3.2. FRANCE

After launching a two-year tender process in July 2004, the Centre Hospitalier Sud Francilien (CHSF) was awarded to a special purpose company created by Eiffage, Europe's seventh largest construction and concession group. This deal followed a competitive tendering process in which Eiffage beat out French rivals Bouygues and Vinci - largely due to Eiffage's previous experience in PPPs, which included a contract for a four-prison programme that eventually became the first major French PPP to reach a financial close in February 2006.

The prison deal served as a blueprint for the CHSF, which abetted the entire process and allowed for the programme to be expedited as well. Whereas the prior deal took four months to close, the CHSF took just six weeks after the contract was initially awarded. While France had seen other hospital projects in recent years, this deal had a total construction cost of € 315 million - by far the largest deal of its kind.

The project was planned to last 30 years from the commercial operation commencement date, which is anticipated for early 2011 with construction lasting four years. When finished, the CHSF will cover approximately 110,000 metres - the equivalent of 15 football pitches.