Norfolk-based Norse Commercial Services has secured a �39m deal to carry out all housing repairs and maintenance work for Norwich City Council.

The council said nine firms had expressed an interest in carrying out the work, while seven went on to formally submit a tender. The Norse decision is now subject to a 10-day standstill period before contracts can be signed to give unsuccessful suppliers the opportunity for feedback while the new five year contract will start on April 2 2012.

Currently, all the work within the housing repairs and maintenance contract is being carried out by three companies, Lovell, Norse, and Foster Property Management, which are delivering the services on short-term contracts.

Norse, which is involved in voids work will now take on repairs and work such as disabled adaptations in properties while about 90 staff employed across the three short-term contractual areas are expected to transfer to Norse to continue their work.

Peter Hawes, managing director of Norse Commercial Services, a commercial offshoot of Norfolk County Council, said: 'We're delighted that Norwich City Council has announced its intention to award us this contract. We're proud of our association with Norwich and look forward to offering an excellent service to the city council's tenants.'

Alan Waters, deputy leader of the council, said: 'The award of this very important contract is the culmination of more than six months hard work by council officers, the cross party contracts working party and tenant and leaseholder representatives.

'The objectives throughout have been to ensure that we have a contract that will deliver high quality and cost effective repairs and maintenance services over the next five years.'