The City of Marseille, located in the south of France, has launched a tender process to select private partners for the implementation of the Future School Plan (PEA - Plan Ecole d'Avenir​) which involves major renovation works to schools across the city. The City will award four-year public-private partnership (PPP) contracts worth EUR754 million (US$916 million) excluding tax.

This is the first of several phases of the PEA. It covers 14 institutions, split between two PPP contracts, each covering seven schools throughout the city. The successful bidders of the first batch will be re-entered in the tender for the second, which will result in the conclusion of subsequent partnership contracts.

The schools to be renovated through the project all contain kindergarten and elementary classes of various sizes and span surface areas of between 3,000m2 and 7,000m2, including gymnasiums. In total, approximately 220 classrooms will be demolished and 270 rebuilt.

The successful bidders will have to provide several services: the design and construction of the establishments; the demolition of existing establishments; the landscaping of the sites' outdoor spaces; and maintenance and renovation of establishments. They will also have to consider the urban integration of the new buildings and the treatment of their external spaces. The private partners will also have to partially finance the works, the remaining balance being met by the City.

The works are expected to be particularly complex since they will be implemented on occupied sites.

Interested parties have until 15 June 2018 to submit applications. Four proponents, selected on technical (70%) and financial (30%) criteria, will be invited to compete for the project from 1 September 2018. In early 2019, the city will assign between one and three of the shortlisted teams to the project.