New arrangements to provide Hard Facilities Management (HFM) to Ministry of Defence (MOD) sites used by reserves and cadets have come into effect today (1 August 2024).
The MOD’s existing Built Estate contracts, which provide HFM services to Defence sites across the UK, were amended to add the additional sites into their scope. The Built Estate contracts were awarded to Mitie Defence, VIVO Defence Services and VINCI Facilities Defence by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) in 2021.
The amendment sees 1,622 sites, which are supported by the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations (RFCA) and are known as the Volunteer Estate, receive key maintenance work, repairs, servicing and hard facilities management through the existing MOD Built Estate contracts.
Adoption of the Built Estate
The adoption of the Built Estate arrangements across the RFCA sites will not only achieve better value for money, but also deliver a higher standard of service for users by enabling the RFCA to build on the benefits of the contracts already in use across the Regular Estate.
These benefits include the adoption of industry best practice maintenance standards, improved health and safety compliance and the use of improved technology to inform and manage the delivery of services.
Major General (Retd) Jamie Gordon, Chief Executive, Council Reserves Forces’ and Cadets’ Association said: “Today, we go live with new contractors to deliver Hard Facilities Management across the Volunteer Estate.
“Through this new contact, we will continue to ensure that the Volunteer Estate remains safe and functional for all reserves and cadets to work and train. This is but one of the changes that we enacted so that we can deliver the best support to the UK’s reserves and cadets, as we have done over the past 116 years.”
James Crosfield, DIO’s Senior Responsible Owner for the Volunteer Estate Value For Money Study said: “This change was a common-sense move to bring all Defence outputs to the same contractual conditions and outputs. Working with suppliers and the RFCAs has allowed us to share best practice between all parties. This allows improved valued for money and a set standard across the Defence estate, so we welcome the change.”
Largest providers of estate services
Jerry Moloney, Chief Executive Officer of VIVO Defence Services, said: “We are really looking forward to providing asset and facilities management services across eight of the Volunteer Estate’s thirteen UK regions.
“Since we started operations two years ago, we have grown to become one of the largest providers of estate services to the military in the UK and are committed to helping enable our country’s defence capability through innovation and new ways of working.
“Working for the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association and assisting them in the important role they play for the MOD is really important to us and I thank everyone involved during our mobilisation period for their hard work and support.”
Grant Cristall, VINCI Facilities Defence’s Regional Director said: “VINCI Facilities’ Defence team is looking forward to delivering Hard FM services to the Volunteer Estate covering Greater London and the South East of England.
“The commencement of this arrangement brings learnings from the current framework and our regional Built Estate contract mobilisation and service delivery, to the Volunteer Estate.
“We are fully supportive of the jointly held ambition to improve the Volunteer Estate and to help ensure we provide safe places for our Reserve Forces and Cadets to work and train.
“Our team is looking forward to collaboratively working with the RFCA organisations across Greater London and the South East, and also colleagues across Defence in the development of these nationally strategic military infrastructure assets.”
Strategic partnership
Charlie Antelme, Managing Director, Mitie Defence, said: “As a committed supporter of the UK’s Armed Forces, we’re proud to mark another great milestone in our long-standing, strategic partnership with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and extend our services to the Volunteer Estate.
“We look forward to bringing our technology-led approach to facilities transformation and ensuring that both Reserve and Cadet Forces benefit from an efficient, safe, and well-maintained estate in which to live, work and train.”
Value for Money study
The decision to change the contract arrangements followed significant consultation with stakeholders and the completion of a Value for Money Study to determine if HFM requirements could be met most cost effectively by Built Estate suppliers or through the previous arrangements.
The change was announced in December 2023 and the contractors have spent the intervening time preparing to extend their services to the new sites in their regions.
In Yorkshire and the Humber VIVO Defence Services will be the service supplier for the Built Estate. Pictured are Darren Orr, Mark Stephens, Jamie McDonald, Paul Roberts and Vickie Ennis from VIVO with our Head of Estates Ian Hardbattle in the centre.