[en] The first outage of the PWR Sizewell B in the United Kingdom is due to commence on June 28th. This is a new experience for the operator, Nuclear Electric, whose other reactors are all gas-cooled. Preparations have been in hand from three years before the start date. The outage manager and his support team have selected experienced contractors from around the world to undertake nine major contracts which will cover most of the outage work. The novel ''partnering'' strategy employed to integrate the work of these contractors and that of the in-house team is described. Contracts have been awarded on a rolling 3-cycle basis which have the potential of long-term awards provided the contractors meet the high standards demanded. Shut-down safety is a special feature of PWR outages and customized software will be used to determine the safety condition of the plant under different configurations. Planning strategy for the outage includes a systematic classification of the work that could be carried out into ''core work'' and ''optional work''. (UK)