Seven suppliers have been invited to compete for inclusion on a framework which will allow firms to bid for contracts to design, build and run new prisons by the Ministry of Justice.

On the 4 August 2009, the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) launched a competition via the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) to appoint up to seven suppliers to a PFI New Prisons framework, to build up to five new 1,500 place PFI prisons.

Now the lead consortia will be invited by NOMS to submit a tender for inclusion on the framework, following evaluation of Pre-Qualification Questionnaires issued as part of the procurement exercise.

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The seven lead consortia competing for inclusion on the PFI (Design, Build and Operate) New Prisons framework are:

• G4S
• GEO Group
• Kalyx
• Mitie
• Reliance
• Serco
• Wates Construction

All the new prisons in the building programme will be privately constructed and operated under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). The aim is to create 7,500 new prison places. The duration of the PFI contracts awarded under this framework will range between 20 and 40 years.

(CD/GK)