The Irish National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) has launched a tender process to hire consultants for the first phase of the Government’s social house building Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme.

The selected consultants will have to, among others, provide planning and development advice, apply for full planning permissions and develop preliminary designs for the programme.

This first phase of the programme will require a estimated total investment of €300 million (US$335.9 million). The project will involve the construction of 540 homes at locations at Ayrfield, Malahide; Corkagh, Grange, and Scribblestown, Finglas in Dublin along with developments at Dunleer, Co Louth, Convent Lands in Co Wicklow, and Craddockstown in Naas, Co Kildare.

The total programme investment is estimated at €3.5 billion. The funds are expected to come from central exchequer funds, off-balance-sheet funds, and some PPP programmes. It will comprises the upgrade and construction of approximately 35,000 social housing units by 2020.

Interested parties must submit the their proposals on or before March 24, 2016.