Other

Millions wasted on school build bids

1 min read Education
Millions of pounds of public sector cash is being squandered because of the unwieldy procurement process used in Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects, according to the president of The Royal Institute of British Architects.

Speaking at the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee last week, Sunand Prasad said that construction companies could lose between £5m and £7m when they bid for a BSF project, which then gets turned down.

There are usually at least three bidders for any one BSF project, meaning that more than £10m is wasted on unused bids every time a BSF school is built.

He said: "That money has to come from somewhere, and ultimately, the bidders who have risked that money will get it back from the public sector in the long term."

At present, bidders compete based on the amount of risk they can afford to take, instead of competing based on the value for money they can offer, Prasad warned.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here

Posted under:


More like this