Willmott Dixon has beaten Kier to become preferred bidder on a 拢16m school in the government鈥檚 academies programme, it is understood.

The contractor will start work on site at the St Anne鈥檚 academy in Rochdale in January.

The deal involves replacing an existing school with a 1,050-place academy, designed by Aedas. It is due to open in September 2010.

The school is Willmott Dixon鈥檚 fourth win under the academies framework, which is also used for 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future (BSF) packages worth less than 拢100m.

In May this year the firm beat Laing O鈥橰ourke to the 拢90m Middlesbrough BSF scheme, also secured under the framework.

Meanwhile, a report from the CBI this week said delays to the government鈥檚 拢45bn BSF programme were damaging the economy in the short and long term.

The report said there had been inadequate leadership of the scheme from the government.