Blog: Client of the Year Winner 2018

06 September 2018

Education & Skills Funding Agency

Type of organisation: Government Department

Number of staff: 2000+

The judges say..."The Education and Skills Funding Agency recognise their place as a leading client and have used their influence to the best effect to stimulate change in the industry."


The ESFA has proved they are serious about off-site construction with 35 schools already built or in the process of being built using pre-construction. They have also procured three new modular frameworks (one for new build primary, one for primary block replacement and one for Secondary schools) with a total value of around £500m, generating significant market interest from off-site specialist contractors and tier one contractors. To facilitate this, a significant piece of work was undertaken by the ESFA, capturing best practice in teaching and learning, to develop a series of standardised designs that the successful contractors would use to deliver standardised components based on a standardised template design approach.  These standard designs meet the stringent requirements set by the ESFA and are flexible to meet the needs of specific sites whilst ensuring key elements of the solution are the same.

“In the client of the Year category, we’re looking for Construction clients actively involved in enabling the construction programme and with strategies for encouraging and rewarding excellence” explains Darren Border, Director of Willmott Dixon who sponsor of the Client of the Year Award.  “The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) recognise their place as a leading client and have used their influence to best effect to stimulate change in the industry.”

The ESFA provides a clear standardised, consistent approach to engagement, design, procurement and delivery. Design guides for primary and secondary schools have been developed through lessons learned during the procurement process and feedback from the market.

The ESFA will now be going onto the Constructing Excellence National Awards on 16th November 2018, where they will be up against winners from around the UK, including EDF Energy, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and GlaxoSmithKline in the Client of the Year category. 

The Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards 2019 will be launching shortly after the national awards, for work carried out in 2018 in the London and the South East region. To make sure you don't miss out in 2019, register your interest.





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