In a trading statement today, Kier said secured and probable work now accounted for 85% of expected construction workload in 2013.

It also said tender activity remained high across a range of public and private sector projects.

This included new health frameworks across Wales and Scotland, more than £1.5bn of infrastructure schemes presently being bid in the UK and significant activity in Hong Kong and the Middle East.

Kier said it hoped to secure work from the long-awaited Priority Schools Building Programme now that the first £400m of projects were going to the Academies (II) Framework, where Kier is a nominated contractor.

On the property side, its mixed-tenure housing business has qualified as a member of the Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust Developer Partner Framework.

This will deliver new build housing in the city worth up to £1bn over the next three to four years.

Kier also said its private housing business was on track to deliver in excessof 600 completions this year.

The growing services division has been appointed as the preferred bidder on three contracts worth £225m, which includes the five-year planned maintenance services contract for the housing group Circle and two five-year facilities management contracts for Hampshire County Council and Surrey County Council.

In addition, the division has secured a maintenance contract for London Fire Brigade and facilities management contracts for Westminster Kingsway College and the Royal Automobile Club, with a combined value of approximately £30m.