A gaggle of companies that have come together to bid on Work too complex or too large (or both) for any one of them to execute at an acceptable level of risk.
May consist of more than one joint venture with additional subcontractors and suppliers. Usually bound at the bid stage by an MOU or teaming agreement; after contract award, relationships are codified in contracts, subcontracts, and interface agreements.
Often necessary for complex projects; always difficult to explain to a client from a management perspective.