RM PLC
30 May 2007
30 May 2007
RM confirms Leeds City Council Building Schools for the Future ICT Contract
RM confirms that it has reached contractual agreement with Leeds City Council
and been appointed as Strategic ICT Partner for the Council's Building Schools
for the Future (BSF) programme. RM previously announced that it had been
selected as preferred bidder for this contract on 7 November 2006.
Under the terms of the contract, RM will design, implement and deliver a
sophisticated managed ICT service, including PC networks in each of the schools
linked through a central data centre. As well as ICT infrastructure, RM will
provide other services, including strategic ICT development advice and an
accredited continuing professional development programme, to Education Leeds,
which provides Leeds City Council's frontline education service.
Leeds City Council's Wave 1 BSF programme covers fourteen schools divided into
three phases. The expected contract value for the first phase of the programme,
which includes six schools to be delivered from 2008, is £15m. Over all three
phases of the programme, RM anticipates the contract will be worth in excess of
£25m.
Commenting on the contract confirmation, Tim Pearson, CEO of RM, said:
'The BSF programme will reinvigorate education by providing learning spaces that
are fit for the 21st Century. Educationally effective ICT - serving pupils,
teachers and parents & carers - is an essential part of those learning spaces.
'I'm proud that Leeds has chosen RM to work with and I'm pleased that we've
reached contractual close. Now we can get on with the really important work,
which is working with Leeds City Council to deliver the educational benefits
that ICT can undoubtedly bring.'
For further information, please contact:
Mike Greig/Phil Hemmings, RM plc 08450 700300
Mark Antelme, Brunswick 020 7404 5959
Notes to Editors:
Founded in 1973, the RM Group is a leading provider of educational products and
services to schools, colleges and universities, local government and central
government education departments and agencies. RM works closely with
educationalists to create new products, processes and technology which improve
teaching and learning. RM is listed on the main market of the London Stock
Exchange under the symbol RM.L.
Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is a £45 billion Department for Education
and Skills initiative that will rebuild or substantially refurbish all English
secondary schools over the next 10-15 years. A key part of the initiative is to
ensure that schools develop a sustainable ICT strategy focused on improving
teaching and learning. Partnerships for Schools, the government agency
responsible for delivering the BSF programme, has set a budget of £1,450 per
pupil (over five years) for the delivery of managed ICT services in BSF schools.
RM has been chosen as supplier for five BSF projects so far - Knowsley, Lambeth,
Leeds, Solihull and Stoke-on-Trent.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange