The firms will deliver reactive and planned maintenance of buildings assets, as well as small renewals projects, across Kent, Sussex and Wessex Routes for control period 7 and 8.

It rationalises seven current frameworks into one and will award work directly rather than via mini tendering competitions.

Just over half of the framework spend will be allocated to SMEs in the hope it will unlock further innovation and drive greater efficiencies.

Octavius has secured the single ‘Reactive Generalist’ delivery partner place for Buildings and Dyer & Butler ‘Reactive Generalist’ delivery partner for Civils.

These firms will be responsible for all reactive works, including emergency earthworks. Supplementing this, 13 specialist SME delivery firms will support the delivery of low-complexity, planned activities.

The Minor Works, Building and Civils framework has been aligned to the Southern Renewals Enterprise model, in which profit is rewarded based on performance.

Southern Integrated Delivery director Liz Baldwin said: “We want to radically transform the way in which suppliers are incentivised and rewarded in the Southern Region. In particular, by decoupling turnover from profit and incentivising delivery partners around efficiencies and outcomes.

“This is a step change in the way contractors currently operate today in the rail industry.”

Each lot will include a minimum committed spend value of 40% for each partner, providing certainty for supply chain partners to invest in innovation whilst removing costs associated with mini-competition tendering.