Big name civils players in the industry were invited to bid along with Murphy and Sons, Galliford Try and Mace, which recently revealed it was on the hunt for nuclear work.

The nuclear clear up company is developing commercial arrangements to cover construction and related work over the next ten years under the Construction Infrastructure and Enablers Strategic Framework (CIESF).

Client Magnox plc will name the winners in February.

The scope of CIESF encompasses requirements for design, construction, modification, repairs and refurbishment of buildings, structures and infrastructure.

Contractors selected to bid have a strong track record with Magnox. Most recently Interserve was named the sole contractor in a four-year framework agreement with Magnox.

Under an £18m deal, the contractor will develop a scalable design for facilities to store intermediate-level waste held in ductile iron containers or yellow boxes as they are more commonly known.

Vinci Construction has clinched the contract to fit metal cladding over the old Bradwell nuclear power station in Essex.

The huge overcladding job is worth more than £22m and will see the firm build a steel frame over the existing reactor buildings, boiler house and circulator hall.

Costain has picked up a £75m clean-up contract also at Bradwell and Mace recently won a managed services contract at Sizewell in Suffolk and a programme management support job at the Berkeley site in Gloucester