BOLTON firms are being urged to take advantage of a multi-million pound project to transform schools in the borough.

The town will receive up to £300 million to rebuild and refurbish secondary schools under the Government’s flagship Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme.

The Government has already approved £80 million to revamp the first phase of schools earmarked for improvement by Bolton Council — Bolton Muslim Girls School, Ladybridge High and Rumworth, Little Lever, Sharples High, Smithills High and Westhoughton High.

Now two companies have been shortlisted for the lucrative contract to build schools for the future in the towns.

Following a lengthy tendering process, Balfour Beatty Education and a partnership of contractors including Laing O’Rourke under the name of BDB Partnership have been selected to battle it out.

The firm which is selected will form a Local Education Partnership (LEP) to deliver the BSF programme.

And Town Hall bosses want local businesses to get a slice of the action by becoming involved as sub-contractors for the successful firm, which will be announced in September.