黑洞社区

The development emerged in the week that PfS, the body set up to deliver the 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future programme, appointed 15 contractors to its 拢4bn design-and-build national academies framework.

Balfour Beatty, Wates and Willmott Dixon were among those who made the cut. Galliford Try, Morgan Ashurst and Bowmer & Kirkland missed out despite being shortlisted earlier in the year.

Speaking at the BSEC North conference in Liverpool, Colin Howell, PfS鈥� academy director, said: 鈥淲e might look into PFI frameworks in future, as well as design and build. We need a basket of delivery tools.鈥�

He confirmed that PfS was in discussions with lawyers about the possibility of launching a PFI framework, although proposals were at an early stage.

It is understood that the framework would be for companies that could provide an equity investment as well as a building capability, although lenders would not be part of bidding consortiums.

Such a framework would be among the first of its kind, although the Ministry of Justice is preparing one for 鈥渕ini-Titan鈥� prisons (see below). A source close to the process said: 鈥淭he idea of a PFI framework has always been parked in the 鈥渢oo difficult鈥� pile, but PfS are looking at it again as PFI has evolved.鈥�

The national academies framework, announced on Tuesday, is split into two regions 鈥� the North and the Midlands, and London and the South; this is designed to open up projects to medium-sized contractors. 

Those appointed on both frameworks were: Balfour Beatty, BAM, Bovis Lend Lease, Carillion, Interserve, Kier, Sir Robert McAlpine, Wates and Willmott Dixon. Those appointed to a single framework were: Apollo, Clugston, Leadbitter, Shepherd, Rydon, and Vinci.