July 17, 2017 — The U.K. division of global quality-of-life services provider Sodexo just announced that it has secured a contract with the U.K. Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide an integrated asset and estates management service. The contract is for an initial five years with a total turnover in excess of £60 million (around USD78 million) and is said to be the largest contract of its type in the public sector.
Sodexo, as the integrator, will be responsible for managing the service providers, who are contracted by the DWP to provide facilities management services, security services, project and lease and landlord management, with the overall objective to encourage best practice and deliver on-going savings across the DWP estate.
Sodexo will provide insight and advice to inform investment and service delivery decisions in respect of the DWP estate and assets. With more than 900 properties across the U.K., including head office locations and job centers, this is one of the largest portfolios in the U.K., says the company.
Mark Seastron, CEO, Defence and Government Services, Sodexo U.K. and Ireland, commented:
We are very proud to be working with the DWP and applaud their ambition and capability to design a market-leading model. This contract represents the way forward for asset and estates management which enables our customers with large, geographically dispersed property portfolios to focus on running their business whilst we concentrate on assisting them manage their estate.
We will help the DWP to maximize their property assets to deliver on-going savings across their estate and ensure that all service providers deliver to high standards.
Max Curzon-Hope, DWP Estates Target Operating Model lead, added:
We are pleased to have appointed Sodexo as our Estates Supply Chain Integrator. We look forward to working with them to deliver a great service for our people and customers and build on the successes and achievements of the past.
Sodexo’s integrator scope will include over 20 services, and will help the DWP to create an effective estate and workplaces through efficient management and having a single strategic overview of these services. Sodexo will provide crucial management information, knowledge and advice ranging from supplier performance, finance, business continuity, compliance and space planning to asset and health and safety management and helpdesk services.
The contract was awarded to Sodexo’s Government Services division and will commence immediately with an initial nine months’ transitional phase and then will become fully deployed on April 1, 2018.
