Regionals look set for slice of £4bn Academies framework

Regional contractors look set to win a slice of the new £4bn Academies framework deal. The framework has space for up to 24 framework members and is expected to include regional as well as national firms.

The four year framework, launched this week, will be split between two geographical regions. The first area, worth £1.25bn, will be made up of the North West, the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber, the East Midlands and the West Midlands. The second area, worth up to £2.5bn, consists of East of England, the South West, the South East and London.

Up to 12 contractors will be appointed for each of the two areas, with bidders able to express an interest in one or both.

PfS chief executive Tim Byles said the framework needed “a range of contractors, including regional and national firms.” He added that the 'speed and lower overheads' of smaller, regional contractors would bring 'real benefits' to the programme.

Regional contractors welcomed the news. Partnerships for Schools faced criticism when regional firms were excluded from the original Academies framework in 2006.

Bob Rendell, group chief executive of Leadbitter said: “We are very pleased PfS has taken note of the need to engage large regional contractors. The North/South split is sensible and a natural divide.

“We believe the new framework will offer better value for money with the inclusion of regional contractors because of their local supply chains and their strong links to the local community.”

The framework contract will be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) next Tuesday. The winning bidders will be chosen by November and the first contracts let shortly after this. The framework will include smaller BSF schemes as well as academies.

The new framework will operate in tandem with the existing Academies Framework, which runs until December 2010. The six framework members will be eligible to bid for a place on the new framework.