Programme

Registration and refreshments

Opening address from the Chair

Planning for the future: Education construction market overview

• Exploring current and forecast funding for BSF, Academies, PCP and colleges construction
• Assessing current and future construction output under the four programmes
• Possible future scenarios for the education construction market over the next 2 years
• Does the education sector offer the construction industry grounds for optimism?

Government vision for national school building programmes

An outline of current Government priorities and its approach to planning future investment in BSF, the Academies Programme, the Primary Capital Programme and the stalled Colleges Programme. The speaker will also shed some light on the new responsibilities of Partnerships for Schools.

Question and answer session

Morning refreshments

Private finance in BSF: Current issues for private and public sector

• Risk and bankability: Are BSF schemes still an attractive proposition to banks?
• Current funding terms: Do funding packages offer the public sector good value?
• Refinancing: Complexities and consequences for private and public sector
• The future of BSF financing? Will it still be an attractive market for the construction industry?

Local authority lessons learned from the first phase of BSF delivery

• Progress made on the council’s school building strategy
• Exploring the challenges and opportunities posed by delivering the PCP and Academies Programme within the LEP
• How does the council prioritise the various school building programmes?
• How has the recession affected the council’s plans and what does the future for school building schemes hold?
• 5 top tips for construction supply chain teams looking to work with local authorities

Question and answer session

Speed Networking Session – Bring your business cards!

All attendees are invited to join this speed networking session. This is your opportunity to make new contacts, discuss the key issues currently facing your organisation within the education construction market and identify future partnerships.

Lunch

Leading contractor’s perspective of working on BSF, PCP and the Academies Programme

• Lessons learned from recently completed school building schemes
• Feedback on meeting Partnerships for Schools’ and local authority requirements whilst coming in on budget
• Assessing the cost and actual value of BSF, academies and primary school programmes
• Is it worth getting involved in the education sector at the moment?
• What do contractors want from their supply chains in the difficult economic climate? How is work procured by subcontractors?

Breaking into the education sector: An engineer's perspective

• Key criteria for partnering architects and contractors successfully
• Principal operational and procurement challenges faced on a selection of schemes and how they were overcome
• Achieving innovative and transformational schemes to tight budgets
• 5 top tips for ensuring engineers are not the forgotten part of a project team

Question and answer session

Afternoon refreshments

Case study: Lessons from delivering academy buildings

• Exploring different procurement routes for constructing academies
• Understanding the procurement route for the Mace Plus schemes: challenges and benefits
• Managing the interface between educationalists and construction delivery teams
• Exploring particular design and construction difficulties on the schemes
• Evaluating opportunities for subcontractor involvement in the build
• Lessons learned: What could have gone better?

Reaping the rewards of the Primary Capital Programme

• Observations on volume and value of contracts set to be awarded through the PCP across the UK
• Exploring different procurement routes and the appetite for major contractors to bid for work
• Potential obstacles and principal considerations in project delivery
• Assessing the prospects for SMEs and subcontractor involvement on the Primary Capital Programme

Question and answer session

Closing remarks from the Chair & end of conference