Four North West companies have secured a pioneering role to support major projects at the Sellafield site.

Shepley Engineers and PPS Electrical of Whitehaven, Process Pipework Services from Ulverston, and Alpha Engineering in Preston, have become the first smaller suppliers to participate in Programme and Project Partners’ (PPP) long-term framework.

The frameworks have a combined potential value of £51m in the first five years.

John Rossiter, head of PPP supply chain, described the collaborations as a “huge milestone”.

He said: "This is a first for the construction industry and the output of a huge and collaborative effort.

“I’d like to welcome our new supply chain partners to the PPP enterprise and thank everyone involved for helping us pioneer new models and give us a platform to achieve true innovation in how we deliver for our projects and communities.”

The businesses will provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) services as part of agreements that will last up to 16 years.

They will collaborate with key delivery partners, including Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, EJ Parker, NG Bailey, and Altrad Babcock, to deliver HVAC mechanical and electrical.

The selection of these smaller suppliers is a result of their participation in 'Swimming with the Big Fish', an SME matchmaker service.

The commercial model rewards project performance as well as other factors including investing in Cumbria, sustainability, and developing people.

PPP, established in 2019, has already awarded contracts worth up to £3 billion, working alongside approximately 200 suppliers from across the UK.

All the newly selected firms have pledged to contribute positively to the local community throughout the tenure of their collaboration with PPP.

Gavin Jakubowski, managing director of Shepley Group, said: "We are incredibly excited and extremely proud to have signed multiple long-term framework agreements to support delivery of the Sellafield PPP Programme.

“The opportunity builds on our decades of heritage at the site. Through our commitment to engineering excellence and right first-time ethos, we look forward to supporting the continued successful delivery of the decommissioning programme, while contributing to the local economy and increasing employment opportunities in west Cumbria."

Martin Crouch, managing director of Alpha Engineering, said: “The framework provides Alpha Engineering a platform to invest in long term strategic goals such as training and apprentices’ programmes, systems and processes of which for a SME, can be difficult given the relative short-term approach to business continuity."

By March 2024, PPP expects to have enlisted a further 20 suppliers via key delivery partner long-term frameworks.