more closely together in delivering common goals for the fire and rescue sector. One of the key developments is the creation of an NFEG sub-group, which will specifically focus on delivering efficiencies for services across construction and facilities management (FM) expenditure.

The group is tasked with coordinating the delivery of a specific construction and FM strategy that meets deliverables set out by Home Office and supported by NFCC. Early focus includes: achieving contract savings and improved performance from existing suppliers; developing and embedding future contractual models to support longer-term commercial efficiencies for the sector; creating a collective and stronger voice for negotiating and tackling common challenges in the construction and FM category; and supporting services with the funding challenges associated with decarbonisation and recent category price increases.

The inaugural meeting of the group was held on the 30th September 2021, click here to download the meeting slides. 

 

FM and construction strategy

The Facilities Management (FM) and Construction National Strategic Task and Finish Group was formally established in November 2021 as a joint initiative between the National Fire Commercial Transformation Programme (‘NFCTP’) and the National Fire Estates Group (‘NFEG’) for the purpose of enabling and facilitating the delivery of a set of key national targets across the Fire Sector as agreed between the Home Office and the National Fire Chiefs Council in early 2020.  

The Task and Finish Group currently comprises twenty-one (1) Fire and Rescue Services, representing various regions and governance models, and is attended by Procurement, FM and Estates professionals. The Task and Finish Group shall remain open to any other Fire and Rescue Services who wish to join in the future.

The Task and Finish Group’s Terms of Reference document sets out the key strategic objectives its Members are seeking to achieve and these are summarised below:

  1. Deliver a National Category Strategy for FM & Construction capable of addressing and providing solutions to Fire and Rescue Services and their partners across the wider spectrum of the national agenda, with particular emphasis on areas such as strategic supplier management, climate change and social value;
  2. Deliver cashable and process savings across the FM & Construction Category through deeper collaboration, standardisation and in-contract negotiation;
  3. Achieve additional non-cashable benefits with the view of supporting decarbonisation targets and supporting SMEs and local suppliers; and
  4. Commercially reform and modernise the commissioning and contracting functions across the FM & Construction Category.

A Category Prioritisation Matrix was developed and approved by the Task and Finish Group, using a set of financial, commercial and social scoring criteria for the purpose of identifying priorities and risks, as well as planning ahead future strategic changes.

The Task and Finish Group’s immediate priorities are Energy, Construction and Cleaning & Janitorial. Simultaneously to these workstreams, various benchmarking exercises and market engagement events are being undertaken to inform category plans and commissioning strategies.

 

NFCC National Decarbonisation Consultancy Services Contract

Established in 2016, the NFCC Procurement Hub has evolved in line with external global, national and local demands and focus; evolving and re-aligning its strategic aims and priorities accordingly. These are captured in a set of Home Office Fire Priorities that set out how deliverables and outcomes will be achieved, measured and continuously improved. The development of a national strategy for the Fire Estates represents one of the Home Office Fire Priorities.

Call-off contract background information

Since June 2022, members of the FM & Construction National Strategic Task and Finish Group have been working towards adopting a more seamless, cohesive and coordinated approach in their efforts to adhere to national net zero targets and decarbonise the UK Fire Sector estate, as well as creating a central repository of data, analytics, tools and guidance documents to assist in the development and implementation of a national decarbonisation strategy, in line with the Home Office Fire Priorities for the FM & Construction category.

More specifically, the members of the Task and Finish Group have been exploring various methods of improving the UK Fire Sector’s success in accessing central government funding opportunities, namely the Salix Low Carbon Skills Fund (‘LCSF’) and the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (‘PSDS’).

Following an extensive engagement process with internal and external stakeholders, the Task and Finish Group approved the commissioning of a National Decarbonisation Consultancy Services call-off contract by way of a Direct Award for a period of 2+1 years to Faithful+Gould under Lot 1 (Complete Service Solutions) of the Pagabo Professional Services in Construction and Premises Framework Agreement (https://pagabo.co.uk/frameworks/professional-services-framework).

About Faithful+Gould

Faithful+Gould are already world leaders in the provision of sustainability advisory services, well versed in supporting organisations with large and small portfolios of building and fleet assets, on both a national and local footprint, as well as supporting organisations that have arrived at very different stages of their decarbonisation journey; some in their infancy, others more mature.

