Wiltshire businesses who want to be part of a £230 million project to re-develop RAF Lyneham have until July to contact the Wessex Chambers and register their interest.

RAF Lyneham is being transformed into a Defence Technical Training College, which could see up to 25,000 students visiting each year.

A contract notice for the £230 million project has now been published naming three firms who have been shortlisted to take on full responsibility for the delivery of the project.

These are Skanska, Balfour Beatty and Keir, and Babcock International and Lendlease, all of whom will be viewed more favourably if they use local companies as part of their supply chain.

The Wessex Chambers, which represents 16 chambers of commerce locally, is keen to make sure the development gives local businesses the chance to boost their trade.

Stefan Barbaruk, manager of the Wessex Chambers, has met with the three suppliers and has arranged to put forward the names of any construction company large or small.

He said: “Construction is having a tough time, both nationally and locally, and hopefully this local project will help boost that particular sector within our area.

“It’s trying to help the local economy, that’s the whole idea. What I don’t want is for people to say this has happened, but nobody told us about it.”

Building work at Lyneham will be carried out in two stages. Tranche one will take up 150,000 sqm of the site and tranche two will take up an additional 150,000 sqm.

Work on Tranche one is expected to start in January 2014 and it is hoped this will be finished by the end of 2015. The owner of the contract for both stages will be announced at the end of this year.

Mr Barbaruk said: “The first phase is construction, it could be landscaping or it could be seating if they want some sort of auditorium. There will probably be a huge contract for removal companies bringing things in and taking things out.

“The second phase, which is really the cherry on the cake, is that when it’s completed someone has to look after it. From my point of view that contract is likely to be even bigger.

“The least these three companies can do is acknowledge businesses and arrange some opportunity to meet. Some of them will be successful and some of them won’t be.

“If each of those companies just spent five per cent of their business locally it would help Wiltshire. I would be delighted if we can get 10 to 12 organisations who have been successful.”

Businesses have until July 19 to get in touch with the Wessex Chambers. To do this visit www.wessexchambers.org.uk and fill in a form or phone (01225) 355553.