The contracting board of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Universities opened and qualified the administrative documentation submitted by bidders on April 17. In this first phase, six architectural firms have been admitted to continue in the process, while three others have been asked to correct formal deficiencies in their documentation.
The requirements affect companies that need to complete annexes related to subcontracted collaborators, clarify their form of participation, or correctly provide the Single European Procurement Document (SEPD) and the identification of the coordinating architect. This is a common procedure in public tenders and does not imply automatic exclusion, but rather the need to adjust the documentation to the specifications.
The contract, tendered last March for an amount of 884,426 euros (VAT included), will allow the drafting of the project that will guide the reconstruction of the center. According to the technical report, the general structure of the building withstood the force of the water and remains in an acceptable state, without damage compromising its stability.
However, the ground floor was severely affected during the flood, when water reached nearly two meters high, dragging mud, furniture, and installations. Therefore, the planned intervention includes the complete demolition of this floor, while the upper floor will be preserved but will undergo a comprehensive adaptation that will include improvements in accessibility, air conditioning, and renovation of facilities.
“"The tender for the project was a boost of motivation for the educational community, especially after several delays from the initial schedule and months of uncertainty about the deadlines."
Since the DANA, the institute's operations have been far from normal. Nearly 400 students continue to be distributed across different spaces in Utiel. Currently, classes are held between IES Miguel Ballesteros, the Official Language School of Utiel, CEIP Canónigo Muñoz, the Hospitality School of Utiel, and facilities at the El Nogueral Municipal Sports Center, which requires continuous travel for students and teachers.
In parallel, the installation of 21 prefabricated modules has already been awarded for a plot enabled by the Utiel City Council in the former skate park, with the aim of concentrating most of the teaching activity there once operational. The only exception will be Vocational Training, which will continue at the Hospitality School due to its specific resource requirements.
