Essex Construction alliance

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Welcome to the Essex Construction Alliance! Our mission is to support and empower the entire construction sector in Essex by providing regular updates, sharing members’ successes, highlighting funding opportunities, encouraging collaboration, and addressing key industry challenges like skills shortages, listen to your challenges, address key market issues, and provide the assistance businesses need to grow.

The Essex Construction Alliance is a business-led initiative offering a range of support services, including networking events, expert presentations, and collaborative opportunities.

Event history

The Essex Construction Alliance was launched in September 2023 at the Harlow Civic Centre, and has since gone from strength to strength with a string of events across the county. We have brought the biggest tier 1 companies into the same room as your sole traders, forged collaborative working relationships, and even had attendee’s making it onto the Essex County Council Construction Framework.

Co-ordinated by members of the Sector Development and Skills team, the aim is to provide tailor made events for all our members based on feedback supplied by face to face conversations or surveys.

Our primary aims are to get Essex construction businesses working on Essex construction projects, to get the people of Essex upskilled in a wide array of trades, and to get our businesses collaborating to build a better Essex.

This event was coordinated by Kirstie Forrester, Kaisha Ellis, and Robbie Bryson.

Venue: Hylands House, Chelmsford

Sponsored by; Joseph Gallagher, Kier, Morgan Sindall, and Ringway Jacobs.

Main Stage

Cllr Tony Ball & Cllr Louise McKinlay – Essex County Council
Welcome and highlights of Essex’s construction sector’s innovation, collaboration, and future growth, emphasising community building and sustainability
Panel Discussion – Unlocking Opportunities – Winning work in Essex
Discover live projects, supply chain opportunities, framework benefits, and specific opportunities to help your business thrive. Presentations and Q&As.
Chaired by Michael Veasey of Essex County Council.
Panellists: Phillip Horton of Ringway Jacobs, Joel John of Essex Housing, and Henry Mayes of Kier.
Panel Discussion – Building a better future for Essex: Integrating social value and DEI.
Enhance social value and ED&I efforts to help win work. Gain practical strategies to highlight your work and drive business growth. Panel discussion and Q&As.
Chaired by: Jill Willis of Attract & Engage
Panellists: John Nicholson of Ringway Jacobs. Helen Clements of Morgan Sindall Construction. Sarah Woolley of Kier, and Yvonne Howard who is a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Consultant
Panel Discussion – Transforming your workforce with Apprenticeships
Discover how apprenticeships boost your business and social value. Learn about TrAC’s solutions and tier one contractors’ integration for success. Panel discussion and Q&As
Chaired by: Kaisha Ellis of Essex County Council.
Panellists: Sarah Woolley of Kier, Helen Clements of Morgan Sindall Construction, Maddy Buxton of TrAC, Hannah O’Brien of Essex County Council, and Shane Rayner of MCBS Electrical Ltd.
Panel Discussion – Sustain of Gain?
Panel to decide if going green is the way to go for your construction projects.
Chaired by: Loretta Hoy of Essex County Council.
Panellists: Adam Derham of Essex County Council, Thomas Day of Essex County Council, David Dahan of Auditel, and Paulette McAllister of Joseph Hardy & Company.

Meet the buyer

This session was for contractors to meet buyers to expand supply chains, submit expressions of interest for contracted work, discuss future opportunities, and seek framework opportunities.

Buyers:

Samantha Lagden & Charlotte Hyam-Wingar – Morgan Sindall Construction
Mark Fogarty – Joseph Gallagher
Dave Ford – Essex Highways
Henry Mayes – Kier
Steff Swift – Fusion 21
Josie Williams & Lucy Robinson – Essex County Council

Bitesize Stage

Lucy Robinson of Essex County Council & Jenna Hicken of South East Consortium
Public Procurement: How the Changes Could Impact Your Business – Unlock the benefits of the new Procurement Act: key changes, major reforms, and enhanced efficiency in public procurement processes. Presentation and Q&As.
Peter Allen & Tej Thakkar of Birkett Long LLP
Building Resilience: Elevating Safety Standards in Construction – Understand the new Building Safety Acts: significant impact, proactive steps, and safeguarding operations for a secure environment. Presentation and Q&As.
Sam Bawden & Lawrence Pearce of Holmes & Hills Solicitors
Navigating Common Contractual Pitfalls – Gain expert insights: effective contract management, risk mitigation, best practices
for contracts, identifying risks, and managing them effectively. Presentation and Q&As.
Jill Willis of Attract & Engage
Are You Brand Ready? – Jill Willis, Co-Founder of Attract & Engage, shares hallmarks of a strong construction brand to outshine competitors and win clients. Presentation and Q&As.
Celine McGeown of CITB & Gary Staines of GSQ Brickwork Ltd.
CITB Support for Construction Employers – Learn how CITB supports the construction industry through policy influence, skills development, and partnerships, with contractor insights. Presentation and Q&As.

Exhibitors

A&R Elite Scaffolding, Adapt4, Air Solutions Group, Andrew Martin – Planning Limited, Attract & Engage, Auditel, Beardwell, Bibby Financial Services, BMS Electrical Training, BSF Solid Surface LImited, Carbon Numbers, CB Services Group Ltd, CIOB, CITB, Constructing Excellence Essex Club, Degrees at Work (ARU), DSM Contract Lifting Serviced Ltd, EDF Renewables, Essex Construction Training Association, Federation of Essex Colleges, Federation of Master Builders, Fluid View Limited, Flynne Plant Training, Fusion21, Ground Control, Houghton & Son Ltd, Iconic FM, Indecon Building Limited, Joseph Gallagher, Kier Construction, Lemon Reinforcement, MCBS, Minot Brothers, Moderna Contracts, Morgan Sindall Construction, OCL, Port of Tilbury, Prisoners Building Homes, RG Carter Southern, Ringway Jacobs, Ruskins, SEATS, Sentinel Contracting PLC, South East Consortium, Subvision Surveys Ltd, SWAL Engineering Ltd, Templant Rental Power, Thames Freeport, The Supply Chain School, The TP Group, TrAC.