Hi, I’m Brigadier Frank Noble, Head of DIO Service Delivery Training. My previous blog gave a bit of an overview about how we operate military training in the UK and on the overseas British Army Training Unit sites. This blog, on the other hand, aims to give you an introduction to the National Training Estate Prime, or ‘NTEP’ as we’ve taken to calling it.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the name NTEP didn’t mean anything to you! In short, it’s a new contract between DIO and our contractors Landmarc Support Services to run the UK training estate.
Landmarc staff are responsible for many of the functions necessary to run the training estate. It is not a contract for traditional Hard and Soft facilities management. It goes much wider. Their tasks include rural estate management, cleaning, catering, keeping access clear, general maintenance, surveillance of sea and air danger areas, clearance of military debris following training, preparing and maintaining targets, and manning operations rooms – among many others!
There are also ad-hoc requirements such as clearing snow when necessary, and at some sites there are additional tasks such as operating a ferry!
Advantages of NTEP
NTEP came into force on 1st November 2014 and replaces the Vanguard contract. Under the new contract, some training facilities which weren’t managed by Landmarc previously have now been brought into the fold, providing a more joined up service. It also brings in a few other changes.
Perhaps the headline change is the introduction of the Bidding and Allocation Management System (BAMS) which is an electronic system to allow units to book a training area or firing range online based on their requirements. It also allows them to book accommodation and catering at the same time. This is due to come in from May 2015 and will save everybody a lot of time compared to the current system.
24/7 Helpline
Landmarc are also introducing a new ‘one-stop shop’, 24-hour phone number for users to call to report any issues, such as maintenance requirements, or to ask general questions. It’s located at Westdown Camp at Salisbury Plain and can be contacted on 0800 0223334. The helpline is intended to be the first point of contact and will keep users updated on any issues they raise.
In short, the National Training Estate Prime brings all our UK training estates under one contract and provides a number of new services. It aims to provide a good value national estate that enables safe, sustainable and effective training facilities for all our users. It should also make life easier for military personnel when arranging and undertaking training, allowing them to concentrate on what they are actually there to do.
For more information, watch this video from our Youtube account. You may recognise a few faces in it!
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