Responsible procurement for the future: continuing to build the gold standard
While the past year has been a difficult and demanding year for our industry, it has been a year in which our industry can hold its head high. The task of continuing to develop the country’s infrastructure, ‘build back better’, and ‘build back greener’ fell to construction professionals as we have continued to develop the UK’s infrastructure and crucial services.
This year has seen every member of our expert, qualified team and wider ecosystem rise to the challenges presented. Thanks to that commitment and trust in our services, we have now delivered 1,537 projects totalling some £2.9 billion since our inception. Our work has, in turn, generated over £4 billion in social value and more than £2 million returned to the public sector for good causes.
Collaboration is key
Driven by the knowledge that making change happens lies within the opportunities that constructive partnerships can unleash, we launched our new group structure – The 55 Group – in mid-2021. This structure, enveloping ourselves, Sypro, Loop and Tequ allows us to provide full services, consultancy and added value to all our of clients.
‘Constructing the Gold Standard’
Looking to procurement and frameworks more specifically, it is now just over a year since we welcomed ‘The Construction Playbook’, which was published in December 2020. Following this, Professor David Mosey was engaged by the Cabinet Office to examine procurement and frameworks in the construction industry and has now published a review; ‘Constructing the Gold Standard’.
As industry advocates for delivering gold standards in procurement, we welcome this attitude towards forward-thinking procurement. We are continuing to position ourselves at the forefront of best practice, helping the government with post-pandemic recovery and levelling up strategies.
One of our key roles is to set the tone for responsible procurement practices, setting the standard for the wider industry and delivering true value for all parties. This is why we continually drive and push to ensure that we lead the way, providing a streamlined approach for easier, and the most cost-effective, procurement possible for clients and members of our ecosystem.
Putting social value first
With social value measurements now accounting for a minimum of ten per cent weighting in future bids and tenders, we are proud to be the first framework provider to integrate this forecasting as standard via our partner company Loop. All users of our frameworks are provided with a complimentary license after onboarding and training, truly embedding social value within every action.
This special license and training allows users to demonstrate the social value contributions – which is now a minimum of ten per cent weighting in future bids and tenders.
We are pioneers in creating the future of construction with a digital-first approach, and all of The 55 Group’s brands are rooted in digital efficiency – making sure that we continue to be leaders of transformational change for the industry. Responsible procurement is at the heart of everything we do, and we will continually commit our efforts to this as it continues to grow in importance within the industry.
By paving the way for the application of new innovations and technology in construction across The 55 Group, our approach meets the 14 principles of The Construction Playbook and embraces the 24 recommendations from Professor David Mosey.
This year, we look forward to launching two brand-new frameworks. Our mission will be to continue to reach for better, delivering the spaces where people live, work, educate and learn, and relax and enjoy leisure time.
Construction is not just a great sector, it is the greatest sector – and with a shared focus on shared outcomes, together we will make change happen, deliver spaces that support communities and create a long-lasting legacy for the future.
Read more on our pledge to the construction playbook and commitment to delivering a truly ‘Gold Standard’ of frameworks:
Delivering ‘Gold Standard’ frameworks
Discover our frameworks
