BBC extends facilities services partnership with struggling Interserve

BBC Pacific Quay as viewed from the River Clyde
BBC Pacific Quay as viewed from the River Clyde

Interserve has been given a boost today after winning a £140 million contract to continue providing facilities services for the BBC.

The latest four-year extension to the account, which was first awarded in 2014, will see the beleaguered firm provide total facilities management services across the broadcaster’s UK estate until 2023.

In total the contract covers 150 sites and 560,000 m2 floorspace, including the corporation’s major offices and production facilities at MediaCityUK in Salford, Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London and Pacific Quay in Glasgow.



The partnership covers 26 separate service lines reflecting the diversity of the BBC’s operations across its estate and the need to deliver a coordinated and positive workplace experience for employees across the organisation’s sites. Services ranging from critical broadcast engineering, energy and utilities management through to cleaning, portering and security are tailored to specific building requirements, including the need for 24-hour operations at several locations.

The news comes after a turbulent few weeks for the company in which it warned that its profits for this year were likely to be half what they were last year amid spiralling costs for a troubled energy-from-waste contract.

It also said there was “a realistic prospect” of it breaching its financial covenants with its lenders.

The firm was given some much-needed respite last week when it signed a £227 million five-year electrical and mechanical maintenance contract with the Department for Work and Pensions.



In addition to the latest BBC contract, Interserve currently delivers security guarding and building contractor services for the broadcaster under separate frameworks.

Debbie White, chief executive at Interserve, said that the contract extension was testament to the strong partnership between the two organisations: “Our ongoing partnership with the BBC has been built on our collaborative approach, marrying our expertise in delivering high performance workplaces with the needs of the customer’s diverse teams across its UK estate.”


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