Reflecting on 2022

By Mark Robinson, Group Chief Executive at SCAPE

No one could have anticipated a year quite like 2022 - one which was defined by an international conflict, global inflation, and a cost-of-living crisis, each of which brought challenges for the construction industry and public sector.

At SCAPE, I am proud to see, that despite the state of the climate, our teams faced these challenges head on, collaborating closely with our customers to achieve success and support critical regeneration projects. As a result, 514 projects have now been delivered across our SCAPE frameworks this year, contributing to an 89% client satisfaction score overall.

It was particularly a pleasure to see two new frameworks launched this year. Balfour Beatty was awarded our biggest ever Civil Engineering framework for ENWI and Scotland while we also saw our fourth-generation Regional Construction Framework awarded in June to eight SCAPE partners, including new partner, Stepnell. It is fantastic to see that the first projects procured through these frameworks have already started on site.

We’ve also seen our investment in our clients and partners reap rewards as we help them address some of the challenges they face – including delivering progress on the road to net zero. This time last year, we were announcing the acquisition of the Construction Waste Portal, which is helping contractors to reduce, reuse and recycle project waste more efficiently through a network of partners. 20 contractors and 34 resource management companies have now signed up to the portal which already has exciting plans for 2023.

The SCAPE Group is so much more than a framework provider though – as evidenced by the success of our partners within the group. Lungfish Architects has had a huge impact in Derbyshire; delivering more than £30m-worth of educational infrastructure, while Arc Partnership, our joint venture with Nottinghamshire County Council, continues to support the council’s property, regeneration and highways and civil services portfolio – celebrating their 2000th project since the start of the joint venture in 2016.

As we look ahead to next year, it’s clear there will be further challenges in terms of cost pressures, linked to both inflation and reduced public sector spending. Our mission is to help our clients overcome those challenges – drawing on the vast knowledge and experience we have within the SCAPE Group, including within Arc Partnership and Lungfish Architects. I firmly believe we will be able to look back this time next year and celebrate another positive 12 months of activity, where we have contributed to a world that everyone deserves.