Project case study - Project awards

The project team was committed to making a positive impact on the lives of the people from the surrounding communities through a varied and wide-ranging Community Benefits programme – from job creation, skills and training to volunteering and working with community groups on the initiatives that mattered to them.

There is nothing more rewarding than seeing that commitment to the community being recognised by others as the project was honored to receive two prestigious awards within a matter of weeks.

GO Awards – Infrastructure Project of the Year 2020

The Go Excellence in Public Procurement Awards, which was held virtually on Friday, 6 November 2020, recognised the achievement and success of the A9 Dualling: Luncarty to Pass of Birnam project from its procurement through to the delivery of social value and community benefits during the construction phase.

Receiving the award, Gemma Patterson, Project Sponsor for Transport Scotland, said:

The innovative approach taken during the procurement of this project has resulted in greater emphasis on delivering real benefits to the communities which surround the construction site.

The team volunteering at Fairview School

We are extremely proud of our school engagement programme, the 59 new jobs created and the 38 work placements we have achieved to date, to name just a few. However, none of that could have been achieved without the dedication and support of our contractor Balfour Beatty, our third sector employability partners and the communities of Perthshire, who have been so supportive of our onsite team.”

Pupils at an Academy9 event learning about grading and testing at an on-site UKAS accredited laboratory

GO Awards – 2021 Social Value Category

The A9 Dualling Luncarty to Pass of Birnam project was also short-listed for the Social Value category in the 2021 GO Awards in 2021. While project did not win the category top prize, it was awarded a Highly Commended Award for the excellent work which was done to deliver social value to the surrounding communities to the project.

Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) National Site Awards 2020 – Silver Award

The CCS National Site Awards recognise the highest level of consideration towards the public, its workforce, and the environment through adhering to the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice.

The code covers five key areas including: Appearance; Respect the community; Protect the environment; Secure everyone’s safety and Value the workforce.

Alan Brisbane, Contract Manager for Balfour Beatty, said:

Being part of CCS means making a commitment to this code of practice and this silver award is testament to the ongoing commitment by every member of our staff and sub-contractors to maintain exceptional operational standards, especially at such a challenging time for the construction industry.”
The auditor’s report stated the A9 Dualling: Luncarty to Pass of Birnam project was ‘one of the best sites visited, with consideration for the public and workforce being at the forefront of everything carried out on site.

Praise in particular was given to the ‘exceptional support to the local community’ which has taken place since the start of the project, and ‘outstanding’ programme of work experience and placements, as well as engagement with some 4,000 pupils to encourage careers in the construction and engineering sectors.

In addition, the project was praised for its exceptional staff welfare facilities on site, as well as numerous ‘outstanding safety campaigns’ to promote a safe environment aligned to the ‘new normal’ way of working during the pandemic.

Key figures from the project

Infographic showing key figures involved in the project - as described in text below

65 work experience placements
4 jobs created through FairStart Scotland programme
65 new job opportunities
45/45 plus one innovation point - Considerate Constructors score
1,800 days worked by apprentices
4046 pupils and students engaged
2 jobs provided to young people through Barnardos Works programme
50 days of volunteering
30 days of placements provided to ex-offenders
60 days of placements provided to veterans with Project RECCE
2 full time positions offered to veterans following placement
77 school, college and university engagements
more than £17,000 donated to local good causes
618 weeks of training
2,660 days worked by graduates
20 local students completed virtual work placements