Contractors invited to bid for £2bn academy schools framework deal

Contractors are being invited to bid for a four-year £1.2bn to £2bn framework deal to deliver the government's controversial academy schools programme, which aims to build 200 academy schools in deprived areas by 2010.

Plans to bundle the schools into some form of large contract were first revealed by Contract Journal earlier this year (15 February 2006). The academies, which are currently being delivered on a one-off basis by individual procurers, are now being brought under the control of Partnerships for Schools, the non-departmental body set up by the Department for Education and Skills to implement the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative.

Partnerships for Schools will act as a central purchasing body on behalf of local authorities in England, as well as the voluntary aided sector and diocesan authorities. 

Between six and 10 contractors will be selected for the BSF National Construction Contractors' Framework for Academies and Educational Facilities.

The government's change of heart over the delivery mechanism for the academies programme is in response to the soaring costs and impractical designs produced by some of the first 27 'one-off' projects. Contractors have complained that each school is different, so there is no learning curve and no continuous improvement.

Sir Cyril Taylor, chairman of the Specialist Schools and AcademiesTrust, told CJ in February: "We need to group these schools into contracts of 10 to 20 and have 10 to 15 exemplar designs for sponsors to choose from, but we have to make sure the designs are practical."

Firms have until 5 May to express interest in the framework.