IN Brief:
- Specialfastigheter appointed Sweco under three frameworks for high-security public buildings.
- The initial agreements run from 15 January 2027 to 14 January 2029 with extension options.
- SEK500m is the combined estimated order value, not guaranteed commissioned work.
Sweco has secured three framework agreements with Swedish state-owned property company Specialfastigheter, opening a route to consultancy work on secure buildings for public authorities. The combined estimated value is SEK500m, covering feasibility studies, design, project management and construction management. No particular building project or guaranteed volume of work has been awarded through the announcement.
Specialfastigheter develops, owns and manages properties with demanding operational and security requirements. Its portfolio includes prisons, youth care homes, police buildings and court facilities serving public agencies. The new appointments place Sweco among the professional service providers available to support development, alterations and management of this estate as individual requirements arise.
The initial contract period runs from 15 January 2027 until 14 January 2029, with provision for two separate one-year extensions. The SEK500m figure is an estimate across all three frameworks, rather than committed revenue or construction expenditure. Sweco says there is no guaranteed call-off volume, and the value of actual assignments will depend on instructions placed over the contract period.
Early feasibility work can address the condition of existing buildings, project scope, user accommodation and the constraints that will shape a subsequent design. Once a requirement has been agreed, investigation and design services can prepare the information needed for permissions, cost planning and procurement. Construction management then supports the organisation of work on site and its interfaces with an operating property.
Sweco Sweden identifies investigation and design work for both open and security-sensitive activities as well as project and construction management. Security classifications may govern which personnel can access project information and particular spaces, while routine building functions still require coordinated architecture, structural engineering and services design. The announced scope does not identify named facilities, tender packages or specialist security equipment.
The arrangements span markedly different building types. In a courthouse, routes for the public, staff and people in custody can place competing demands on entrances, circulation and holding areas. Prison and secure care accommodation may require different layouts, supervision arrangements and access controls. A consultancy working across these facilities must translate each client brief into a project-specific design rather than use one standard plan for every property.
Ventilation, power distribution, communications and fire safety systems also need to operate within the security and access arrangements of the building. Service routes and plant positions affect both installation and maintenance, particularly if part of the estate remains occupied during refurbishment. These are established design considerations for secure facilities; Sweco has not disclosed engineering solutions for a particular Specialfastigheter assignment under the new agreements.
For existing buildings, surveys can identify structural capacity, outdated services and restrictions on construction access before a project budget is fixed. The value of these early studies is in defining the feasible scope: intrusive work or service replacement may need to be sequenced around continuing public operations. On a new build, the same consultant disciplines can assess sites and develop coordinated specifications before a construction contractor is selected.
Management responsibilities cover programme, risk, procurement decisions and the interfaces between professional appointments. During delivery, construction management may coordinate site operations and their relationship with client users. The allocation of duties will depend on each eventual instruction; being appointed to the frameworks does not establish Sweco as the lead designer or site manager of every future scheme.
Specialfastigheter’s continuing role as property owner provides a recurring need for professional support across its estate. Framework purchasing can allow it to obtain these services without undertaking a full competition for every requirement, subject to the contractual call-off rules. Decisions on individual projects, funding and timetables remain with the client and relevant authorities.
Fredrik Wallner, business area president of Sweco Sweden, said the multidisciplinary work would support the development and management of facilities used for essential public services. Sweco also works more widely in resilience, risk management and critical infrastructure, but those capabilities do not expand the announced appointment into an award for defence construction or digital security products.
The estimated aggregate value establishes the scale of potential consultancy demand available under the arrangement, while revenue will depend on work actually instructed and completed. The disciplines deployed and the scale of each design or management assignment may differ considerably between a small study of an existing building and a substantial construction programme.
The frameworks become active in January 2027. Specialfastigheter’s subsequent instructions will determine which properties are examined or developed, which professional teams are appointed, and how much of the estimated value translates into commissioned work.
