Carillion and Balfour to debut Building Schools for the Future academies

The first Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme to use the national academies framework has chosen Balfour Beatty and Carillion as its shortlisted bidders.

The two firms beat fellow framework members Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Skanska and Willmott Dixon for a place on Sunderland Council’s £110m scheme.

The project will deliver three new academies, one new build and two newly-refurbished secondary schools. Its progress will be watched closely, as it is the first BSF scheme to be delivered using the framework.

Partnerships for Schools, which oversees the BSF programme, set up the national academies framework last year to speed up the procurement of BSF, academy and one-school schemes. Framework schemes are expected to reach financial close within six months of their open days.

Another six academies framework contracts are about to come to market: the £25m Nailsea Academy near Bristol; the £30m Joseph Rowntree Academy in York; the £30m Milton Keynes Academy; the £25m Darlington Academy; the £50m Southwark Academies scheme; and the £80m Middlesbrough BSF scheme.

Middlesbrough Council is hosting its open day next week. The scheme involves building five new schools and refurbishing two existing schools.