Overview
The works comprise both internal and external fit-out projects to existing assets owned by Bristol City Council. The objective was for Bristol City Council (BCC) to create two new children’s homes out of existing BCC owned dwellings.
As part of the process, BCC sought to gain match funding from the DfE via the Children’s Homes Capital Programme. The funding was applied for and granted on 17 November 2022, for two additional homes located on Vowel Close and Witch Hazel Road providing spaces for 8 Children and 2 carers. The project was to be procured within the budget available of £812,000.
Background
To ensure BCC followed a compliant route to market, a thorough search was undertaken to establish whether there were any suitable internal Council or National Frameworks which could deliver the Scope of Works in a cost-effective and timely manner. The PAGABO Medium Works 2023 Framework was selected, specifically Lot 2, which covers projects of the value range £500,000 to 1 million. The advantages of using this framework is that:
- The suppliers have been through a thorough tendering process covering capacity, capability, and value for money to secure a place on the framework.
- BCC have a history of using this framework and would like to continue doing so.
Formal Procurement Approach
V4 Managed this process:
- Reviewed, compiled and issued tender documents via ProContract.
- Managed tender clarifications.
Resulted in two tenders being received.
Evaluation
V4S were responsible for:
- Post tender clarifications - these were managed and responses co-ordinated with the evaluation team.
- Undertaking the complete commercial evaluation of the Activity Schedule to ensure that the prices received were compliant, accurate, and that there were no erroneous rates. This required in depth knowledge of construction and estimation of contract rates to ensure that the suppliers could deliver on price.
- Managing the scoring and chaired the moderation meeting with the internal and external consultants to ensure fairness and to reduce the risk of challenge to BCC.
- Finalising contract terms with successful supplier to ensure no issues after award.
- Reviewing and checking the scoring from the external social value team.
- Compiled the scoring, issuing the tender award reports for approval.
- Issuing successful and unsuccessful letters.
- Publishing external award notices.
- Assisting legal with the preparation of the contract documents.
- Issuing award notices and awarded contract on ProContract and then activated the contract on Proactis, where the contract was managed by the Council.
Challenges Faced
The biggest challenges were that:
- The scope of works prepared by the BCC’s external consultant apportioned a substantial amount of risk on the tenderers, coupled with limited scope, resulted in only 2 tenders out of 4 being received.
- Both prices submitted were over the budget provision. The lowest submitted price was £840,0000 and contained £55,000 of provisional sums (which were a BCC Risk) and a further 40 assumptions and clarifications, which had to be managed to give a fixed price with adequate risk sharing.
- Following a thorough review by V4S, this price was reduced, the provisional sums were price fixed by the supplier. Clarifications and assumptions were resolved and any remaining risks were allocated to the best party to manage. Importantly, there was no reduction to the quality of the scope of works.
Outcome
The contract was let at £755,000, which was £57,000 or 7% below BCC’s Budget of £812,000.
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