Further information on Faithful+Gould can be found on their website: Engineering Project Management Consultancy – Faithful Gould (fgould.com)

Call-off contract key deliverables

The contract has been structured across three delivery tiers:

  • Tier 1 – Energy data and carbon emissions analysis, decarbonisation planning, feasibility assessments, and modelling of decarbonisation and energy efficiency opportunities;
  • Tier 2 – End to end consultancy support in the preparation and submission of funding applications; and
  • Tier 3 – End to end consultancy support in the design and delivery of decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects.

Interested Bluelight client organisations will be able to enter into individual ‘Work Orders’ directly with Faithful+Gould. All Work Orders will be subject to the same contract terms and schedule of rates, which have been agreed with the appointed consultant at a national level, therefore satisfying the Home Office Fire Priority for greater spend aggregation. 

A national operating decarbonisation model will be designed by Faithful+Gould, whose purpose will be to ensure that the methodology in identifying decarbonisation interventions, their prioritisation, identification and selection of funding routes, through to the procurement and engagement of local (where possible) technical specialists, as well as the management of supply-chain partners are all done in a joined-up, informed and transparent process.

The NFCC National Decarbonisation Consultancy Services Contract will be managed at a national level by a newly formed Programme Management Office (‘PMO’). The PMO will also be responsible for maintaining a national decarbonisation dashboard, which will be available to access by all Bluelight organisations who sign up to the contract.

The dashboard will enable the Home Office, the NFCC and client organisations to access key management information (including but not limited to geographical locations and types of decarbonisation projects, level of government funding received to date on a per region basis, carbon footprint metrics and examples of best practice (as well as lessons learned) with the view of increasing transparency across the Bluelight sector informing the production of a wider Bluelight Sector decarbonisation strategy.

 

Call-off contract documents
Questions

For any questions relating to the content of the contract documents and the call-off process, interested blue light organisations are requested to contact the Commercial Lead by sending an email to andy.balmond@bluelight.police.uk

For any questions relating to setting up an initial workshop meeting with Faithful+Gould, completing the Work Order template or any other queries relating to the project management, data management, technical and financial aspects of the contract, interested Bluelight organisations are requested to contact the Faithful+Gould Programme Lead (Daniel Jermin) by sending an email to daniel.jermin@fgould.com

 

How to express an interest

Interested Fire and Rescue Services and other Bluelight organisations may contact Daniel Jermin daniel.jermin@fgould.com for the purpose of organising an initial workshop and introduction to the NFCC decarbonisation call-off contract.

Please note that guidance relating to Phase 3c of the Salix Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (due to open for funding applications in Autumn 2023) have been published by Salix Finance. Any queries can be sent to email address  phase3cpsdsgrants@salixfinance.co.uk

 

Meet the facilities and construction team

Mark Arkwell

Chief Sponsor FM & Construction

Mark began his fire service career in Surrey in 1999 serving as a firefighter for five years and then experienced various roles across the Service before becoming the Assistant Chief Fire Officer in 2018. Mark was also seconded for 12months as strategic lead to the Surrey and Sussex collaboration programme in 2017. In 2019, Mark joined Royal Berkshire fire and rescue service as Director of Collaboration, Change and Finance overseeing a broad directorate and portfolio of change programmes. Highlights of 2020/21 have included delivery of multiple collaborative estates projects including tri-service stations, sponsorship of the Services’ Built Environment Programme; a response to Grenfell and being central to the Services response to Covid-19. Mark continues to champion effective collaboration and chairs the Interoperability Group, a forum that continues to deliver multiple collaborative projects across the Thames Valley bringing closer working relationships across blue-light partners.

Mark is currently the acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer taking on additional responsibilities across the Service Delivery directorate.

Mark completed an Executive MBA in 2017, graduating with distinction. Alongside broader business practises Mark focussed on strategy implementation and organisational change management. The experience also offered insight into a variety of alternative sectors and cultures, including studying finance and marketing at the Presidential Academy of Economics in Moscow. Outside of work, Mark likes to spend as much time with his young family as he can and has two daughters, Olivia and Rosie.

Andy Balmond

Commercial Lead

NFCC Procurement Hub

The National Fire Chiefs Council Procurement Hub focuses on the £518m spending per year on goods and services from third party suppliers across fire and rescue services, ensuring essential innovation and quality is delivered in the most commercially viable and sustainable way, protecting the front line.

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