SDC and HBG top lists for education deals

Two contractors are in line to tackle £100m-plus worth of major college redevelopment work in the South Midlands and the South East.

Sources say regional contractor SDC has emerged as the preferred bidder for the £70m Northampton College scheme, while HBG is set for its second major deal with North West Kent College.

Bedfordshire-based SDC beat off major league players to the Northampton project - its rivals were Kier, Balfour Beatty, Laing O'Rourke, Norwest Holst and Miller.

A source said: "The firm has done really well to land such a big contract, especially bearing in mind the strength and experience of the opposition."

At the college's Booth Lane site, 21,000m2 of outmoded buildings will be demolished and replaced with a new 27,000m2 facility. Work on site should start early in 2009, with completion expected in 2011/12.

And at the college's town centre Lower Mounts site, an additional building spanning 3,000m2 will be constructed and open for business in March 2010.

Meanwhile, following its earlier £15.5m win at North West Kent College's Gravesend campus, HBG has beaten rivals ISG and Geoffrey Osborne to £35m-worth of work at the college's Dartford campus, about 15km away.