A fresh Government business case for the £3bn-plus Harlow health campus sets out plans to reinstate Kier’s pre-construction services agreement for the specialist and technically complex H50 building.
For the wider main campus development, the Government will launch a separate two-stage tender, with the new procurement process expected to begin in November.
The revised procurement strategy follows a lengthy review that effectively put the programme on hold. Since 2022, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) suspended its main construction supply chain while the Treasury and Department of Health and Social Care repeatedly reassessed whether Harlow remained the best-value location after project costs rose well beyond the original £2bn estimate.
Ministers have now backed the development by approving the programme business case, allowing the major health and bioscience campus project to move forward.
Early works are scheduled to begin from 2028, followed by the start of main construction in the final quarter of 2029.
Officials warned that replacing Kier would have required a procurement process lasting between 12 and 18 months, creating a risk that the programme could lose its position within an already tightly constrained specialist construction supply chain.
The Government said only three UK suppliers currently have the capability to deliver high-containment facilities at the required scale, meaning any further delay could result in a significant setback to the programme.
The H50 bioscience building will accommodate Containment Level 3 and 4 laboratories for research involving some of the most dangerous pathogens. It will also include the UK’s first suited Containment Level 4 facilities for public health, enabling scientists to work while wearing air-fed protective suits.
The main campus design and build package will include Containment Level 2 and 3 laboratories, headquarters offices, logistics, security and reception facilities, education buildings and an energy centre.
The wider works will also cover utilities, roads, parking and extensive external infrastructure, with the main contractor required to coordinate its delivery with the separate high-containment H50 project.
The existing main building will be demolished down to ground level, although officials are still considering the most appropriate way to package and procure the demolition works.
Before the programme was paused because of escalating cost concerns, Kier had secured the specialist bioscience laboratory package. Wates had also been appointed to deliver arrivals, administration and logistics buildings, together with refurbishment works.
VolkerFitzpatrick had secured the infrastructure, external works and energy centre package before the project was halted for a further review following demolition works.
The new business case confirms that previous contracts were either terminated, expired or placed into suspension as the programme was reviewed.
Seven professional services packages are also planned to support delivery, with appointments expected to begin from 2027/28.
The overall funding envelope stands at £3.52bn, including applicable VAT, inflation, risk allowances and relocation costs. Around £3bn of the total is earmarked for capital expenditure.
The new campus will bring together UKHSA scientific operations currently based at Porton Down and Colindale with its London headquarters, with plans to transfer as many as possible of the approximately 2,500 roles currently located across those sites.
Validation and dual-running activities are expected to begin in early 2034, ahead of the new UKHSA campus becoming fully operational in September 2038.
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