OCS takes overall prize at Operational Excellence Awards UK for West End FM contract

Facilities management company OCS has won the overall award at the Operational Excellence Awards UK 2026, along with the Operational Excellence in Facilities Management category, for its team working across Shaftesbury Capital's West End estates in London.

The awards were presented on 24 September 2026 at the Park Plaza London Riverbank, according to both OCS and the organiser, Business River. The organiser said winners were announced across 22 categories.

OCS said its team supports more than 500 buildings across the Shaftesbury Capital estates. The company's entry set out how the team had kept standards up during a period of rapid growth, crediting innovation, collaboration, customer-focused service and resilient operational delivery.

Bruce McDonnell, Managing Director Private Sector (UK) at OCS, said: "Looking after the West End well means getting the detail right in hundreds of buildings, every day. This team has done that while the estate has grown and has done it in step with Shaftesbury Capital."

What the judges said

In the facilities management category, OCS said the judges picked out the team's use of innovation, including QR code technology, alongside teamwork and customer focus. The panel also noted that the team tests new approaches and scales those that work.

On the overall award, the judging panel said: "OCS has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding standards across complex and demanding environments."

The client

Shaftesbury Capital describes itself as the leading central London mixed-use real estate investment trust (REIT). Its destinations are Covent Garden, Carnaby Street, Soho and Chinatown, bringing together shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, apartments and offices.

According to OCS, the client's portfolio covers around 640 buildings, 1,900 lettable units and 2.8 million sq ft of space across those estates.

Growth since 2025

The 2026 result follows a win for OCS at the first edition of the awards. In 2025, OCS said its Covent Garden team was named Operations Team of the Year. At that time the company said it was delivering services across more than 75 buildings at Covent Garden in partnership with Shaftesbury Capital, on an estate it said caters to 45 million visitors a year. Its 2025 entry cited managing more than 55 major events without incident.

A year on, OCS said the work of the FM team across the wider West End estates, now put at more than 500 buildings, had taken the top award.

Terry Kemp, Head of Operations at Shaftesbury Capital, congratulated the OCS team on the 2025 award at the time.

The awards

The Operational Excellence Awards UK are in their second year. The organiser said they recognise organisations transforming their businesses through process improvement, technology and customer experience. OCS said the 2026 programme drew 92 entries.

OCS describes itself as a £3.3bn international facilities management company, founded in 1900, with more than 135,000 colleagues serving over 8,000 customers.