In the PRIME deal, we recommended that departments should obtain variant bids based on different levels of flexibility to vacate properties, allowing the options to be costed in the light of different staffing projections. Whereas PRIME categorised buildings into two groups -those that would be vacated and those that would be retained - STEPS added a third "intermediate" category of buildings. Intermediate buildings are generally expected to be vacated within the first five years of the operating period. This category was developed to avoid the Departments having to pay for flexibility that they were unlikely to use, but also to avoid paying costs if the buildings were vacated before the end of the operating period. Bids were received that allowed various vacation scenarios to be costed. Bidders also had a clearer idea of the Departments' needs and this extra certainty will have been reflected in their pricing. The first three years of the contract provide the Departments with 12,500m2 of flexible space. At 31 October 2003, 8,096m2 of this allowance had been utilised. If the balance is not allocated before the end of the financial year, the contract allows it to be carried forward into 2004-05.