22 companies shortlisted for £4 billion academies framework

21 May 2009

Partnerships for Schools has announced the 22 companies shortlisted for the £4 billion framework to procure the design and build of Academies and other educational facilities in local authorities which are not yet engaged with the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

The new Contractors’ Framework - which will be operational by the end the year - offers opportunities for up to 24 main providers and their supply chains. While procured on a national basis the Contractors' Framework will have 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 East of England, the South West, the South East and London. Up to 12 contractors will be appointed for each of the two areas, with bidders able to express an interest in one or both.

Pre Qualification Questionnaires were submitted by 57 companies, from which 18 have been shortlisted to continue with Invitation to Tender (ITT) process for the North and Midlands contract, and 18 for the London and South. Fourteen companies have been shortlisted for both geographical areas, with eight companies making it onto a single shortlist.

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, said: “The interest in the new Contractors' Framework from large and medium-sized companies across the country demonstrates how all sectors of the construction industry see this as a great opportunity, particularly at a time when conditions are challenging. With over 127 Academies being delivered through BSF currently, with over 100 more in the pipeline, the new Framework will enable contractors and suppliers from across the country to get involved in a scheme that has 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 new academy schools. The existing Academies Framework has demonstrated the value of this approach, both in terms of providing best value for money to the public purse and securing educational transformation for communities.

“Building on these foundations, the new Contractors' Framework has been designed specifically to open up the opportunities to all contractors with a track record of delivering secondary schools or similar projects, and as the shortlist demonstrates, this is enabling regional bidders, as well as larger national firms, an opportunity to get involved.”

The companies shortlisted (alphabetically), by geographical area, are:
 
Sector 1: North and the Midlands 

1. Apollo
2. Balfour Beatty
3. BAM 
4. Bovis
5. Bowmer & Kirkland*
6. Carillion
7. Clugston*
8. Galliford Try
9. Henry Boot*
10. Interserve
11. Kier
12. Miller
13. Morgan Ashurst
14. Shepherd*
15. Sir Robert McAlpine
16. VINCI
17. Wates
18. Willmott Dixon

Sector 2: London, the South and the South and East of England

1. Apollo
2. Balfour Beatty
3. BAM
4. Bovis
5. Carillion
6. Educinq*
7. Galliford Try
8. Interserve
9. JB Leadbitter* 
10. Kier
11. Miller
12. Morgan Ashurst
13. Rydon* 
14. Sir Robert McAlpine 
15. VINCI
16. Volker Fitzpatrick*
17. Wates
18. Willmott Dixon

 * denotes the company appears on a single shortlist.

The successful contractors and their supply chains are expected to be in place and bidding for work from November/December 2009 onwards. The new framework will operate in tandem with the initial Academies 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 are achieved in the Academies programme, and that it is delivered in the most cost-effective and efficient way.

Bidders will submit ITT documentation by 10 August for detailed evaluation before the successful framework companies are announced. The Contractors’ Framework is due to be operational and bidding for work by the end of 2009.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Contractors’ Framework will support local authorities in their role as contracting authority, providing them with national programme management, support for their local educational vision and strategy through the Strategy for Change process, a standardised delivery model offering procurement and contractual documentation, teams to provide local transaction and commercial support, and an approved list of six framework providers.
2. The two geographical areas for the Contractors Framework are: Area 1: North West, North East, Yorkshire and The Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands. Area 2: East of England, South East, South West, London.
3. The current Academies Framework, launched in January 2007, will continue to be operational until January 2011. The six National Framework partners, in alphabetical order, are Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Kier, Laing O'Rourke, Skanska and Wilmott Dixon. Each contractor has identified a regional supply chain for each of four regions (North, Midlands, South West and South East & London). This supply chain includes a national architect partner that will be responsible for ensuring that school designs produced by the regional teams benefit from knowledge and experience developing through the BSF and the Academies programmes.
4. PfS is currently engaged on 127 projects which have reached Expression of Interest stage, 52 Academies are being delivered through the BSF LEP process and 75 through the National Framework. The first Academies to be delivered through BSF are due to open this year including the Walworth Academy in Southwark, Sir Frank Markham Academy in Milton Keynes, Eastbourne Academy in Darlington, Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney and three in Sunderland - Pennywell, Hylton Red House and Castle View.
5. 71 schools have now benefited from BSF investment across England, including Stockwell Park High School in Lambeth which opened its doors to students for the first time in April 2009. Stockwell Park was rated ‘Excellent’ by the CABE Design Review Panel.
6. Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the largest single schools capital investment programme for over 50 years. The aim is to rebuild or renew England’s state secondary schools estate during the lifetime of the programme.
7. Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is the delivery organisation for Building Schools for the Future. PfS was established in April 2004 as a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). It is a 100-strong organisation, with specialist expertise including educationalists, designers, ICT specialists, commercial managers and project management.