THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY
CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYERS FEDERATION UPDATES MEMBERS ON ONGOING ISSUES… As the certified representative body for the construction industry in Northern Ireland, the Construction Employers Federation (CEF) represents the interests of not only its member companies but also those of roughly 65,000 skilled workers engaged within the wider construction sector. In the ‘Work in Progress’ update, CEF Managing Director, Mark Spence, discusses some of the issues the Federation is currently working on: Work in progress
Mark Spence, Construction Employers Federation (CEF) Managing Director.
MARKET ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AT THE CEF
In recent weeks we were delighted to host the Belfast Region City Deal partners and representatives from Ireland’s National Transport Authority in two separate market engagement events with members. The first event focused on three upcoming tender opportunities in the BRCD programme: Lagan Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge – £13m; Newry City Centre Regeneration – over £30m and i-REACH Health – over £45m. All three are due to come to the market during 2023/24. Members then met with Ireland’s National Transport Authority to understand the opportunities in its pipeline – specifically the €15bn allocated to the NTA to the end of this decade to support delivery of sustainable transport across Ireland. Further information on the events, as well as the slides that were presented, are available by contacting David Fry davidf@cefni.co.uk
CONSTRUCTION SKILLS REPORT CEF in partnership with Unite and GMB unions last year commissioned EY to review the structural challenges to meeting the skills needs in construction. The report is expected to be launched by the All Party MLA group on construction at Stormont in May. Headline findings are the need for the industry to take ownership of its issues in the absence of a joined-up government.
REVIEW OF SCORING SOCIAL VALUE PROCUREMENT POLICY NOTE
As part of reviewing PPN 01/21 – which, from June 2022, mandated that public sector tenders must include a minimum of 10% of the total award criteria to social value – CEF members have recently met twice with the Strategic Investment Board to discuss the progress of the implementation of the PPN to date, as well as opportunities for further refinement in the scoring criteria. This engagement has been particularly critical as we approach the originally proposed date of June 2023 for moving to 20% of the total award criteria being set aside for social value. The expectation is that, in the continued absence of an NI Executive, this proposal will now be delayed but we await formal confirmation of this.
An artist’s impression of the proposed Lagan Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge.
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