Trust lines up prequals for NI PPP schools deal

St Canice's Educational Trust is in the process of putting together a list of prequalifiers for a repackaged PPP schools deal in Northern Ireland.
Sources say the line-up for the Derry Diocese scheme is likely to include the Northwin Partnership (Bilfinger Berger/John Graham/Farrans) and a joint venture between Interserve and O'Hare McGovern.
Both groups made the grade for the original £34m three-school PPP package. This included the two schools making up the Derry deal, St Cecilia's College and St Mary's College, plus Holy Cross College, Strabane.
But the project was later scaled down to a £25m deal involving only Holy Cross College, Strabane.
Troubled contractor Jarvis also threw its hat into the ring for the full-blown scheme, but it is not known if it registered interest in the Derry deal.
St Canice's has not put an official price tag on the Derry scheme, but the multi-million project includes rebuilding St Cecilia's for 850 students on its present site, following the demolition of the original school.
St Mary's College will be relocated to the site of the former Templemore High School in Derry.
The operation and maintenance period is expected to last for 25 years.