Decision details

Background: The Council have an agreed capital budget of £300k to carry window replacements and associated works at the Rossgate Shopping Precinct.
Procurement process: The Council identified the Fusion 21 Framework Agreement as the most suitable procurement route to award this contract.
Under the Framework Agreement the Council had 2 procurement routes, direct award or further competition. Following a conversation with Fusion 21, the recommendation was to carry out a direct award to the number one placed supplier on the agreement, Bell Group Limited.
Bell have been ranked number one supplier following a robust evaluation process looking at both price (40% of the criteria) and quality (60% of the criteria). The qualitative elements that were looked at included delivery of works, social value, health and safety, quality management and risk management.
Through the direct award approach, the Council are able to avoid a tender process which will save around 5 months on the programme. Due to the current condition of the windows at Rossgate shopping precinct and with the guarantees from Fusion 21 that the direct award is providing value for money, it was agreed that this was the best way forward.
The Council’s Commercial Asset and Property Development team has worked with both Bell Group and Fusion 21 to draft a schedule of works and agree a cost which is both in budget and offers value for money.
The works will commence 8 weeks after the contract is signed by both parties.

Decision: To award a contract to Bell Group Limited to carry out Window Replacements and Associated Works at Rossgate Shopping Precinct, Hemel Hempstead.

The Council have already obtained approval to move forward with the works. This is being funded from the Capital Programme.
This left how the Council were going to procure the contractor and we looked at the following options:
-An open market tender process – this option would require the Council to advertise the opportunity on a national portal meaning any suitable contractor could submit a tender. This was rejected due to the additional work required to draft a full set of employer’s requirements, evaluation criteria / questions and contract documents along with the 6 month plus timescales before the Contractor would be in place.
-Carry out a mini competition on a framework agreement (including Fusion 21) – this option would require the Council to send the opportunity to the members of the framework agreement. This was rejected due to the additional work required to draft a full set of employer’s requirements, evaluation criteria / questions and contract documents along with the 4-5 month timescales before the Contractor would be in place.
-Direct award on the Fusion 21 Framework Agreement - Through the direct award approach, the Council are able to avoid a tender process which will save around 6 months on the programme. Due to the current condition of the windows at Rossgate shopping precinct and with the guarantees from Fusion 21 that the direct award is providing value for money, it was agreed that this was the best way forward.