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.
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.
Maj Gen (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 (VE). Through this new contract, 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.”
Across the East Anglia region, the RFCA will be working with VIVO Defence Services. The most significant change for site users will be the introduction of a 24/7 helpdesk and the RFCA estates team has grown to ensure the effective management of the new arrangements.
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.”
Colonel Leona Barr-Jones DL, Chief Executive, East Anglia RFCA, said:
“Over the past year, our team have been heavily involved in getting this major change programme prepared for today’s go live. It will transform the lived experience for many reserves and cadets across our region and, alongside VIVO Defence Services, East Anglia RFCA will continue to develop the excellent, highly professional working relationships we have with all of our customers.”
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.
