Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, announces today that it has been appointed as preferred bidder by Derby City Council for their £231 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

This BSF Programme involves the design and new build or refurbishment of 14 schools in the city with funding for three schools to be raised through a Balfour Beatty led PPP concession. All construction and facilities management will be carried out by Balfour Beatty. ICT services across all the schools will be delivered in conjunction with RM, a leading provider of ICT educational solutions.

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The initial phase of the scheme will begin in November of this year with the new build of Noel-Baker Community School and Language College and St Martins School, together with the major refurbishment of Derby Moor Community Sports College. All of these schools are scheduled to open for the new academic year in September 2012. Upgrades and new builds of the other schools will commence once financial close has been achieved with all work to be completed for the new academic year in September 2014.

Balfour Beatty Chief Executive, Ian Tyler, said: "We are delighted by this preferred bidder award and the opportunity to further strengthen our relationship with the City of Derby. We look forward to developing a Local Education Partnership with the Council and Partnerships for Schools to deliver excellent design and value for all schools in the programme, as well as maximising the economic benefit to the City."

Balfour Beatty will invest equity of £6.6 million into the 25-year concession to operate and maintain the school facilities and provide related services for the three PPP schools.

(CD/GK)