Purpose

Beryl was selected as the preferred operator (following a tender and procurement process during autumn 2022) to implement and operate the Leeds City Bikes (LCB) service in December 2022. Since that time the team at Beryl have been working at risk throughout the initial mobilisation period.

Based on information provided in their tender a Full Business Case (FBC) has been submitted to WYCA to secure full and final approval, and a release of full funding of £1,700,000 which is in addition to a grant of £300,000 that has already been made to fund development work.

Subject to WYCA Programme Approval Team (PAT) making a positive recommendation to approve the FBC, it is requested that an advance payment of £782,000 be made to Beryl in order that the mobilisation of the LCB service can be accelerated.

Subject to WYCA Transport Committee approving the FBC on 24/05/23, approve a funding agreement for £1,700,000 be entered into to enable LCC to draw down the remaining funding.

Approve LCC entering a contract with Beryl to formalise the advance payment of the 50% balance to be paid as 2 x 25% payments of £391,000 each.

Decision

The Chief Officer (Highways and Transportation) has:

a)  Authorised entering into a pre-contract agreement with Smidsy Limited T/A Beryl allowing the acceleration and mobilisation of the LCB scheme subject to West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) approval in May 2023 as set out in Confidential Appendix A;

b)  Subject to WYCA’s Transport Committee approval on May 26th 2023, authorised entering of a Funding Agreement to allow Leeds City Council (LCC) to draw down funding and give authority to spend on the scheme as set out in Confidential Appendix A; and

c)  Subject to that approval, authorised awarding a contract to Smidsy Limited T/A Beryl for the delivery of the LCB scheme and to formalise the advance payment to accelerate the mobilisation of the scheme. The value of the contract is set out in Confidential Appendix A. The contract will operate for 5 years, with possible extensions of 2 x 24 months, the estimated start date of the contract is June 2023.