Procurement chiefs are understood to be planning to use standardised building solutions for around 50 school sites earmarked under the second wave of priority school building programme projects.

The Government has allocated around £2bn to improve and refurbish 277 of the country’s worst condition schools up to 2021 under PSBP2.

With building costs rising there is growing pressure to use modular buildings where possible to keep programme costs under control.

The sites in England have been identified as suited to using standardised building solutions for primary and secondary school blocks meeting the EFA standard design guide and minimum schedule of area guidelines.

These school projects are expected to be batched up into three lots with two firms selected to deliver the batches.

A previous Government Procurement Services framework covering a range of building types from catering facilities to health and education included firms like Elite Systems, Elliott Group, Portakabin, Premier Interlink Waco and the McAvoy Group.

Since the panel was established five years ago several builders like Wates and Willmott Dixon have also developed specific modular designs for the schools market.

Further details of the plans are set to be revealed at a suppliers day in London in April.
Interested firms can obtain further details of the proposed procurement and the supplier engagement day by emailing the agency.