NWCH was established in 2009, in response to Central Government’s drive to improve public sector procurement efficiencies. It was born at a time when lowest cost tendering was still pervasive, and time and cost over-runs created an adversarial culture. Clients found that the price they agreed to pay at the start of the scheme was rarely the price they had paid by the end, there were frequently defects and dissatisfaction was rife. Within this context, the Regional Improvementand Efficiency Partnerships (RIEP) had been established, tasked with spreading knowledge and good practice between networks of councils to generate greater improvement and efficiency.
Whilst the RIEP sought improvement in many areas, the considerable capital expenditure in Constructionmeant that it was a focus for attention. The success of the NW RIEP provided the perfect springboard for the creation of a regional public procurement vehicle, founded on those same principles of efficiency, innovation, collaboration and best practice. By working on behalf of all public sector organisations in the region, it drives down the cost of OJEU-compliant procurement, provides cost and programme certainty for clients and secures added value for local communities. Through 10 years of experience, the wealth of knowledge the Framework has accrued allows us to engage and educate Clients and Contractors. We believe strongly in the benefits derived from integration and collaboration. This collaborative culture combined with our core values has proven highly successful, producing consistently high quality projects and exceptional value for money.
