Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: major capital projects progress update - September 2021

Further Education

Project - Dunfermline Learning Campus (College element)

Business Case Approved Stages:

The OBC outlined that the total project cost would be £86 million, of which the NPD contract value (and Scottish Government contribution) was £70 million. It estimated that the project would be operational by August 2020.

The College submitted a FBC in June 2017 for approval. However, due to the withdrawal of the NPD funding model and uncertainties on capital funding, approval was not given. Consequently, a decision was taken to put the project on hold pending assurances about funding.

On 4 September 2019, the Scottish Government announced a commitment of £90 milliion to fully fund the College portion of the Dunfermline Education Campus.

Contact For Public Enquiries:

Nicholas Dixon

ndixon@sfc.ac.uk

Progress at March 2021

Fife College and Fife Council have developed a shared vision for the joint campus and have agreed a clear view of the strategic and academic benefits of a shared campus.

The project is at the planning stage and the Scottish Government commitment of £90 million to fund the College element remains unchanged.

Progress at September 2021

In October 2021, Ministers agreed to Fife College continuing to progress up to Decision Point 4, pre-construction assessment (signature & financial close) recognising that this will be to deliver the proposed hybrid plus low carbon solution to enable Fife College to achieve net zero emissions.

Final college costings will only be known at Decision Point 4 when the Scottish Funding Council will make a further recommendation to Ministers on whether the project is affordable, whether all risks are being managed and whether it is deliverable. Ministerial approval will be required at this point to allow the project to proceed to the final phase – construction. Decision Point 4 is expected to conclude around the middle of March 2022.