Willmott Dixon was incumbent contractor on the current deal and fought off fierce competition from Bouygues, Interserve, Laing O’Rourke, Lend Lease and Morgan Sindall to land another four years.

Under the previous framework, local authorities saved a minimum of 14p in every £1 they spent procuring their projects through Scape.

Willmott Dixon now aims to increase that saving to 20p in every £1, while ensuring 60% of project budgets are spent on companies within a 20 mile radius of each Scape site.

Scape System Build is a local authority controlled company wholly owned by Derby City, Derbyshire County,  Gateshead, Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County and Warwickshire County Councils.

The new major works framework starts this month and is expected to generate £1.25bn of construction work over the next four years.

The scope of work procured under Scape is becoming more varied, with clients using it to procure schools, leisure facilities, public amenities like council offices and police headquarters, as well as housing and care home accommodation.

Key innovations being planned on the new framework include a national materials database to track 80% of building products used on Scape sites.

Mark Robinson, CEO of Scape said: “We’re pleased to have appointed Willmott Dixon as the major works construction partner after a rigorous procurement exercise.

“Scape’s frameworks are becoming increasingly sought after with the number of public bodies using Scape’s services doubling over the last two years.

“It is important that this new framework focuses more than ever before on supporting local people and local businesses in a tough economic climate.”

John Frankiewicz, CEO of Willmott Dixon Capital Works, said: “The new Scape framework will allow us to expand our potential in areas like project delivery, local spend, while also creating apprenticeship and training opportunities.

“We want as many companies as possible to benefit from Scape work and we’ll make sure it acts as a stimulus in a construction industry that remains constrained by a harsh trading environment.”