Partnerships for Schools (PfS):  Partnerships for Schools is a non-departmental public body, wholly owned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) - previously the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).  PfS is jointly funded by DCSF and Partnerships UK, who are responsible for delivering BSF nationally.  PfS's remit is to work with local authorities and the private sector to renew every state secondary school in England over a 15-year period, with a budget of £45 billion.

On a day-to-day level, PfS gives advice to the local authority and acts as:

• provider of support to the local authority's procurement team
• ongoing support to local authorities throughout the BSF process
• a support function to the BSF team in DCSF.

Public Private Partnership Programme (4ps):  4ps is local government's project delivery specialist.  It works in partnership with all local authorities to secure funding and accelerate the development, procurement and implementation of PFI schemes, public private partnerships, complex projects and programmes. 4ps' multidisciplinary team provides hands-on project support, gateway reviews, skills development and best-practice know-how.  It also operates the Gateway Review process within BSF.

Middlesbrough Council:  Middlesbrough Council is the local authority for the Middlesbrough area with a responsibility for delivering quality education to the town’s state schools.  Working in partnership with the town’s academies and the Diocese and Faithful Companions of Jesus, representing the Catholic faith schools in the town, it aims to provide a diverse range of educational establishments.

Middlesbrough Council’s corporate vision has the education and care of young people at its foundation and the Council places Building Schools for the Future as one of its key priorities.

Project Team: The project is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Project Director supported by the following team:

• Project Lead (Design)
• Project Lead (Procurement)
• Schools Organisation Officer
• 2 Project Officers
• Office Manager supported by two admin assistants
• Workstream Leads (as detailed below) 

Workstreams: The core team is supported by workstreams that are made up of officers from across the council who lend their expertise to the project.  The workstreams are as follows:

• Community Use: Extended schools, sporting facilities and adult education.
• Finance: Affordability assessments, development of financial proposals, evaluation of finance, whole life costings, VAT implications.
• ICT: ICT contractor procurement, ICT impact on school usage.
• Legal & Procurement: Lead on procurement of ICT and design and build contractors.
• Delivery Team - working with the building contractor to deliver the schemes.

External Advisors: The Council has appointed a series of external advisors to assist in the delivery of the programme to ensure that the best quality project is achieved.  They are as follows:

• ICT Advisors: Socitm
• Legal Advisors: Dickinson Dees
• Financial Advisors: Grant Thornton
• Construction Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor: EC Harris
• CDM Co-ordinator: Baker Mallett

Building Contractor: Middlesbrough Council has procured Willmott Dixon to deliver its BSF programme.  Find out more about Willmott Dixon  here.

ICT Managed Service Provider: Middlesbrough Council has procured RM as its Managed Service Provider for the schools.  Find out more about RM here.