Belfast's £500m PPP schools plan

Northern Ireland is following in the footsteps of NHS LIFT and Building Schools for the Future with the launch of a £500m PPP programme to manage and modernise Belfast's entire schools, libraries and youth club estate.
Belfast Education and Library Board is looking for a private sector strategic partner to rebuild, refurbish, maintain, service and manage 83 schools, 37 youth clubs and 21 libraries.
The Belfast scheme will act as a pathfinder for similar schemes across Northern Ireland, under a £222m schools building programme.
The Belfast Education and Library Board held an open day for potential bidders last week. Potential bidders include Jarvis, Mowlem, Miller, Atkins, William Pears, Northwin, the Henry Group, O'Hare McGovern and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Overseas interest came from Bilfinger Berger and newcomer Americium, a Singapore-based property developer.
Project manager Stephen Boyle told CJ: "This is an innovative strategic partnering arrangement which will take elements from NHS LIFT and Building Schools for the Future to create a model suited to Belfast's specific needs. We are looking for a partner that will work with the Board to create 21st century learning facilities that engage not just the pupils, but the wider community. At the same time, we want a partner that has finance, construction and project management skills."
The timetable is tight. The first phase, worth £125m, will involve rebuilding or refurbishing 10 schools and one library. A shortlist of three bidders will be announced on 9 July. Bidders will be expected to work up outline designs on 11 schemes by 29 July.
Invitations to negotiate will be issued at the end of September and a preferred bidder chosen by May 2005, with the Board hoping to reach financial close by December 2005.
Some potential bidders said the timetable was too demanding. One said: "Expecting all 11 facilities to be designed and priced is a tall order."
However, Boyle is confident the private sector can deliver. He said: "We know the private sector can cope. Certainly we know that one or two potential bidders have already got very strong design teams on board. We are hopeful we can get three bidders.
"Our main concern is that the size of this may scare off the Northern Ireland market and we are hoping local firms will band together to bid for the work."
One potential bidder noticeable by its absence is Kajima. A PPP source said: "It has missed out on a few school PPPs in Northern Ireland and appears to have decided to cut its losses. The Board may persuade it to rethink that decision."