The provincial government has issued tenders for the initial work on the BioCommons Park to be built at the Upton Farm property in Charlottetown, says Allan Campbell, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning.

“The BioCommons Park will be a great asset as we work to build a strong Bioscience sector on Prince Edward Island,” said Minister Campbell. “The park will allow existing companies to expand and new companies to move to the province. It is an important step toward achieving the goals we set out in the Island Prosperity Strategy.”

BioCommons Developments is issuing the tenders for companies to construct streets with concrete curbs, gutters, precast concrete manholes, a water main, a sanitary sewer and a storm sewer.

Ads for the tenders will be appearing in local newspapers.

Contract documents are available through CBCL Limited in Charlottetown at 135 St. Peters Road, upon payment of a $100 refundable cheque payable to BioCommons Developments Inc.

Sealed tenders clearly marked “Tender for the Infrastructure Construction for the Prince Edward Island BioCommons Research Park, Contract 102603,” will be received at the CBCL office until 2 p.m. on Friday, June 18, 2010.

Each tender must be accompanied by a certified cheque drawn on a Canadian chartered bank or bid bond in the amount of ten per cent of the tender price.

For more information, contact CBCL manager Jody MacLeod by telephone at (902) 892-0303.

BACKGROUNDER

PEI BioCommons Research Park

• The BioCommons will be built on 65 acres of land located on the Upton Farm property across from the West Royalty Business Park. The BioCommons will consist of bioscience research and development, manufacturing and support service facilities.

• The heart of the BioCommons will be a state-of-the-art biotechnology incubator that will house companies and help them commercialize their products. As noted in the Island Prosperity Strategy, a key mandate of the BioCommons is to connect our primary sectors to the modern tools of biotechnology so that Prince Edward Island can further benefit from our primary resources.

• The budget for land acquisition, site servicing, construction and start-up operations of the BioCommons is estimated to be $30 million.

• The BioCommons will receive transitional funding to cover early stage costs and become self sufficient by year five.

• Industry is closely involved in the planning and business plan stages for the BioCommons via a working group including board members from the PEI BioAlliance and industry.

• By its fifth year, the BioCommons is expected to be home to 500 employees with an annual payroll exceeding $25,000,000 and generate sales (almost entirely export related) of $90,000,000 per year.