The Amec-led consortium InspirED is the prefered bidder for a six-school PPP project in east Dunbartonshire

An Amec-led joint venture has been appointed preferred bidder for a £125m PPP project to build six schools in east Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

Consortium InspirED, which also includes contractor John Laing and funder Innisfree, has won a 30-year deal to design and construct the schools, redevelop surplus land on five sites and provide estate management services

Sir Peter Mason, departing chief executive of Amec, said the company would continue to take on complex PPP projects.

He said: “This is another important step forward in our strategy of carefully selected investment in complex PPP schemes in which our investment, property development, design, delivery and maintenance skills enable us to secure multiple income streams over the long term.”

Financial close and construction are set for December 2006 and full completion is scheduled for mid-2009.

Amec has also submitted bids for three other PPP projects: two hospitals in Fife and Middlesbrough and a Building Schools for the Future scheme in Knowsely, north west England.