Real estate services

Tender description

The University of Birmingham (‘the University’) would like to procure a Student Housing Partner (SHP) to design, build, finance and operate the expansion of its Pritchatts Park Village, as part of a new build, stock transfer and refurbishment project (the ‘Project’), which should have minimal impact on the University’s balance sheet. The proposed project We anticipate that interested parties will be invited to put forward proposals for: (a) building new townhouses on currently vacant infill plots to accommodate 496 student beds; (b) building a new 482-bay multi-storey car park (MSCP); (c) refurbishing the existing 734 bedrooms at Pritchatts Park to enhance the student experience and maximise operational efficiency; and (d) leasing, maintaining and operating the whole of Pritchatts Park Village (excluding the MSCP). The University has obtained planning permission for (a) and (b) and anticipates that the scope of (c) will be internal refurbishment and re-modelling only without requiring further planning permission prior to financial close. The University anticipates that the SHP will hand over the MSCP referred to in (b) to the University to maintain and operate, with it ceasing to form part of the project thereafter (save in respect of rectifying defects). The University is combining (a), (b) and (c) into a single project to help achieve a construction programme that is coherent and efficient and minimises disruption. The University is combining (a), (c) and (d) into a single project to transfer construction risk to the SHP. The University expects to grant headleases to a project company, established by the SHP, which will be entitled to earn rental income under the terms of a project agreement for an expected operational period of up to 50 years. The SHP will be required to finance and deliver the relevant facilities and pay a capital receipt to the University at Financial Close in return for the initial grant of the headleases. The new accommodation must provide a high-quality, affordable living experience for the University’s diverse mix of student residents. It must be a cost-effective and well-managed operation. The proposals must consider the varying needs of all of the undergraduate and postgraduate student populations, both home and international. Candidates who wish to be considered for the next stage of this procurement process should complete the selection questionnaire (SQ) and return it to the University via InTend.