Q. How many secondary schools are in the Leicester BSF Programme?
A. There are sixteen secondary schools, 5 Special Schools and 3 ICT only schemes in the Leicester City BSF programme.
Q. Will all schools undergo construction at the same time?
A. No, the development is being arranged over phases.
Q. When did construction start?
A. Construction on the first phase schools began in summer 2007 and the first four schools are finished and became operational during 2009. During 2011 three more schools will see construction start on site and it is anticipated that during 2012 a total of 15 projects will be operational at the same time.
Q. What is a Local Education Partnership (LEP)?
A. The LEP is a joint venture company between the local authority and the chosen private sector partner. Its aim is to raise educational standards within the city by delivering the BSF investment. Leicester's LEP is the Leicester Miller Education Company Limited (LMEC).
Leicester Miller Education Company:
- works with the local authority and other local stakeholders to develop strategic investment plans for secondary education for the area;
- acts as the single point of contact for procuring and providing all the services needed to deliver the investment programme – ranging from design, construction, project management and maintenance to ICT services;
- integrates and manages a diverse range of supply chain sub-contractors – ranging from building contractors and FM service providers to ICT suppliers; and
- enables delivery of projects through a mix of procurement routes – private finance initiative and conventionally funded.
Q. Who will provide Information Communication Technology?
A. ICT will be delivered by Northgate Information Solutions. The company is a market leader in providing specialist software, outsourcing and information technology to the education sector. It provides technology services to over 1200 schools, with more than 350,000 teachers and learners successfully supported by the company. Northgate provides services to every school in Northern Ireland through C2k, the largest and most comprehensive e-learning initiative ever implemented in the UK. It also provides ICT managed services to the first BSF school in England.
Q. Who is building the schools?
A. Miller Construction is building the schools. Miller Construction is one of the UK's largest construction companies with an annual turnover of more than £500m and a high quality team of around 600 people.
Q. I have a service/product that I believe is valuable to the BSF project. How can I get involved?
A. LMEC will manage the procurement of all products and services relevant to the BSF Project. If you feel your company has something to offer the scheme you will need to contact the Leicester Miller Education Company at david.holmes@miller.co.uk
Q. Where can I get further information on the project?
A. The BSF Webpages are regularly updated with the latest information. Additionally, details on the programme nationwide can be found through the links on our Useful Websites page. If you have any further questions please email bsf@leicester.gov.uk.
