Sustainable Communities for Learning - Expert Technical Advice

The Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme represents the largest strategic investment in Welsh educational infrastructure since the 1960s. The first wave of investment (Band A) of the Programme was under the banner of ‘21st Century Schools and Education’ and represented a GBP1.6 billion investment over the five-year period ending 2019. This supported the rebuild and refurbishment of more than 170 schools.

The second tranche of investment (Band B) began in April 2019. It was expanded to include further education colleges and renamed the ‘21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme’. In January 2022 the Programme was renamed ‘Sustainable Communities for Learning (SCfL)’ to make a clear statement about Welsh Government's commitment towards the environment, community cohesion, and Wales' future generations. This latest Programme will see a further GBP2.3 billion investment in school and college infrastructure utilising both public capital and revenue.

The service required by the intended contract is to provide technical support to the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme including Capital and MIM projects (Welsh Government and stakeholders). Stakeholders include: the Local Authority / colleges; Head teachers / Principles and Governors / board members.

As noted in II.1.4, the role of the Technical Adviser is a key one for the Welsh Government in its delivery of the MIM programme as well as providing ad hoc advice for the capital programme. The theoretical technical knowledge required needs to be complemented with practical deal-making experience of recent public sector education infrastructure programmes for the MIM element of the technical advisory role.