Firms line up for £5bn schools work

The government’s schools capital agency has shortlisted 37 contractors for its new £5bn framework for refurbishment and smaller new build schools jobs.

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) announced last year it would bring forward a new regional framework for schools work, which will comprise mainly refurbishment and remodelling work with some new build and is set to be worth as much as £5bn over four years.

Now the agency has shortlisted a total of 37 firms across the six regional lots the make up the framework, with Bam Construction, Kier, Wates and Willmott Dixon invited to tender for all of the regions (se list below).

Each of the contractors is also appointed to the EFA’s £4bn main contractors framework for school building.

Bowmer & Kirkland has been shortlisted for five out of the six regions, Morgan Sindall for four regions and Galliford Try for three regions.

Seven contractors will be appointed to each lot except London and the South-east, which will have eight contractors.

The framework will be used for the EFA’s capital programmes, including free schools, University Technical Colleges, academies and basic need and other programmes.

But it will also be made available to other bodies such as local authorities, academies trusts and individual schools.

The EFA said the value of the projects will typically range between £3m and £5m, but could includes projects from as little as £200,000 up to £10m.

The framework scheduled to begin operating in July 2014.