Measured Term Contract – University of Manchester

We have held a Measured Term Contract with the University of Manchester for over 30-years covering the entire academic estate in central Manchester under a JCT MTC arrangement. The contract covers 24/7 responsive repairs for internal/external building fabric (c7,000 orders each year / 600 per month), preventative maintenance, and minor project works including passive fire-safety and fit-out work to teaching/student areas across the Campus – widely regarded as the UK’s largest single-site University.

Our work encompasses all core trades with high volumes of plumbing and joinery works, as well as drainage, paving, roofing, doors/windows. The service is primarily delivered using a dedicated in-house team of 11 operatives to cover core building trades overseen by our on-site team of Project Managers and Site Managers, permanently based on-site. Additional resource support is provided by our long-term trusted subcontractor partners for specialist works (e.g. asbestos, scaffold, rope access works) and a dedicated on-site material stores holding core stock and consumables which operatives can quickly access.

Responsive repairs are planned, scheduled, and managed using the award-winning Oneserve IT system, with our planning team receiving orders from the University Helpdesk and scheduling them within University’s target response time to our trade teams. Operatives then receive jobs and record progress and completion details in real-time via a smartphone App.

We consistently achieve high-performance levels which exceed client targets with 99% of all orders completed on time in 2025/26, including an impressive 99.7% adherence to emergency orders completion (24-hour coverage required, working to a 2-hour response target). A detailed monthly report is prepared and issued to the University Estates team to evidence performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

As part of the contract scope we work closely with the University Estates team to implement preventative maintenance programmes targeted at roofs, gutters, and paving, to proactively reduce volumes of reported repairs and achieve long term cost savings.

We also deliver a wide range of minor project works to support the University’s asset management objectives including fire-door renewals, student break-out zones creation, refurbishments of classrooms/lecture theatres, laboratories, offices. Works naturally ‘ramp-up’ during the summer period to reduce disruption.

“The long-term relationship the University has with Novus strengthens year-on-year. Our expectations are consistently exceeded by the Novus team, and they assure us that the University’s facilities are in capable hands.” UoM Maintenance Services Manager.