Sizewell C is trying to turn one of Britain’s biggest infrastructure projects into a long-term industrial catalyst for the East of England, with procurement designed to spread work across hundreds of smaller contracts rather than concentrating it in a handful of major awards.
Malcolm Dare, who is overseeing the project’s procurement and supply chain approach, said the site delivery package, which covers new roads, a rail link and a marine import facility, will be broken int...
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o smaller lots to make it easier for regional firms and SMEs to win work. He pointed to Blackwell Earthmoving as an example of how the model is already operating. The Essex-based contractor has been working on the project for more than three years and now operates under a framework arrangement, allowing tasks to be issued quickly while giving the business a platform to expand its skills, capacity and productivity.
Sizewell C says that approach is part of a wider attempt to embed social value into contracting. According to Dare, every contract carries a 10% ESG requirement, covering apprenticeships, local recruitment and support for social enterprises. One beneficiary is Royal British Veterans Enterprise, which produces signage while employing veterans, including some living with physical injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder. Dare said revenue from the factory helps fund outreach, housing and care services, describing it as a case where relatively modest spending can support broader community support.
The project has also been using procurement to strengthen skills pipelines in Suffolk and beyond. It is investing in a sixth-form college in Leiston and has introduced skills bootcamps with contractors including Willmott Dixon and HW Martin, aiming to improve long-term job prospects for local people. Sizewell C says it has also joined the Supply Chain Sustainability School to give suppliers access to training on sustainability, resilience and modern construction practices.
The company’s broader supply-chain ambitions are substantial. It says 70% of construction value is intended to go to UK businesses, and that more than £2.5 billion in contracts has already been awarded to nearly 300 British suppliers, supporting 70,000 jobs. Separate company figures say over 400 British suppliers have secured work worth £2.8 billion, including £126 million in Suffolk, alongside a target of 1,500 apprenticeships and a 19% uplift in local biodiversity.
Sizewell C has also been courting regional firms directly. An exhibition in Ipswich drew about 1,000 businesspeople from across the East of England, underlining the level of interest in the project’s supply chain opportunities. More recently, the company said it had appointed Essex logistics firm Wilson James in a deal expected to create 350 jobs in the East of England, while marking its 100th apprentice and reiterating its pledge to deliver 1,500 apprentices during construction, including 540 from the local area.
The project is also backed by a £23 million Community Fund intended to support economic, social and environmental projects in affected areas, reflecting an effort to present Sizewell C not just as a power station in the making, but as a long-term industrial and community programme.
Source: Noah Wire Services
