Businesses have been invited to tender for £12bn worth of HS2 contracts, as it begins its four-day ‘meet the contractor’ event
The four-day event will showcase many of the HS2 contract opportunities that businesses from across the UK can start bidding for.
The event will give businesses, across hundreds of sectors, an insight into how they can become a part of HS2’s rapidly growing supply chain.
Companies right across the country have registered to attend the virtual ‘meet the contractor’ event to find out more about the estimated 400,000 supply chain opportunities that will emerge over the next 18 months.
Over 2,000 people have registered to take part, securing over 21,000 virtual seats. 78% of registrations are from SMEs, spanning a range of business specialisms including logistics, electrical engineering, fencing and accommodation providers.
The four-day programme is being delivered in partnership with HS2’s four main works construction partners – Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial, BAM Nutall (EKFB), Align and Skanska Costain STRABAG (SCS) and two stations contractors, Balfour Beatty/VINCI/SYSTRA and Mace/Dragados.
The agenda for the first three days consists of 24 opt-in webinars, delivered by over 60 presenters.
The final day presents the opportunity for over 1,000 potential suppliers to meet one-to-one with HS2’s construction partners.
The HS2 contracts represent a huge boost for British businesses seeking security and growth amidst the economic uncertainty arising from the Coronavirus pandemic.
‘Providing certainty for British businesses’
HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson, said: “HS2 is at the heart of our plans to build back better from Covid-19 by firing up economic growth and creating tens of thousands of skilled jobs right across the country.
“This marks a very important moment for this project as it opens up £12bn worth of supply chain contracts, creating immediate opportunities and providing certainty for British businesses when they need it most.”
The £12bn boost reflects the scale of progress to date in delivering HS2’s Phase One programme between London and Birmingham, as work on the tunnels, viaducts and station foundations along the 140-mile route gathers pace.
Mark Thurston, HS2 Ltd’s CEO, added: “The government has said that construction must continue during the lockdown, and for HS2 that means continuing to bring more and more companies onto the project, creating thousands of jobs across Britain.
“This event will unlock billions of pounds worth of new contract opportunities on HS2, providing thousands of businesses and their employees with guaranteed incomes, and helping the country’s economic recovery in these uncertain times.”
