Builders, plumbers, electricians and certain specialist contractors are being invited to tender for ongoing maintenance work on Devon County Council’s schools, libraries, social service buildings and offices.

The contract will be for the next four years and cover works up to £5,000 per job.

Notices have been advertised across the country and businesses have until December 5 to submit completed tenders.

The Council wants to simplify its maintenance contracts process for schools and other Council-owned properties, making it easier and more transparent to manage.

Rather than the current arrangements, whereby three contractors are appointed to cover the whole country, the Council wants to have a 'panel of approved contractors', based on nine geographic areas of Devon, from which trades can be selected to carry out both planned and reactive property maintenance work.

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Businesses chosen will need to meet Health and Safety accreditation standards, and contractors will be required to provide a list of rates so work can be promptly ordered from contractors.

The Council has been working with the Working Well Together Campaign which will provide free support to smaller contractors to help secure Health Safety accreditation.

The Council is also renewing its Standing List of Approved Construction Contractors and applications to join this will need to be made by 5 December.

The list will provide Council Premises Managers with a range of contractors who can provide works up to £300,000 per job after they have submitted successful quotes or tenders.

Councillor Julian Brazil, the County Council’s executive support member for property management, said: "We anticipate that these new arrangements will help to drive down our overall maintenance costs leaving money that can be redirected into other projects or services. We hope that these arrangements will be of interest to the Building Industry including our many local and highly skilled contractors."

(JM)