RSUA meets with Radius Housing Association

RSUA met today with Anita Conway, Director of Development at Radius Housing Association, and Eamonn McDonnell, Radius’ Procurement Manager.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Radius’ current and future investment plans, procurement opportunities for new entrants and options for innovation.

Current portfolio

Radius reported that it had 900 employees and was responsible for managing 14,000 properties, 751 of which were currently on site. It was also stated that the association aimed to deliver between 300 and 350 units per year.

Procurement approach

Radius confirmed that it was still primarily using traditional procurement routes with Integrated Design Teams (IDTs), as these were perceived to give the association greater control over development.

The association advised that its new IDT framework, due to be introduced later this year, would likely cover projects below £7–8 million, an increase from the previous threshold of £5 million.

Further insights into Radius’ approach included:

• The association was planning to issue several procurement opportunities on a Design and Build basis in the near future.
• Between 500 and 600 units are currently planned to be tendered through design competitions.
• In its evaluation of tenders, the association aims to allocate 70–80% of the weighting to quality while balancing value for money.

Opportunities for new entrants

Radius advised that all opportunities for new entrants would need to comply with the Procurement Act 2023, as well as deliver tangible benefits to its tenants.

As a baseline, Radius stated that it would expect to work with registered architects with experience of NEC Contracts and a proven track record in delivering social housing and/or other residential developments, depending on the project.

RSUA and Radius agreed to meet at a future date to discuss the RSUA’s position paper on Public Design Competitions, which is currently under review, in order to explore procurement access for new bidders.

Options for innovation

Radius indicated that it planned to develop a small scheme based on Passivhaus principles and had been in negotiations with contractors.

In addition, the association expressed a desire to experiment in future with modern methods of construction (MMC) on larger projects, particularly offsite manufacturing, as a means of improving sustainability.

However, it was also reported that all planned pilot projects were currently stalled due to budgetary pressures.

Further engagement

If you have any questions or comments about this meeting, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk