Schools PPP Bundle 3

Page last updated: 31/10/18

Pre-OJEU OJEU Shortlist Announced ITN Issued PT Appointed Contract Award Construction Completed / Service Delivery

Scoil na Tríonóide Naofa, Doon, Co. Limerick - photo courtesy of Neil Warner

Athlone Community College, Co. Westmeath. Photo courtesy of Neil Warner

Merlin Woods Post Primary School, Doughiska, Co. Galway. Photo courtesy of Neil Warner

Ballinamore Community School, Co. Leitrim - photo courtesy of Neil Warner

Creagh College, Gorey, Co. Wexford - photo courtesy of Neil Warner

Gaelcholáiste, Colíste Ailigh, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal - photo courtesy of Neil Warner

Project Background

On 16 December 2008, the Minister for Education & Science announced the third bundle of schools to be delivered by PPP (“Schools PPP Programme – Bundle 3” or “SB3”). The third bundle consists of eight schools, providing a total of 5,700 school places.

Under the PPP model, the schools have been designed, built, financed and will be maintained under a 25-year service contract. The debt financing solution comprises Bank of Ireland, the European Investment Bank, and the National Pensions Reserve Fund.

Project Details

The eight schools were delivered on schedule and service delivery is now underway at each of them.

School	School places	Service Commencement
Athlone Community College, Co. Westmeath	1,000	22 Apr. 2014
Merlin Woods Primary School, Doughiska, Co. Galway	450	14 Feb. 2014
Merlin College (PP School), Doughiska, Co. Galway	650	14 Feb. 2014
Ballinamore Community School	400	11 Feb. 2014
Scoil na Tríonóide Naofa, Doon, Co. Limerick	850	10 Feb. 2014
Creagh College, Gorey, Co. Wexford	1,000	28 Mar. 2014
Gaelcholaiste, Colaiste Ailigh, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal	350	7 Nov. 2013
Tramore Voluntary Secondary School, Co. Waterford	1,000	18 Mar. 2014

Project Team

Sanctioning Authority	Department of Education & Skills
Project Management	NDFA
Financial Adviser	NDFA
Legal Adviser	Arthur Cox
Insurance Adviser	Willis
Quantity Surveying	Bruce Shaw Consulting
Architect	Anthony Reddy & Associates
Civil & Structural Engineers	JV Tierney
Mechanical, Electrical & ICT	Malone O’Regan

Procurement / Latest News

The contract for Schools Bundle 3 was awarded on 9^th November 2012 to BAM Schools Bundle 3 Ltd., a joint venture between BAM PPP and Dutch pension fund administrator PGGM.

Construction commenced immediately and the first school, Coláiste Áiligh, in Letterkenny opened on 7^th November 2013, just 52 weeks after the contract was awarded. The final school in the bundle, Athlone Community College, was completed and opened on 28^th April 2014.

The project has received a number of awards including World Finance PPP Award’s Best Education Project in Europe 2013 for its innovative funding solution which included the National Pensions Reserve Fund. The project also received the RIAI’s awards for best architecture in an education project in both 2014 and 2015 for Coláiste Áiligh and Athlone Community College respectively. Coláiste Áiligh was subsequently shortlisted for the prestigious European Union prize for the Mies van der Rohe Award for Contemporary Architecture for 2015.

All of the schools are now in the 25 year service and maintenance period and the project was formally handed back to the DoES by the NDFA in late 2014. Whilst the project has been handed back NDFA continues to provide ongoing contract management services for the project under the arrangements detailed here.

On 3rd April 2017, an Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D. officially opened Athlone Community College.