23 local authorities have now signed deals with a private sector partner

The first phase of the largest Building Schools for the Future project to be procured to date – the £1.8bn Kent scheme – has reached financial close.

Contracts have been signed between Kent council, Land Securities Trillium / Northgate Education and Building Schools for the Future Investments to work on the first 10 schools and develop proposals for a further 25 in Gravesham, Thanet and Swale. The contract has an estimated capital spend of £600m. 

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Tim Byles, chief executive of Partnerships for Schools, said: "Today's milestone brings the number of local authorities to have signed deals with a private sector partner to 23, illustrating the momentum and pace of delivery that is now beginning to build in BSF.” 

He added that BSF was attracting increasing interest from construction firms as the programme develops. He said: "BSF continues to be an attractive proposition to the private sector market. New figures show that there are now 25 active LEP [Local Education Partneship] bidders in waves 4 to 6, demonstrating the increased interest in bidding for work as the programme ramps up towards the delivery target of at least 200 schools a year from 2011 onwards." 

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