BAM Nuttall and BAM Construct UK have signed a solus agreement with Polypipe Group plc market-leading divisions – Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation and Polypipe Building Products – to supply drainage products to all BAM's infrastructure and building projects in the UK.

The move signals a closer relationship in procurement between BAM UK businesses, anticipated to be the first of several such arrangements. BAM believes carefully targeted deals will offer a competitive advantage for its clients, and benefits in quality and performance.

"We are focused on meeting clients' demands," says Daniel Billinge, recently appointed as BAM Construct UK's head of procurement. "This includes securing their key drivers like sustainability, faster programme delivery, and with modern methods of construction that demand more off-site manufacturing and standardisation. This step enhances all of those criteria."

The BAM solus agreement with Polypipe supports earlier and closer collaboration throughout the project life-cycle. Economies of scale and a raft of benefits will reduce capital costs for Clients and add sustainable value.

Using just one drainage supplier on a project means we can plug products into the design from day one. This component-led approach removes the need to alter drawings – or digital designs – further down the line. Reducing redesigns, we save time and resolve clashes and interfaces before a project gets onto site. As all components are compatible, assuring the system's quality and performance.

"Ultimately this arrangement strips inefficiency out of the design, tender and construction stages, it allows us to focus on what adds value for customers' on specific projects," says James Lees, head of supply chain at BAM Nuttall. "Polypipe's technical teams feed directly into the design process, looking at a wider range of potential solutions, making decisions based on value not just capital cost."

For both Polypipe and BAM, working together collaboratively will establish a platform for innovation and continuous improvement, particularly in carbon reduction and the broader use of recycled materials and SMART technologies. It supports developing bespoke net-gain solutions based on the unique Green Urbanisation approach, allowing for the integration of optimised green assets for urban and infrastructure schemes.

Polypipe Civils, already an approved supplier to BAM Nuttall, have already collaborated on projects for Highways England. BAM Nuttall is part of LinkConnex, a consortium with partners Aecom and Mace, working on the Regional Delivery Framework projects, including M54/ M6; A38, Midlands, and A27, South East England. BAM Nuttall is also working on the M27 upgrade, part of the Smart Motorway Programme, in a joint venture with Morgan Sindall.

BAM Nuttall and Polypipe Civils have been collaborating to create a library of BIM models for highway drainage. As well as streamlining the design and construction phases, this approach aims to bring efficiencies to the operation and maintenance of the roads.

"This deal is exciting because we are moving from a transactional relationship to a collaborative one," says James Haddon, account manager for Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation, who has worked closely with James Lees and Daniel Billinge to set up the solus supply deal. "We are really happy about the way that our relationship has progressed and that we have been able to include other parts of our two groups in our journey".