Sir Robert McAlpine joins Sellafield's Programme & Project Partners

Sir Robert McAlpine has been announced as winner of the Programme and Project Partners’(PPP) latest long-term work framework agreement worth £1bn.

PPP has appointed Sir Robert McAlpine Limited to deliver the Groundworks and Concrete Structures (Civils) framework in the drive to support transformation in project delivery at the Sellafield site in Cumbria. This framework will span the next 17 years.

The appointment of Sir Robert McAlpine as a Key Delivery Partner (KDP) for PPP is expected to create a wide range of opportunities for investment in West Cumbria, from the recruitment of local suppliers and workforce to apprenticeships and training. 100% of PPP supply chain contracts over £100k currently include Social Impact commitments in the area.

Pictured, from left to right, the Sir Robert McAlpine Team: Richard Parker (KDP8 Civils Project Manager), Geoff smith (KDP8 Civils Framework Director), Drag Barnett (KDP8 Civils Preconstruction Director)

Tony Gates, Managing Director, Civil Engineering, Sir Robert McAlpine said: "We are thrilled and excited to join the PPP team at Sellafield. Its industry leading approach to delivering complex infrastructure projects in a highly regulated sector aligns with our commitment to engineering excellence and collaboration that is embedded in our family values and inclusive culture.

Through this long-term appointment, we intend to make a lasting, positive impact on local communities in West Cumbria by boosting employment, promoting skills and education, working with trusted supply chain partners in the region, and creating a tangible, measurable social impact."

Head of PPP Social Impact Luke Richardson said:

“It’s great news to have a leading UK construction and civil engineering company join the PPP team. Sir Robert McAlpine has made some great commitments as part of this contract.

“They’ve committed to support local employment, but they’ve gone further in committing to both the Building Future Trades and the PPP Internship scheme – targeted employability schemes which will provide life changing opportunities for people in West Cumbria.

“They have pledged to work with local SMEs, VCSE’s and charities. They have also committed to open a regional office, in Copeland, in the next couple of years, further embedding the business in the region.

“This is great news for the area, we look forward to working with the team at Sir Robert McAlpine and sharing updates on how these investments have impacted the area but more so, the people in our community.”

Hertfordshire-based Sir Robert McAlpine is a family-owned building and civil engineering company, established for more than 150 years, and operating across the UK. It has a strong relationship with Sellafield, where it successfully completed projects from the mid-1980s until 2017.

The business, which also has a Manchester office, showcased the specialist expertise and unique values-led ethos that are instrumental to exemplar delivery within a highly collaborative environment.

PPP’s Multi Project Procurement (MPP) model encourages long-term collaboration throughout the supply chain, enhanced project delivery, and paves the way for greater economic and social impact in the region, including delivery to the wider UK.

With more than 100 years of work ahead at the site, Sellafield is becoming one of the largest infrastructure projects in the north, generating growth and employment in Cumbria, the North West of England and beyond.