Purpose

The awarding of a 6 month commission (for the purpose of a trial) is required in order to test the appetite and feasibility of a long term provision. The findings of the pilot will allow the Council to make an informed decision as to whether to commission the café provision on a permanent basis and under what conditions.
In the summer of 2023 a survey of City of Doncaster staff was carried out to understand the overall sentiment to refreshment services in the Civic Office. The results of the survey highlighted that staff would like to see a café style provision of food and drink services in the Civic Office. This would help support the transition of staff into a hybrid model of working, aid collaborative ways of working and provide spaces and facilities to enable staff wellbeing and socialisation.
The survey also identified the days of the week that staff regularly worked in the Civic Office and the times that they wanted refreshment services to be available.
It was evident that there was a desire for there to be a provision of refreshments for business guests attending meetings in the Civic Office if required.
These findings have driven the suggested short-term commission of the café facility in the Civic Office and have shaped the initial opening days and times.

Decision

To approve the commission of a café provider to supply a light refreshment service for staff working in and guests visiting the Council’s Civic Office. This is for a 6-month pilot period.
To test the viability of the café facility through a 6-month pilot in the Civic Office, it was agreed to award the contract as a direct award to a current supplier, Renshaw Green Ltd. This was possible due to the estimated value of the 6-month contract being under £50k and the flexibility of the financial procedure rules.
Renshaw Green Ltd provide the ‘Café 1910’ facility in the Doncaster Gallery, Library and Museum (DGLAM) building. A full tender process was carried out to appoint Renshaw Green Ltd to provide the DGLAM café, when this building opened.
It was therefore a pragmatic decision to appoint Renshaw Green Ltd. for the Civic Office trial as they were already delivering a successful facility in a council building and would also be able to quickly mobilise and deliver the café during the agreed trial period.

Alternative options considered

Do Nothing.
Not providing a light refreshments facility would mean that there is no enhanced offer to encourage staff to choose to work in the Civic Office. Not having a café space may negatively impact on the working environment for staff based in the Civic Office and would mean that there is limited provision to promote staff wellbeing and morale through social interaction during break times or appropriate working engagements.
There would also be no provision to provide refreshments for guests attending meetings in the Civic Office if required.
This option was rejected due to not providing the facility that council staff had indicated that they would like to see provided in the Civic Office.
Commission long term provision - To contract a café on a permanent basis.
To identify a provider and contract the running of the café on a permanent basis.
Entering into a permanent contract would mean that the Council would be committed to ensuring that a refreshment service is available in the Civic Office even if it was found that there is not the demand from staff to sustain it.
There is the potential for changes to be made to the layout of the Civic Office floorplan which would include the space occupied by the café. Entering into a permanent contract may make it difficult to enable any building changes if required.
This option was rejected due to not providing a chance to ‘test’ the demand from staff and building users for a café facility over a short-term period and due to any disruptions changes to the building may have on the delivery of the café.
Commission light refreshment vending machines
This option was rejected due to the lack of opportunity it provided to work with and encourage development of a local business. This solution would be less likely to create an environment that promoted collaboration and social interaction for staff. There would also be a lack of control/flexibility for healthy or alternative dietary requirement offers to be provided.