Dbfm (Design, Build, Finance And Manage)

The acronym “DBFM” stands for design, build, finance and manage. It is a type of public-private partnership (PPP) in which the private sector takes on the role of designing, constructing, financing and operating a project on behalf of the public sector.

DBFM contracts are typically used for large-scale infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, railways and hospitals. The private sector partner is typically responsible for ensuring that the project is delivered on time and within budget, as well as maintaining it over the long term.

The advantages of DBFM arrangements for government include having access to private sector expertise and capital, sharing of risks between the public and private sectors, and transferring the responsibility for maintaining asset over its useful life to the private sector operator.

DBFM can also be seen as a way of procuring “outcomes” rather than just “outputs” from the private sector – in other words, it can help to ensure that government gets value for money from its investment.