Government Property Agency picks BNP PRE as strategic partner

The Government Property Agency has appointed BNP Paribas Real Estate as its new strategic partner. Under the arrangement BNP PRE will handle the GPA’s national property and property-related financial services. The initial three-year contract follows a procurement process via the Crown Commercial Services Estates Management Services framework, and includes the option to extend for up to an additional four years. This new contract is aligned to the GPA’s current and future needs and has a focus on social value, including tackling economic inequality, fighting climate change and improving health and wellbeing. Service requirements include improved taxpayer value through enhanced asset condition and sustainability performance; outstanding client satisfaction; high-quality data and reporting; and improvements in corporate real estate management. The GPA was set up in 2018 to deliver the government’s property strategy, and its mandate includes the government’s office and warehouse portfolios, which total more than 7m sq ft. It is also charged with rolling out the property elements of the levelling up agenda and net zero initiative. GPA property director Alan Whitelaw said: “The GPA aims to attract best-in-class strategic partners to ensure we deliver a transformed, shared, sustainable and value-for-money government estate which supports civil servants to work productively in every nation and region of the UK. We are pleased to develop this new strategic partnership with BNP PRE to support our continued growth and deliver high-quality property and property-related financial management services.” Through its Government Hubs programme, the GPA wants to deliver “smart, modern, sustainable and digitally-connected workplaces that focus on supporting productivity and wellbeing”. Its Workplace Transformation programme is introducing regional, people-centred, data-driven facilities management contracts that will support civil servants across the UK. Steve Harber, senior director and head of property management at BNP PRE, said: “The GPA has an incredibly compelling vision for the management of its estate with data and accurate financial reporting, along with delivering social value for the communities it impacts, at the core of its operation. Our dynamic approach will be supported by a set of critical success factors to ensure service delivery improvements, technical solutions, and sustainability innovations are achieved across the contract lifecycle. We are incredibly excited to support the GPA in realising the estate’s full potential in the years to come.” To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews