Six consortiums have been shortlisted by Kent County Council

Six consortiums have been shortlisted for the first of three contracts as part of the £1.8bn Kent Building Schools for the Future programme, the largest one so far.

Kent County Council said that it had shortlisted Inspired Spaces (Carillion/Fujitsu), Invicta Learning Partnership (Laing/Centerprise), Investors in the Community (Land Securities Trillium/Mill Group/Northgate), Kent Learning Communities (Bilfinger Berger/Civica), Skanska RM (Skanska/RM) and Transform Schools (Balfour Beatty/Morse).

The £500m first stage of the Kent BSF includes the refurbishment and rebuilding of all 12 secondary schools in Gravesham, Thanet and Swale. Three will be PFI schools.

A final shortlist of three bidders is expected in January with the announcement of preferred bidder in October.