The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has appointed Mace to support clean-up activities at 17 sites across the UK.

Mace will join AtkinsRealis, Gleeds and i3Works, to deliver a range of project and programme management and project controls services as part of a four-year framework with the NDA – the non-departmental public body working on behalf of government to clean-up the UK's earliest nuclear sites safely, securely and cost effectively.

A Mace, AtkinsRealis and Gleeds alliance has been working collaboratively with the NDA for the past two years via a framework, and i3Works has now joined the team for this latest edition to add even more capability and capacity.

The team is the only supplier on the four-year framework, which was run through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and will help the NDA to tackle the challenges it faces in dealing with the nation's nuclear legacy.

The most urgent priorities for the NDA include dealing with its sites' highest-hazard materials, spent fuel, nuclear materials and highly-radioactive waste. Once this has been tackled, focus can turn to the dismantling and demolition of the redundant nuclear facilities.

The consultant team will place industry-leading professionals into project & programme management and project controls roles focused on supporting NDA-wide initiatives in preparation for site-specific requirements in the future. Through a collaborative approach, this will boost existing NDA resource and bring a diverse range of skills and experience to the organisation.

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Rachel O'Donnell, Mace Consult's Director for Nuclear and Energy, said: "The size, scale and importance of the UK's nuclear decommissioning challenge means that we need the best and brightest minds on the case. This alliance of consultancy firms not only presents a talent pool of over 4,000 suitably qualified people, but draws on a longstanding relationship with the NDA – meaning a deep understanding of its needs and opportunities – and offers access to a diverse knowledge bank of wider industry-leading construction and consultancy best practice.

"I'm excited to see what this team and the NDA can achieve together for the nation."

Lisa Street, Director at AtkinsRealis, said: "The NDA's mission to safely manage nuclear waste and decommission and remediate 17 sites nationwide requires a complex and coordinated programme of activity, and we look forward to providing our project management services and working alongside our partners to help deliver this vital programme safely, efficiently and in the most cost-effective way."

Andy Ellis, Global Head of Energy, Gleeds, said: "The NDA has made important progress towards its mission to clean up and decommission the UK's civil nuclear sites. Its assets are of national strategic importance and cost billions of pounds per year to manage. It is vital that the NDA can rely on its supply chain to work collaboratively as client-side advisors, and offer best in class P&PM support to drive forward it's mission to decommission sites safely, securely and cost-effectively, boosting value for money for the UK taxpayer.

"We look forward to building on the strong foundations we have already established over the last two years working in partnership with Mace, AtkinsRealis, now adding i3Works skills to the mix."

Terry O'Dowd, Executive Director, i3Works, said: "i3Works are delighted to be supporting the Mace-led consortium providing the NDA with top-tier capability in support of the immensely mission critical work. Our combined expertise in project controls and project and programme management, will play a pivotal role in addressing the complex challenges of nuclear decommissioning and ensure the safe and efficient clean-up of these sites for the benefit of the UK and its future generations."

Matthew Risk, Framework Manager, Mace Consult, said: "While the NDA's mission to clean up the UK's early nuclear legacy will take over 100 years to realise, we know we've got an important role to play now, setting the right tone and implementing world-class project & programme management and project controls principles that will benefit the NDA in the long-term.

"We also know that long-term benefit must extend beyond the NDA's direct operations, so we're drawing on our wider consultancy capabilities to ensure we're thinking holistically and pushing for positive opportunities, such as the creation of meaningful social value across all 17 sites, many of which are in remote and deprived locations."