The 12 firms who will work with the Environment Agency over the next four years to build and repair flood defences have sealed the deal by signing the Water and Environment Management (WEM) Framework Charter.
The partnership will immediately get to work to deliver the 2014 Recovery Programme, set up to restore flood risk assets damaged across the country by the winter floods.
The dozen specialist companies will also develop, design and construct a number of flagship flood and coastal risk management schemes including at Warrington, Hull, Boston, Exeter and on the Thames Barrier.
David Rooke, Executive Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management at the Environment Agency, said:
"The Charter sets out our commitment to how we will work to deliver more outcomes for people, communities and the environment. It ensures a consistent standard of project delivery and, by working together, also improves performance and efficiency and more opportunity for sharing innovation and best practice"
In addition to delivering Environment Agency projects, the WEM Framework suppliers will also work for a range of Risk Management Authorities and Defra delivery bodies, including local authorities, internal drainage boards and Natural Resources Wales.
The full list of Framework suppliers are: AKT (Aecom, Keir), GBV (Galliford Try & Black and Veatch), VBA (Volker Stevin, Boskalis, Atkins), JBA (Jeremy Benn Associates), Team Van Oord (Van Oord, JT Mackley, May Gurney, Royal HaskoningDHV) Instead of Halcrow, use CH2M Hill Halcrow, BMM JV (BAM Nuttall Mott MacDonald JV).
Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Lord Deighton, who witnessed the charter signing at the Environment Agency's London head office, commented:
“Investing in quality infrastructure is a key part of the Government’s long term economic plan as it boosts growth now and in the future and creates jobs.
“But quality infrastructure is also vital to our day-to-day activities, as we have seen over the winter. That is why this government has prioritised spending on flood defences, which protected around 1.4million properties during the recent extreme weather, and has already committed to spending £2.4 billion on tackling flooding and coastal erosion in this four-year period.
“But we need to make sure that we are getting the most out of our money for the taxpayer, and that is why I am very pleased to support the WEM Framework Charter, which will ensure that government and industry can work together to strive for the best, remove wastage, and build a more sustainable and collaborative relationships at all levels of the supply chain.”