CANTERBURY CHRIST CHURCH UNIVERSITY
Company number: 04793659
Reporting period:
1 August 2025 to 31 January 2026
Report filed on:
4 March 2026
Approved by:
Rama Thirunamachandran
Contracts and payments
Do any of this business's construction contracts with its suppliers include retention clauses? Yes
Payment statistics
Average time taken to pay invoices: 26 days
Total value paid:
- within 30 days: £8,589,942 (29%)
- in 31 to 60 days: £20,820,986 (70%)
- in 61 days or more: £331,101 (1%)
Invoices paid:
- within 30 days: 61%
- in 31 to 60 days: 37%
- in 61 days or more: 2%
Late and disputed:
- total value of payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: £21,152,087
- payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: 40%
- not made in the reporting period due to a dispute: 0%
Payment terms
Shortest standard payment periods
30 days
Longest standard payment period
30 days
Standard payment terms
From 30 days and on next available payment run:
www.canterbury.ac.uk/purchasing/purchasing.aspx
Were there any changes to the standard payment terms in the reporting period?
No
Were suppliers notified or consulted about these changes before they were made?
N/A
Maximum contractual payment period agreed
30 days
No further comment provided
Any other information about payment terms
No further comment provided
Retention clauses
How does this business use retention clauses?
Retention clauses are used in specific circumstances:
This is decided on a case by case basic and depends on complexity.
Does this business only use retention clauses in construction contracts above a specific contract sum?
No
Does this business use a standard percentage rate in retention clauses?
Yes: 3%
Does this business apply retention clause practices that are no more onerous than those applied to it on the same project?
Yes:
We use JCT Design & Build Contracts or Intermediate Contracts with or without contractor design for our development projects. As such we use the standard clauses and processes set out and contained within the JCT suite of contracts documents. We hold the full retention until practical completion is reached and then 50% of the retention during the 12-month making good liability period / rectification period and release this sum by final certificate of rectification. Note monthly / regular intervals valuation take place that determine the value of work completed at the stage reached from which the retention is deducted. I.e. the final amount of retention will not be determined until the final account has been agreed / certified, often this occurs after full completion of the works. This means that the amount of retention varies throughout the cycle of the project.
Releasing money under a retention clause
Process for releasing money this business has deducted or retained under a retention clause
We use JCT Design & Build Contracts or Intermediate Contracts with or without contractor design for our development projects. As such we use the standard clauses and processes set out and contained within the JCT suite of contracts documents. We hold the full retention until practical completion is reached and then 50% of the retention during the 12-month making good liability period / rectification period and release this sum by final certificate of rectification. Note monthly / regular intervals valuation take place that determine the value of work completed at the stage reached from which the retention is deducted. I.e. the final amount of retention will not be determined until the final account has been agreed / certified, often this occurs after full completion of the works. This means that the amount of retention varies throughout the cycle of the project.
Is the money released in stages?
Yes:
When we reach Practical Completion and this is certified we release 1.5% of the 3% and the other 1.5% is retained for the 12 month defect liability period. When this defect liability period is up, we then certify the works are fully complete and release the final 1.5% retention. However, if the works are not satisfactory and any making good that may have been needed, we will not certify the final defects liability period and will withhold the retention until the works are completed to the standards required.
Amount retained from suppliers in the reporting period
Amount retained stated as a percentage of the money retained from this business by its clients
3%
Amount retained stated as a percentage of the total construction payments made by this business
0%
Dispute resolution process
www.canterbury.ac.uk/purchasing/purchasing.aspx
Other payment information
Has this business signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices? If so, which?
For example, signatories to The Fair Payment Code must commit to paying 95% of their invoices within 60 days.
No, this business has not signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices.
Does this business offer e-invoicing in relation to qualifying contracts?
This is where suppliers can electronically submit and track invoices. It's not just allowing suppliers to email them an invoice.
No
Does this business offer supply chain finance?
This is where a supplier who has submitted an invoice can be paid by a third-party finance provider earlier than the agreed payment date. The business would then pay the finance provider the invoiced sum.
No
Under its payment practices and policies, can this business deduct sums from payments under qualifying contracts as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?
No
During the reporting period, did the business deduct sums from payments as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?
No