School of hard knocks for SMEs in education sector

摘要

Building Schools for the Future projects are coveted jewels in a time of financial uncertainty, offering relatively secure business to a number of contractors. It is no surprise then that companies have been competing hard to get on to the scheme since its inception in 2003. But in a swarm of big players, how can smaller and specialist companies get involved? SMEs have been publicly welcomed by Partnerships for Schools (PfS), which runs the programme. There are plenty of opportunities, it told Construction News in July. Yet finding out how to get on the first rung of the ladder has proved difficult for medium-sized contractors.