Aspire Defence, a joint venture between Carillion, KBR, Innisfree and InfraRed is delivering Project Allenby/Connaught on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

It is the largest estates PFI ever awarded, combining a £1.2bn construction programme to upgrade soldiers’ working and living accommodation with long term facilities management services over 35 years.

New or refurbished accommodation is being provided across four garrisons: Larkhill, Warminster and TidNBul in Wiltshire and Aldershot in Hampshire.

18,700 soldiers will benefit from new or improved working and leisure facilities.

Aspire Defence is a joint venture between KBR and Carillion. Aspire has been set up to deliver Project Allenby/Connaught for the MoD.

The project is a PFI contract between the MoD and Aspire Defence. The Project will involve the adoption and management of the existing garrison estates at Aldershot and across Salisbury Plain. As part of this remit, Aspire will provide the necessary design, refurbishment, construction, financing, and integration of new facilities.

The contract will run for 35 years and seeks to upgrade single living accommodation to the latest 'Z' standards (single rooms with en-suite facilities) to ensure that Service personnel are properly housed, a key requirement of the Strategic Defence Review.

Launched on 28 May 1997, the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) set out to determine the future direction of British Defence policy.

Aspire will operate at Aldershot and on seven sites around Salisbury Plain - Bulford, Tidworth, Perham Down, Ludgershall, Netheravon, Larkhill and Warminster.

Z standard is the MoD definition for Single Living Accommodation (SLA) requirement – a single room with en suite facilities – the future standard for all trained personnel.

Aspire will work with the MoD to enhance the quality of life for Army and civilian staff, their families and the local communities.

A key goal is the construction of first class, flexible personal living spaces, which fully meet Z standard (single rooms with en-suite facilities). In addition, Aspire will provide a comprehensive range of services to support the day to day running of the garrison.

Aspire responsibilities include:

• Management services
• Cleaning
• Estate management services
• Catering services (provisioning, bar service)
• Supply and stores management
• Transport management and equipment support
• Mess services (including housekeeping service and private room support services)
• Office services (administrative support, mail)
• Welfare services and Security services

The project will provide modern living and working accommodation for some 18,700 military and civilian personnel. This includes 11,500 new and refurbished single room en-suite bedrooms.

We are providing social and sports facilities for the garrison, some inside, some outside and some on the border of the wire. We see these facilities being used by married soldiers and their families and adding to their quality of life.

At the Defence Estates (DE) Conference on 14 March 2001, the Secretary of State for Defence announced £1bn of new money to match the existing £1bn of ring-fenced funding to upgrade Single Living accommodation (SLA) over the next 10 years.

The improvements in England and Wales are being met by Project SLAM which is worth half of the total programme. There are also parallel projects in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Gibraltar, Cyprus and the Falklands. Certain establishments are being improved by wider Private Finance Initiatives or stand alone Prime Contracts, which includes Allenby/Connaught, Devonport, Colchester and HMS Nelson.

A PFI is a way of funding public sector construction and services contracts. A PFI project is typically one in which the private sector partner, in this case Aspire Defence, invests in assets and facilities that are then provided to the public sector, in this case the MoD/Army.

PFIs are widely used across the public sector. MoD has PFIs for housing, simulators, vehicles, office accommodation and training establishments.

Yes. In order to meet the needs of our customers, it is vital that we recruit and retain the right people. The Work For Us section of our website details all current vacancies in both the Construction and Services areas.