The public competition for the requalification and expansion works of the Higher School of Biosciences in Elvas, an investment of 5.7 million euros, was deserted. This is the second international public competition launched by the Polytechnic University of Portalegre for this project, according to the rector of the institution, Luís Loures.
According to the rector, in the first competition there were two "non-proposals", with one company indicating that the minimum acquisition value was higher than the 5.7 million euros. It took nine months between approval by the Council of Ministers and other legal changes, which meant that the values referenced by companies are no longer sufficient. The situation is being analyzed by the university's legal office.
Luís Loures explained that a note will be sent to all companies that have carried out or competed for works at the academy in the last 10 years to ask if they are interested in the project. The rector also advocated for a change to the public procurement code, arguing that production factors have become more expensive and that approved values should be automatically updated when competitions drag on for months.
The UPP intends to rehabilitate the former Basic School 2/3 of Santa Luzia, in Elvas, transferred by the Municipal Council through a 50-year loan agreement, and expand the ESBE project. The current building was designed for 250 students but already accommodates more than 600, so the project includes two poles: one for initial training at the former school and another for advanced training at ESBE. The 5.7 million euro funding comes from European funds (60%) and the institution's own revenues (40%).
