Decision details

To seek approval to invite Tenders on a cost/quality basis for suitable suppliers to be included within a Framework Agreement. The scope of the work to be delivered under the Framework will be transportation of service users determined as eligible by the commissioning departments including Adult Social Care, Children’s Social Care and Children’s Schools and Families. The Framework will be utilised to procure transport in response to referrals received from commissioning departments.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Locality Services - Commissioned which provided details of proposals to conduct a tender exercise in accordance with OJEU regulations and the Council’s procurement regulations to establish a Framework Agreement for Hired Passenger Transport service providers

Decision Made: That

(1)       the Head of Service – Locality Services Commissioned be authorised to conduct an OJEU Open Procedure  tender exercise for a new Framework Agreement to run for a period of two years from 1 January 2018, with the option of two further one-year extensions;

(2)       the basis of the tender evaluation will be MEAT(MostEconomically Advantageous Tender)takinginto considerationa balance between Price and Quality.

(3)       the Cabinet Member - Locality Services  be granted delegated authority to establish the 2018/20 Framework Agreement on completion of the tender process.

Reasons for Decision:

The current framework agreement was made up of 24 hired passenger transport companies, in 4 lots, divided up into vehicle seating capacity. The core period will expire on 31December 2017.

As part of this process, approval was needed for the Cabinet Member - Locality Services to have delegated authority to establish the Framework Agreement at the back end of the tender process

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

No. Based upon the level of requests from commissioning departments there was currently an ongoing need for the Council to provide specialist transport to some service users. As such, this procurement exercise and the subsequent establishment of a Framework Agreement provides the Council with the opportunity to procure services at the most economically advantageous rates, whilst also meeting the stringent Health and Safety and Safeguarding issues associated with transporting vulnerable adults and children.