UK housing associations offer framework worth up to £400m to eBay-for-plumbers startup (but it won't get to keep it all)

A group of UK housing associations has awarded a framework contract worth up to £400m to property technology company Plentific, in part to help build a trading platform for folks to come in and do repairs and maintenance in people's homes. The Peabody Group, which owns and manages more than 66,000 properties across London and …

[Glen 1]

In before "python is a crap choice for this" by python haters.

I believe there are already websites that do similar eg Checkatrade.com. Perhaps not on a per-job basis though.

Putting the jobs to tender like this makes it attractive for folk *not* currently in the south east to bid on those jobs. Also for "make a loss on the initial bid, make the profit on the changes" gravy train.

[cantankerous swineherd]

quality control an optional extra.

[keithpeter]

Small and local

Hello All

Housing Cooperative tenant here - couple of hundred tenancies:

We have Dave with the Van for minor repairs (flush not working, gutter fell off in the wind, fence fell over &c) and triage of more major work.

Contracts with a gas fitter, electrician, plumber and roofing/larger build jobs contractor including emergency call-out

Cyclic maintenance (new kitchens/bathrooms/doors/windows) jobs go out to tender, usually bundled into 10 house lots.

Works for us and the transaction overhead is a phone call to Mavis. Nothing like £40 per household!

Edit: QA contractors have to be on the qualified list held by the housing management agent. Published criteria and appeals process if any company refused &c.

Why so large a scale one asks?

Coat: mine's the one with a copy of E. F. Schumacher's volume in the pocket

[veti]

Re: Small and local

I read the story thinking, that's one expensive database. But eventually it becomes clear, that's not what the money refers to: it's more like the total value of work being directed through the platform.

In your case, it sounds like you don't have a very clear understanding of the costs. Who pays for the list of approved suppliers?

[Insert sadsack pun here]

I don't think it's the tenants that will be buying and scheduling the works - surely the landlords...?

[clyde666]

where?

This reads that it covers work in the south east of England.

So why are all the prices in the article in US dollars?

[Insert sadsack pun here]

Re: where?

They're not...?

The only dollar figure I see is the one at the end, the $4+m invested into the provider.