Partnerships UK facts for kids

Partnerships UK (PUK) was a special company in the United Kingdom. It was set up to help create and manage projects where the government and private businesses worked together. This type of teamwork is called a public-private partnership. PUK started in 2000 and was owned by both the UK government (through the HM Treasury) and private companies. It stopped its work in 2011.

How it Started

In 1997, the UK government created a special team within the Treasury. This team was called the Treasury Taskforce (TTF). Its main job was to help the government work more with private companies on big projects. This way of working was known as the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

What the Taskforce Did

The TTF had two main goals:

• To make sure all government departments followed the same rules when starting PFI projects.
• To teach government staff how to work with private companies on these projects.

The TTF was made up of government workers and experts from private businesses. These experts helped guide the projects.

Forming Partnerships UK

In 2000, the part of the Treasury Taskforce that handled projects became a new company called Partnerships UK (PUK). This was a step towards involving more private businesses.

Who Owned PUK?

The UK government, through the HM Treasury, kept a 49% share in PUK. This was like a special "golden share" that gave the government some control. The rest of PUK was owned by private companies and investors.

PUK was mostly staffed by experts from the private sector. These included lawyers, financial experts (like investment bankers), and consultants. Their main role was to encourage and manage public-private partnerships across the government.

Why PUK Closed Down

In June 2010, a new unit called Infrastructure UK (IUK) was created within the Treasury. IUK's job was to work with private companies on big building projects, similar to PUK.

Because IUK was taking on some of PUK's roles, it was decided in May 2011 that PUK would close. Some of PUK's projects, information, and staff moved over to IUK. Other parts of PUK, including some staff, joined Local Partnerships. This is another group that helps local governments work with private companies. The remaining parts of PUK were sold off during 2011.

See also

• Partnerships for Health
• Partnerships for Schools