Building Schools for the Future is arguably the most ambitious PPP programme the UK Government has undertaken. Bevan Brittan has been at the forefront of this programme since its inception in 2003.
We were retained by Partnerships for Schools to help them design the structure for the BSF Programme, to draft the procurement documentation and legal contracts and to help bed down the standard approach through consultation and advising on pathfinder procurements.
Since then we have led the way in a number of respects, such as:
- closing the first procurement of a Local Education Partnership in BSF (Bristol)
- advising on the first BSF scheme to use the Competitive Dialogue procedure (Islington)
- advising on the first BSF procurement not to follow the LEP model (Greenwich)
- advising on the first scheme to close on one basis, but structured to allow for a "flip" to another, once the funding market improved (Newham)
By Summer 2009, we had taken a major role advising on ten BSF schemes to reach Financial Close. Our current profile is advising on two closed deals client side for every deal we close for the successful bidder.
Our client instructions are well into double figures, stretching from Rotherham to Portsmouth and from Rochdale to Camden and covering some of the largest (Birmingham) and smallest schemes (Hackney).
We have (as at July 2009) advised three successful bidding consortium on the formation of Local Education Partnerships and the funder of one other BSF scheme.
We are currently advising on over half a dozen operational BSF programmes, supporting Local Authorities, LEPs and Funders on future waves.
We continue to advise Partnerships for Schools on strategic issues, such as improvements to the procurement process, revisions to standard documents and potential new structures.
No other legal advisers can offer this breadth and depth of BSF experience.
For more information on Bevan Brittan's BSF work please contact David Hunter.