Raising standards and improving the way contractors work on national construction frameworks is the aim of a new strategic partnership between Pagabo and digital construction platform Construct.id.

The digital credential platform - which aims to serve the entire construction community with an independent, single source of trusted and verified identity, skills and competency data for each skilled worker - is being offered first to the 94 contractors on Pagabo’s new Medium Works Framework.

It will be added to all the provider’s existing construction frameworks retrospectively and added to new framework terms and conditions from April.

The aim is to ensure every skilled worker attending a Pagabo procured project will be registered with Construct.id by the end of the year.

Martin Ward, co-founder and managing director of Construct.id, said having Pagabo on board as an early adopter of the Construct.id platform is “a big step in the right direction for the construction industry”. 

“It’s a framework provider with significant influence and a large network of suppliers – all of whom will benefit from the savings and improved compliance that our platform provides,” he said. 

“The Pagabo team has been supportive of our vision from day one and is equally driven by breaking boundaries that have held back the construction industry for too long. 

“We have a shared understanding on the importance of industry-wide adoption of Construct.id and will be working very closely together to ensure the benefits are maximised for everyone across supply chains.” 

The Construct.id platform seeks to empower all corners of the construction supply chain, with contractors given the ability to set site standards across their supply chains, while subcontractors gain greater visibility of these standards and of their workforce. 

Timely alerts and notifications on any credentials that have expired aim to improve governance, but skilled workers can prevent this independently by managing one digital platform holding their right to work and credentials – which can be used anywhere.

Jason Stapley, chief procurement officer at The 55 Group, Pagabo’s parent organisation, said: “Our frameworks are designed to create competition and ensure the most suitable supplier is assigned to each job, but in some areas of the construction industry consistency and equally high standards are needed. 

“Through Construct.id, our ecosystem will now be better positioned to tackle shared issues such as modern slavery, data duplication and digital transformation.

“Whether it’s increasing site standards or reducing admin and paperwork, Construct.id is a shining example of how technology can remove human error from important processes so that the safety and security of everyone is upheld.”

Gerard Toplass, group CEO at The 55 Group, said: “We are constantly seeking ways to support initiatives that we feel are for the betterment of the industry and those that work within it. 

“Data-driven decision making is vital for the healthy future of the construction industry and we see Construct.id as a building block on the journey.

“We must reform the construction industry, using data to make us stronger, faster and greener – supporting key motivations such as removing modern slavery, improving the wellbeing of skilled workers, increasing productivity and achieving net zero.”

With Pagabo and Willmott Dixon already announced as partners, more Construct.id ambassadors are set to be confirmed soon.