Industry update: news from the public sector

Amey Business Support Services is the lead partner in 3ED Ltd, a consortium that has been named as preferred bidder in a PFI contract that would provide all secondary education facilities for the City of Glasgow. With a total value of £1bn, this is the largest education project to be undertaken through PFI. It would see the majority of the existing 29 schools re-built, with the remainder comprehensively refurbished - and all benefiting from new IT systems. Amey's partners are Halifax plc and the Miller Group of Scotland.

Serco's joint venture company, AWE Management, has won a ten-year contract for the management and operation of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, the R&D centre that also stockpiles the UK's nuclear arsenal. Serco's partners are Lockheed Martin and BNFL. Currently the contract has a value of about £2.2bn, though it also incorporates a provision for extension to 25 years.

WS Atkins has been appointed by Swindon Borough Council for delivery of revenues and benefits services. The seven-year £14M contract involves updating existing systems and will see 77 Council staff transfer to Atkins.

WS Atkins has also released its interim results for the period ending 30 September. These show turnover up 12% to almost £225M and operating profit up over 30% to £12.6M. It says the new Ôbusiness stream' structure is beginning to pay off.

Elliott Chase