黑洞社区

Kier and Interserve have been shortlisted for the next batch of schools to come to market through the government鈥檚 flagship priority school building programme.

黑洞社区 understands the contractors have been invited to bid for the batch of schools in the south of England, understood to be worth around 拢40m, which are the latest to come to market through the 拢400m directly-funded element of the Priority School 黑洞社区 Programme.

It is understood that just three firms bid for batch, which comprises 8-10 schools in Devon, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Poole, and Southampton.

Carillion and Bam Construct have been invited to bid for the first of two batches of schools in the North-west to come to market, worth around 拢42m.

The news comes as the Department for Education confirmed it was continuing to work alongside the Treasury to source private finance for the 拢2bn Pf2 element of the PSBP, with a number of options being considered including capital bond markets and the European Investment Bank.

A DfE spokeswoman said: 鈥淚t is essential that we take time to secure the right finance arrangement for each school and the best possible deal for the taxpayer, and we are looking at a number of options including a bond finance solution.

鈥淲e are working closely with HM Treasury on the development of a financing solution for the privately financed schools. As a part of this, the Education Funding Agency is speaking with interested parties in the funding market, including the European Investment Bank, about possible participation in that funding solution. No formal role has been identified or agreed beyond this.鈥�

Work through the PSBP was initially expected to be tendered in April 2012 so construction could begin in 2012 but, was pushed back to 鈥渓ate summer鈥�.

the programme was then delayed again, with the Pf2 element not expected to come to market until the first quarter of this year.

But the DfE insisted that the Pf2 element of the PSBP was still on track, with the first schools to come to market 鈥渟hortly鈥�.

The spokeswoman said all 261 schools in the programme had 鈥渞eceived confirmation of when we will start working with them鈥�.