The Dutch government has signed a €255m contract with construction group Dura Vermeer to build the new Amsterdam offices for the European Medicines Agency.

The €255m price tag includes a 20-year maintenance contract, which Dura Vermeer will carry out in alliance with other companies. The Dutch state is picking up the bill for the complex.

Work will start on the building project in June and is slated for completion in mid November 2019. The EMA’s staff will be housed in temporary offices from March, when Britain leaves the EU.

Last week, the Parool reported that Dura Vermeer was the only company in the running to build the new headquarters because a second contractor has pulled out citing time issues.

The other candidate, Zublin, part of the giant Strabag construction group, pulled out on February 3, saying the deadline of November 15 2019 for completion is too tight.