UK firm wins major German facilities management contract

There was further great news for the UK facilities management sector this week after the announcement that Babcock International Group, the engineering support services company, has been awarded a new five-year contract by Defence Estates to provide facilities management services at British Forces bases across Germany.

The twelve site contract, valued at €200 million (£170 million) will safeguard hundreds of facilities management jobs as well as creating new opportunities.

Facilities management of twelve British Forces stations

As part of the deal, Babcock will deliver planned and reactive building maintenance, grounds maintenance and new small works to support the British Forces buildings, assets and the estates at twelve stations, predominantly in the German, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia areas.

The contracts are planned to start immediately, with service delivery starting in August 2011. It is a groundbreaking deal as it is the first time that Defence Estates has outsourced a major facilities management contracts in Germany to a private sector partner.

Flexible solution needed as service personnel return to the UK

Babcock has been working closely with Defence Estates to develop a cost-effective and flexible solution, capable of evolving in response to the significant changes planned to the Ministry of Defence footprint as service personnel return to the UK.

Peter Rogers, Chief Executive of the Babcock Group, said: "Babcock looks forward to working with Defence Estates in Germany. Building on our track record of high quality delivery of two Regional Prime contracts for Defence Estates in the UK, we have worked closely with them to develop the cost-efficient and flexible solution they require."