Decision

The Director of Regeneration and Place has decided to award a contract to ECS Consultants Limited (Company number 04556533) as reserve consultant to provide the mechanical and electrical engineering design services (“the Services”).

The Contact is for initial 3-year period, commencing 1st May 2024, with an option to extend a further two 12 month periods.

Reasons for the decision

Following consultation with Corporate Procurement, a further competition exercise was undertaken via Fusion 21 Framework Agreement. An Expression of Interest was issued on 2nd January 2024 to the framework consultants – Lot 8.

A detailed Invitation with tender documents were issued to seven consultants who expressed interest in February 2024 and a tender exercise was undertaken. Three compliant bids were received. The bids were scored on a Price/Quality/Social Value basis.

• Price – 50%
• Quality – 40%
• Social Value – 10%

The award of the contract to ECS Consultants Limited as reserve consultant to provide the Services, is in accordance the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and in accordance with the Most Economically Advantageous Tender criteria.

The award will be underpinned by a formal contract which will be drawn up by the Council’s legal team.

The financial value for this contract is based on a budget of £60,000 per annum. Each commission will be funded by capital spend allocated to each scheme.

Appendix 1 sets out evaluation details of the tenders received.

Appendix 2 sets out the details of the tenders received and is restricted by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as it is ‘Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding the information.’

Alternative options considered

1. Undertake Mechanical and Electrical design in-house. Due to the reduced staff of one Mechanical Engineer and one Electrical Engineer, Asset Management do not have the capacity to undertake design works in-house and would have a detrimental affect delivering the Capital Programme.

2. Tender for Mechanical and Electrical Design Services Consultant for every commission. This approach would put additional time onto the project and staff resources to undertake the tender process.