16th Feb 2005 07:00
RM PLC16 February 2005 RM awarded £17.1 million Lambeth LEA 'Connected Learning' ICT PFI project RM plc, the UK's leading supplier of ICT and other services to education, hassigned a £17.1 million PFI contract to deliver a Connected Learning service toschools in Lambeth LEA (Local Education Authority). The Group announced on the26th March 2004 that it was the sole bidder for this educational ICT project. Under the eight-year contract, RM will provide a complete educational ICTservice for 6 main-stream secondary schools, 2 secondary special schools and 2Pupil Referral Units in Lambeth. This service will include fully managedCommunity Connect networks in each school, along with a range of digitallearning resources hosted within RM's Kaleidos virtual learning environment. RMwill be responsible for the initial commissioning of the service, day-to-daymanagement over the eight-year contract term, and a major strategic 'refresh'during the life of the project. Commenting on the award of the contract, Phyllis Dunipace, Executive Director ofEducation for Lambeth LEA, said: "We are delighted to be embarking on an eight year strategic partnership with RMdesigned to improve both efficiency and standards of teaching and learning inthe schools that have chosen to participate. "The Lambeth Connected Learning Project is one of four special projects selectedby the government to find effective ways of using technology to transformeducation." Tim Pearson, CEO of RM, added: "The Lambeth project is the third of three DfES ICT PFI projects that we havebid for and won. Each project focuses on a different approach to educationalICT, and the three projects together demonstrate RM's unique ability to deliversophisticated ICT systems that help teachers teach and learners learn. "As with our other recent PFI projects, the Lambeth LEA Connected Learningservice builds on RM's Learning Platform architecture. The knowledge andexperience we have gained through bidding and delivering these PFI contracts -and our other strategic education projects - position us well for the DfES'Building Schools for the Future initiative." - Ends - For further information, please contact: Mike Greig/Phil Hemmings, RM plc 08709 200200 Fiona Laffan/Mark Antelme, Brunswick 020 7404 5959 Notes to Editors: 1. The Lambeth PFI project is the last of four pathfinder DfES-funded contracts to be awarded, all of which are aimed at raising educational standards through the innovative application of Information Communication Technologies. RM has bid for and won three of these projects (Lambeth LEA, Newham LEA and Warwickshire LEA). 2. Service delivery will start in May 2005 and turnover from the contract is expected to be broadly flat across the life of the project. 3. Financing for the PFI element of the project will be provided for from RM's cash resources. The peak financing requirement is expected to be £4 million in 2006. Note that this is in addition to the Group's usual underlying capital expenditure and the previously reported £8.2 million capital expenditure requirement of the Warwickshire, Newham and Dudley PFI projects. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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