The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) has requested proposals for its Kuwait schools public-private partnership (PPP) development programme.

Three consortiums have prequalified to bid on the project, by 14 February 2016.

The consortiums are:

• CCC - Consolidated Contractors Company (Athens-based), Privatisation Holding Company (local), National Industries Group Holding (local) and Morganti Group (US)
• Alargan - Alargan International Real Estate (local), KSCP (Germany), Alargan Real Estate Project Management (local), Alargan Gulf Real Estate Service Company (local), Index Trading & Contracting for Precast & GRC (local), Mohammed Abdulkhuder Ibrahim Consultant and KFM Holdings (Malaysia)
• KSDP - United Real Estate Company (local), Projacs International Project Management Company (Bahrain), Dar SSH International Engineering Consultants (local), United Building Company (local) and United Facilities Management (local)

The project involves the design, build, financing, operation and transfer of nine schools and a ten-lane Olympic swimming pool. The five kindergartens, three elementary schools and one middle school will have a total capacity of 4350 students.

State-owned land has been allocated in Al-Asema, Al-Ahmadi, Hawali and Mubarak al-Kabeer in Kuwait City.

The winning consortium will manage the facilities for 25 years for a monthly fee, depending on their availability and the standard of service.

The UK’s Eversheds, PwC and Mott MacDonald are providing advisory services to KAPP.

KAPP restarted its PPP programme this year after legal and organisational changes. Long delays hampered the first PPP project, al-Zour North 1 independent power and water project (IWPP).

KAPP is also tendering a number of IWPPs including al-Zour North 2 and Al-Abdaliyya integrated solar combined cycle project.

PPP projects outside the utilities sector have struggled to get off the ground in the GCC. Falling oil revenues have put the model back into focus, and Kuwait has the most ambitious programme.