News on HS2 in Hillingdon

Our contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCS Railways), is launching a virtual enterprise academy for the second time and is looking for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to get involved .

The three-month programme has 150 free places available and will upskill businesses, giving SMEs the tools to work on projects like Britain's new high-speed railway.

Beginning in April, the Academy will run through until June, and the modules will cover topics including HR, health and safety, social value, carbon management innovation, the environment, risk management, finance and commercial awareness. To get involved, businesses need to have a turnover of £1 million for 2019/2020, a core business offering that aligns with the construction industry, and must demonstrate why they would like to take part in the Academy.

To date, we have already awarded around £18bn worth of contracts directly and a significant proportion of this value is expected to flow out to the wider supply chain. By the end of 2022, it’s estimated this figure will reach around £25bn. Over 2,000 businesses have already won work on the project, 70% of which are SMEs.

Registration for the Virtual Academy closes on Tuesday 6th April. In order to access and apply for a place, businesses need to register on the CompeteFor portal . We and our construction partners also use CompeteFor to advertise all subcontract opportunities, and businesses who set up a company profile can receive tailored alerts to opportunities that match their trade. As Britain strives to build back better, businesses of all sizes from across the UK are encouraged to get ‘HS2 ready’.

For more information about HS2 please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk