Sharpe Pritchard is one of only 17 firms which have been appointed to the BSF Legal Advisory Services Framework by Partnerships for Schools (PfS) to provide professional legal support for local authorities delivering their BSF programmes. 

Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the country's biggest-ever school buildings investment programme, with over £9.3bn being allocated to BSF projects during 2008 to 2011.  Firms on the Framework are able to offer comprehensive legal support for local authorities and schools from pre-procurement through to the operational Local Education Partnership phase of the programme. 

Sharpe Pritchard’s BSF team, lead by partners Paul O’Sullivan and Annie Moy, is already acting for Cambridgeshire County Council and Suffolk County Council on their BSF schemes and has recently advised local authorities on a number of One School Pathfinder BSF and Academies projects. 

Partner Paul O’Sullivan, said: "Being appointed to the BSF panel is a welcome endorsement of our expertise in this area and confirms our position as one of the top firms of choice for local authorities in relation to their BSF and Academies programmes."

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of PfS said: 

“It is now more than four years since PfS launched the adviser frameworks, and over this time we have seen the importance of local authority teams being able to easily access professional support which is committed to the objectives of the BSF programme, whilst also guaranteeing competitive rates and value for taxpayers’ money. The Legal Advisory Services Framework will also provide a forum to ensure that good practice is captured and embedded across BSF projects.

 “BSF is about much more than simply bricks and mortar, it is an opportunity for schools and local authorities to transform where and how students learn and teachers teach, and to integrate new learning technologies with state-of-the-art buildings and facilities. The advisers on the Legal Advisory Services Framework will be able to bring experience and ideas to complement the skills and knowledge within local authority BSF teams to help them plan for, and deliver, truly inspirational schools of the future.”