The withdrawal follows a decision made by ICE Council in 2009 to solely endorse the NEC3 Suite of Contracts and the consequent agreement in July 2010 to withdraw from ICE CoC after a 12 month period.
ICE’s part ownership of the contract has now been transferred to the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) and the contracts have been withdrawn from sale, 66 years after they were first published.
ICE Vice President Barry Clarke said “ICE's decision to withdraw support from the ICE CoCs was part of a strategic realignment of our offerings and a desire to promote what we see as a more collaborative approach to contract management which offers value for money to clients and the construction industry at large.”
NEC3 was developed to enable projects to be delivered on time and within budget through the inclusion of project management principles to the contractual process.
As one of the few contracts that meets the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG)’s ‘Achieving Excellence in Construction’ criteria, NEC3 offers a unique approach with a whole family of contracts that can be used for works, services and supply across the supply chain – from complex infrastructure projects such as the 2012 Olympics to much lower value, simple services.
ACE and CECA have today launched a new standard suite of forms of contract based on the former ICE CoC, entitled the Infrastructure Conditions of Contract.
You can find further information by visiting ICE's Law and Contract pages.