Bidders for the 16-school contract will be shortlisted in October

Wandsworth council’s £350m Building Schools for the Future programme has been given the go-ahead after securing government funding.

Bidders for the contract, which will involve rebuilding and updating 16 secondary schools in the borough, will be shortlisted in October. A notice inviting submissions for the ten year programme has been advertised on OJEU today.

Bidders now have until 3 September to return a pre-qualifying questionnaire. A shortlist of three will be confirmed at the beginning of October. Final bids will be due in by July 2010. The investment will run in phases from 2011 to 2016.

Council leader Edward Lister said: “Today’s decision means we’re now and up running with this hugely ambitious project. We’ve been delighted with the interest shown already by the market. There’s a real sense that Wandsworth is going to be an exciting place to work.”