Council announces building schools for the future shortlist

The radical transformation of secondary education in the borough has moved a step closer with the announcement of a shortlist of three bidders to undertake the council's ambitious Building Schools for the Future programme (BSF).

Rochdale is the first Wave 4 authority to shortlist bidders and to start competitive dialogue for the BSF programme which will see the creation of 4 new PFI schools together with the refurbishment/remodelling of the remainder of the borough’s existing secondary and special schools. The combined construction and ICT investment is valued around £200 million.

Short-listed consortia were notified by Tuesday 16 September, in accordance with the council's programme timetable.

Over the past few months, Rochdale Borough Council has been working with contractors interested in bidding for the Council’s Building Schools for the Future contract, which will bring Rochdale ' s vision of schools fit for 21st century learning to life. Four consortia were taken forward having passed the initial pre-qualification stage and this number was reduced to three following a subsequent evaluation stage.

Today the council announces its preferred shortlist of bidders, who are as follows:

AURA Learning Communities Sir Robert McAlpine (Construction)
Robertsons FM (Facilities Management)
Telindus/Core (ICT)

Galliford Try/Equitix
Galliford Try (Construction)
Galliford Try FM (Facilities Management)
RM (ICT)

Inspired Spaces
Carillion (Construction, FM and ICT)
with support from Ramsey’s (ICT Partner)

Once the preferred bidder is selected, it is anticipated that work will commence in January 2010 at Hollingworth Business and Enterprise College, Milnrow and Siddal Moor Sports College, Heywood.

Cllr Irene Davidson, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families said that the council are confident that they have strong contenders, one of whom will be the ideal partner to work with them in delivering their vision for state of the art learning centres fit for the 21st century:

“The selection of the shortlist of bidders is an important step forward for everyone with an interest in education in the borough. Building Schools for the Future will transform the way we educate our young people. It is an exciting opportunity to give young people access to a world class education system and the best possible environments for learning, allowing them to reach even higher levels of achievement. This announcement allows us to move forward positively with the school organisation process.”