Sodexho wins British bases Cyprus services contract

Britain’s Under Secretary of State for Defence has endorsed the Chief of Joint Operations’ recommendation to appoint Sodexho Defence Services as the preferred bidder for Project GIBSON, the Cyprus Multi Activity Contract for the British forces on the island. Eurest Support Services have been appointed reserve bidder, a British Forces Cyprus announcement said.

The decision means that negotiations will now take place with Sodexho with a view to placing the contract this Spring with service delivery commencing in the summer of 2007 according to a Transition Plan to be agreed with Sodexho.

The Cyprus Multi Activity Contract covers catering, retail, leisure and food supply, accommodation services, cleaning, general labouring and a number of other areas of soft facilities management.

Sodexho Defence Services have a highly successful track record with the Ministry of Defence and already have a number of facilities management contracts in operation across the three services. These new styles of contract with the service provider entering into a partnering relationship with the Authority, are proving highly successful in the UK. Sodexho are in strategic partnership with Debenhams and Carrefour. This should benefit customers with the greater buying power of these large organisations as well as enhance advancement opportunities for locally employed staff.

Under Project GIBSON, in accordance with agreements reached with the Trade Unions, those MoD locally employed civilians engaged in in-scope activities will be asked to express a preference either to be redeployed within the British Bases, if this is possible, or, if not, to be considered for voluntary redundancy from MoD, rather than transferring to the new contractor. Staff transferring to the contractor will have their employment protected under the Transfer of Undertakings legislation. Staff of Eurest Support Services and NAAFI are also in scope and will be subject to separate arrangements with their current employer.