The new Constructing West Midlands (CWM) framework has officially named Willmott Dixon as one of its contractor partners, (in the projects over £5m category) for the £2.1 billion of capital works across the West Midlands region.

Over the past nine years we’ve delivered a variety of successful schemes through the CWM framework; schemes that have created lasting legacies in local communities, such as the National College for High Speed Rail and the University of Birmingham’s Green Heart.

A fully OJEU compliant framework, Constructing West Midlands is a collaboration between Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Acivico Limited, a design, construction and facilities management specialist which is wholly owned by Birmingham City Council and which operates the framework.

Roy Horsfall, framework manager, Willmott Dixon, says:

“Our business is dedicated to leaving a positive legacy in local communities and through our projects we are committed to providing employment and training opportunities for their most disadvantaged members. 80% of our labour and spend on CWM projects will come from the West Midlands, and we have a focus on using SMEs and social enterprises, ensuring investment back into the region.

“In the past three years alone, we have delivered CWM projects worth over £100m, and have £80m of projects on site and £20m at preconstruction stage. Sustainability is at our core and as a business we are working towards being Net Carbon Zero by 2030. I am excited to help our customers find solutions to enabling sustainable buildings and environments.”

Peter Yates, Regional Framework Director for Constructing West Midlands, comments:

“Our contractor partners are some of the very best in the market and collectively they have delivered more than £4 billion of framework projects in the last three years alone. As a framework, Constructing West Midlands provides an unparalleled level of expertise. Clients gain access to some of the UK’s leading experts who advise on topics including sustainability, social value and BIM at a national level. Clients also gain the peace of mind which comes from working with a team that is driving developments in framework best practice at a regional and national level.”

Projects we have completed on the CWM framework to date include:

• £46.5m School of Engineering at University of Birmingham
• £23.8m for enhancements at three schools for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
• Award-winning £36m Sports & Wellness Hub at University of Warwick
• £22.7m University of Birmingham’s Teaching and Learning Building
• £4.4m Grange Data Centre
• £11.5m Green Heart public realm project
• £7m refurbishment of the Old Gym for University of Birmingham
• £17m National College for High Speed Rail
• £5.6m Coventry Fire Station

Publicly owned and managed, Constructing West Midlands is committed to providing best-practice impartial advice via a cost effective, simple-to-use framework. It offers a unique level of framework flexibility to suit individual client requirements, includes robust KPIs and is committed to social value and the real living wage.

Procured through Constructing West Midlands, the Sports & Wellness Hub project team celebrate its completion in 2019.