PFI/PPP contractor of the year

Winner
Skanska
Skanska was one of the first contractors to spot the possibilities of the emerging PFI market at the beginning of New Labour's first term. It was awarded the UK's first large private finance project, the £86m QEII Bridges, and towards the end of last year it was named preferred bidder for the mother of all PFI healthcare schemes, the £1bn St Bartholemew's and Royal London Hospital project in London. This is a large firm with a large appetite; it has completed 13 PFI healthcare projects and has seven more under way, and the total value of its PFI work is currently a little more than £2bn. As well as the healthcare sector, Skanska has set the pace in the prisons market, and has succeeded in driving down cost and time using precast and off-site methods at the Lowdham Grange prison, which set the standard for the rest of the industry. This was a standard that the firm went on to beat at its next custodial job, at Kilmarnock in Scotland.

'Without a doubt, the right choice as a PFI partner'

RUNNERS-UP
Ryhurst
This firm, which is a specialist division of the Rydon Group, is impressive because it has undertaken fairly unimpressive projects and done them so well that it has been voted the second-best PFI contractor in the country. Rather than tackle the really huge end of the PFI market, Ryhurst has zeroed in on small and medium-sized jobs for highly specialised building, particularly those for mental health treatment and care in the community. These are frequently highly complex jobs, spread over a number of sites and with a wide variety of uses. The firm has become to good at this sensitive work because of the quality of its management, and because it has had a long time to familiarise itself with the work: it undertook its first job for the Oxlease NHS Trust in south London in 1996. Since then, its revenue has climbed from less than £3m to more than £20m today.

'Very impressed with its performance in all aspects'

McAlpine Capital Projects
Although it came third overall, Alfred McAlpine came out top in Building's random sample of client opinion, scoring ridiculously high marks for health and safety and its ability to bring a project in on budget. The second of those qualities reflects the firm's ability to build a good design at the right price, as it did at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire. Its approach to the task is best exemplified by the Hereford County Hospital, which it undertook in a joint venture with Haden Young. The new facility was built cheek-by-jowl with existing operating theatres, and was handed over early and well within its budget. It is also exemplified by the firm's unusually high strike rate of accepted bids – a key skill, given the expense of bidding for a PFI job.

'Its experience and understanding has proved invaluable'

Kier Project Investment
Kier Project Investment was formed in 1997, once it became clear how enthusiastic New Labour was about this new procurement route. And from an early stage, Kier managers realised that it had the potential to become a big part of their business. Given the steady, sure-footed character of the parent, you won't be surprised to learn that Kier has taken time to staff the firm with its own employees, rather than buying-in expertise. Those staff mainly tackle medium-sized projects in the £15-60m range, and their guiding philosophy is to set out clearly what they are going to do and then stick to it. How very Kier.

Catalyst Healthcare
Catalyst, Bovis Lend Lease's specialist healthcare PFI arm, has perhaps done more than many to bring some architectural distinction to the PFI hospital. In particular, Hexham hospital, which was opened in July of last year, was a fine vernacular building, that blended traditional material and contemporary features. The striking impression that hospital makes when first visited is being complemented by the high levels of patient satisfaction and staff appreciation. Catalyst now has a long-term partnership with the NHS, and is making a significant contribution to the modernisation of the service though the delivery of high quality clinical designs and environments that promote healing.

Wates Group
Wates entered the PFI market a little later than many of its competitors, and wisely avoided the maturing prison and healthcare markets to concentrate on schools. It decided to contribute equity as well as construction services, and teamed up with Atkins and the ubiquitous Innisfree.

After early successes in Penweddig in Wales and Merton in south London, it felt confident to form QED Educational Environments, a one-stop shop for school projects, handling everything from design to facilities management. The outcome is that Wates has repaid its initial investment in the sector and is starting to make a really healthy profit.