NRPB: No local contractors bid for Sister Marie Laurence School reconstruction

GREAT BAY--Despite extended deadlines and efforts to encourage participation, no local contractors submitted bids for the reconstruction of the Sister Marie Laurence School. The tender, launched under the Fostering Resilient Learning Project (FRLP) by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), closed with just one bid from a non-local source.

This outcome comes after the demolition of the school, along with the Charles Leopold Bell School and the Sint Maarten Library, was awarded separately to local contractor Windward Roads B.V. earlier this year. While that tender demonstrated local capacity, the reconstruction project did not attract the participation of the local construction market, either as main contractors or through joint ventures.

The NRPB noted that this was particularly significant in light of the outcry in 2024 when foreign firms were awarded several reconstruction contracts. At the time, 73 local contractors petitioned Parliament, demanding greater opportunities. In response, the NRPB introduced measures to ease local access, including awarding points for local subcontractors and labor, extending the bid deadline by two weeks, and providing practical training and public procurement sessions with World Bank experts.

“From our side, I believe we have made a sustained effort to ensure that the information and resources are available to all. Our procurement process is open and competitive, and awards are determined solely by the quality and compliance of the bids received,” said NRPB Director Claret Connor.

The lone bid received is now being evaluated based on technical quality and value for money. Meanwhile, the NRPB continues to encourage local contractors to monitor its tender page (www.nrpbsxm.org/tenders

), review procurement requirements early, and consider forming joint ventures for upcoming projects such as the reconstruction of the St. Maarten Library, the Charles Leopold Bell School, the new Mental Health Care Center, and other works.

The FRLP is funded by the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, which is financed by the Government of the Netherlands and managed by the World Bank.

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