HVM CITY WINS A CELEBRATING CONSTRUCTION AWARD

9th May 2018

The West Midlands Celebrating Construction Awards were held on Friday 13 April at Birmingham’s ICC, rewarding the very best in the Midlands built environment.

A joint entry from the Black Country LEP and West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) scooped the Client of the Year prize for the organisations’ collaborative work on HVM City.

HVM City (where HVM stands for high value manufacturing) is an ‘interactive platform’ to alert West Midlands firms to business opportunities resulting from regeneration projects. By registering with HVM City, organisations can be alerted to and compete for work in both the public and private sectors – across the UK but with particular emphasis on this region.

Black Country LEP and WMCA were praised by the judging panel which called HVM City “an inspirational showcase that demonstrates supply chain integration and collaboration”.

Black Country LEP and WMCA achieved further kudos on the night alongside the Midland Metro Alliance. The partners were shortlisted in the Innovation category for their visionary work on the soon-to-be-launched BIDsmarter – with Sandwell Council’s contribution also recognised.

This cloud-based digital platform and smartphone app will soon help SMEs improve their competitiveness, build knowledge and become digitally equipped to win contracts on major rail transportation projects.

The joint entry narrowly missed out to Telford-based Lyreco.

Paul Brown, Black Country LEP board member said: “It is rewarding to have our work recognised in this way. We are committed to helping our businesses in the Black Country and are constantly striving to support them to their growth journey.  Working in partnership, finding and developing innovative ways to drive business growth is both a challenge and an opportunity; HVM City is proving to be valuable to our businesses as they embrace the work-winning opportunities in the construction industry”.

Sandwell Council was shortlisted in two categories: Digital Construction Initiative of the Year for our work with the BIMwm framework, and for a joint entry with Currall, Lewis & Martin (CLM) in the Best Integration and Collaboration category.

At the awards evening more than 600 guests from across the construction and manufacturing sectors witnessed the winners receiving their trophies. Black Country LEP and WMCA will automatically move forward to represent the West Midlands at the high-profile national awards held in London later this year. Congratulations to all winners and finalists!

This article was published by Think Sandwell on 24.04.18