Specialist offsite contractor M-AR has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s Offsite Construction Solutions (OCS) framework
M-AR is one of 29 companies on the Offsite Construction Solutions (OCS) framework and has secured its place in all five core areas:
- Education (3D – Hire/purchase up to £15m)
- Healthcare (3D – purchase or hire)
- Justice and Defence (3D Turnkey Solutions)
- Residential – having been put through a rigorous approvals process to give specifiers peace of mind.
OCS framework covers all Government departments
It replaces the current modular building solutions agreement with an increased scope that means it’s set to be worth in the region of £10bn over the next four years. This will allow more public sector projects to benefit from the increased efficiency which offsite offers.
Because offsite construction considers the total environmental cost of a product or service over its entire lifetime, the OCS framework can support the use of whole-life cost approaches in public sector spending to ensure a lower environmental impact on each building.
Offsite projects offer a higher level of pre-manufactured value, providing public sector projects with a greater value for money
Paul Cunniffe, pre-construction director at M-AR, said: “Securing our place on the new Crown Commercial Service offsite framework alongside 28 of our peers is a testament to the hard work of the whole team here at M-AR, and I couldn’t be prouder. We’ve proved our mettle through the successful delivery of complex projects, including a large new build extension at Little Ilford School, the first fully solar-powered park and ride facility in the UK, and building 33 new modular homes for the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity, Centrepoint.
“We’re passionate about the offsite industry and the benefits it can bring, especially as we all aim for carbon net zero targets as an industry, so it’s fantastic to see offsite and MMC being given such prominence within the public sector. One of our missions at M-AR is to change perceptions of offsite and lose the ‘modern methods of construction’ label to bring it firmly into the mainstream. This expanded public sector offsite framework marks a big step forward.”
More about M-AR and Crown Commercial Services
M-AR is striving to challenge accepted industry norms to unlock the full potential of MMC. It primarily serves the residential sector, creating homes to suit both social and private housing needs, as well as the education and commercial sectors – managing the whole process from design and build to onsite installation and aftercare.
Having been early to the modular housing market, M-AR is now part of the Buildoffsite Property Assurance Scheme (BOPAS) to ensure properties are fully mortgageable and backed by numerous quality assurance schemes.
Its people-centric approach means M-AR is focused on building relationships and, as a solutions provider, is concerned with finding the right build method for each client, project and budget rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
CCS supports the public sector in achieving maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2021/22, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.8 billion – supporting world-class public services that offer the best value for taxpayers.
