The new deal sees four delivery partner consortia enter into a 10-year agreement to support Sellafield staff on the decommissioning of Europe’s most complex nuclear site.

New deals were framed to bring big benefits to the community with all firms committed to training and spending at least 20% of their subcontracting budget with small to medium-sized firms.

Within the successful bid teams Westinghouse, Energy Solutions EU and Jacobs have come up trumps with places within two separate delivery teams.

Sellafield  said it would also be finalising framework agreements with two other consortia who were successful in the initial tendering process. They will be confirmed once legal and commercial arrangements are in place.

The new agreement will initially cover decommissioning of the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond, a 1950s built facility for storing and cooling nuclear fuel and the Magnox Swarf Storage Silos Programme

Paul Foster, managing director of Sellafield, said: “Our first priority will always be the safe, secure and cost-effective clean-up of Sellafield.

“But alongside that is a commitment to help deliver a long-term, sustainable economic future for our local community.

“The Decommissioning Delivery Partnership will help achieve this by placing socioeconomic outcomes at the heart of the contract from the outset and by holding contractors to account on delivery.

“We have listened to our stakeholders and worked with Government, the NDA and our supply chain to design a responsible, sustainable procurement that uses public sector contracts to unlock investment from the private sector, backed up by the power of a legally binding contract.”

Sellafield Ltd is agreeing what is thought to be the UK’s first ever public procurement that guarantees benefits for the community.

It is estimated that 1,140 jobs a year could be created or supported during the 10-year contract period.