Partnerships for Schools



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Partnerships for Schools
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Press Releases

Press Releases

15 firms appointed to new £4 billion Contractors' Framework

20 October 2009

Partnerships for Schools has announced the 15 companies - including five medium-sized  firms - which have secured a place on the £4 billion framework to procure the design and build of Academies and other educational facilities in local authorities. £500m worth of contracts are expected to start procurement using the new Contractors' Framework in the first five months of operation from December 2009.

The Contractors' Framework will operate across two discrete geographical areas. The first area will be made up of the North West, the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the West Midlands; the second will be made up of the East of England, the South West, the South East and London. Nine of the 15 companies have been appointed to both geographical areas.

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, said: "Through the existing PfS National Framework, the cost of procuring new Academy schools has already reduced by around 30 per cent delivering excellent value for money to the taxpayer. Building on this success, we are now unveiling a new framework, creating more opportunities for large and medium-sized construction companies across the country, during what are undoubtedly challenging times for the sector.

"With contracts in the region of £500m coming to market in the first five months alone, the new framework gives the successful contractors access to a predictable flow of work, supported by direct grant Government funding.

"The new framework will secure the future work stream, maintaining the focus on streamlined and accelerated delivery of education investment in Academies, smaller BSF schemes and other education facilities, with the first schools to be procured through the new framework opening their gates in September 2012.

"The existing Academies Framework has demonstrated the value of this approach - both educationally and to the public purse - and I am pleased that we are able to build on the foundations laid while extending the opportunity for regional bidders, as well as larger national firms, to get involved."

The companies appointed to the Contractors' Framework (alphabetically by geographical area) are:

North and Midlands

  • Balfour Beatty Construction
  • BAM Construction
  • Bovis Lend Lease
  • Carillion Construction
  • Clugston Construction*
  • Interserve Projects Services
  • Kier Regional
  • Shepherd Construction*
  • Sir Robert McAlpine
  • VINCI Construction*
  • Wates
  • Willmott Dixon

London, South and South East

  • Apollo Property Services*
  • Balfour Beatty Construction
  • BAM Construction
  • Bovis Lend Lease
  • Carillion Construction
  • Interserve Projects Services
  • JB Leadbitter & Co*
  • Kier Regional
  • Rydon Group*
  • Sir Robert McAlpine
  • Wates
  • Willmott Dixon

* denotes the company appears on a single shortlist

It is estimated that contracts worth in excess of £500 million will be available for companies on the Contractors' Framework to bid for within the first five months of operation. The new framework will operate in tandem with the existing PfS National Framework, which will continue to operate until December 2010.

Local authorities that are currently engaged in the BSF programme will continue to procure academies through Local Education Partnerships (LEPs) in the same way as other educational facilities. The procurement and project management expertise which PfS already provides to the BSF programme will ensure that similar economies of scale continue to be achieved through the Academies programme, and that it is delivered in the most cost-effective and efficient way.

Notes to Editors:

  1. PfS is the government's delivery agent for the full suite of capital investment programmes into schools, helping ensure that taxpayers get the best value from every education pound spent.
  2. Procurement of the new Contractors' Framework began in March 2009 Pre-Qualification Questionnaires were submitted by 60 companies, from which 22 were shortlisted to participate in the ITT process.
  3. The two geographical areas for the Contractors' Framework are: Sector 1: North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands. Sector 2: East of England, South East, South West, London.
  4. Each of the successful bidders will be able to assemble their supply chain - including D&B contractors, architects, and a range of other specialists - in response to the particular needs of each individual project.
  5. The current Academies Framework, launched in January 2007, will continue to be operational until 31 December 2010. The six National Framework partners on the existing Framework are: Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Kier, Laing O'Rourke, Skanska and Wilmott Dixon.
  6. Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is currently engaged on 169 projects which have reached Expression of Interest stage, 78 Academies are being delivered through the BSF LEP process and 91 through the National Framework. The first Academies to be delivered through BSF opened in September 2009 in Darlington, Milton Keynes and three Academies in Sunderland.
  7. The National Audit Office report into BSF, published in February 2009, stated that the programme is now being well managed and that PfS is keeping costs under control. It added: BSF schools have been built to a higher specification and space standards than previous schools.