8.36 To meet this challenge, a new vehicle has been established to manage a programme of centrally procured schemes, each covering a grouping of CofE schools. The scheme brings the potential benefits of PFI, in terms of on-time, on-budget delivery and whole-of-life design and costing, to a sector where without bundling it would not be economic to use PFI. Partnerships for Church of England Schools (PfCS) is a joint venture between DfES, Partnerships UK and the National Society (responsible for education within the CofE), that will scope, develop and procure private sector partners for geographically coherent groups of dioceses.
8.37 PfCS is expecting to take 13 schemes into procurement in three tranches in the next two years, each scheme covering between two and four dioceses, so that all 42 dioceses in England are covered, establishing in each case a local partnership under which the future investment requirements can be delivered efficiently. The first schemes are expected to go into procurement in the summer, with all 13 local partnerships expected to be in place in around three years. Each local partnership is expected to require an investment programme of at least £40 million over its first three years.