Purpose

The purpose of this report is to seek permission, in accordance with Contract Procedure Rule 9.2.2 (e)for an exemption from Contract Procedure Rules 6 and 7, to award a contract without competition to Bradbury Fields for the delivery of Blind, Partially Sighted, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services.

This exemption is justified as the requirements of Contract Procedure Rule 9.2.2 (e) are met as follows:

e.       Any other exceptional circumstances.

The following circumstances are considered exceptional, justifying the awarding of a contract without competition:

·       To facilitate the exploration of a collaborative procurement opportunity with Liverpool City Council

·       To avoid a gap in essential specialist provision;

·       To enable the Council to continue fulfilling its statutory obligations;

To allow sufficient time for accessible consultation and market engagement; and support an orderly, safe and compliant procurement and mobilisation process.

Decision

By Executive Director (Resources and Partnerships):

(i)             That an exemption from Contract Procedure Rules 6 and 7 be granted, in accordance with Contract Procedure Rule 9.2.2 (e), to permit the award of a contract without competition for the delivery of Blind, Partially Sighted, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services.

By Executive Director (Health and Adult Social Care):

(ii)            That a contract be awarded without competition to Bradbury Fields for the delivery of Blind, Partially Sighted, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027 with the option to extend the contract for up to a maximum of five months in aggregate to 28 February 2028.

(iii)           That the Procurement Team be authorised to make the necessary arrangements for the issue of the relevant contract documentation.

Alternative options considered

Do Nothing:

This option was considered and rejected due to the Council’s statutory obligation to provide services for individuals with visual impairments and hearing loss.

Deliver in house:

This option was considered and rejected because the requirement cannot be undertaken within Council resources, due to the skills, expertise and the current links to specialist complementary support services for people with visual impairment and / or hearing loss.

Seek Competition (Quotation / Tender):

This option was considered and rejected, at this point in time as there is an opportunity to collaborate with Liverpool City Council to jointly procure this service. The benefits of collaboration are expected to result in a more accessible service and cost-effective model. More time is required explore this opportunity whilst Liverpool City Council seek the appropriate permissions through their governance arrangements. The commissioning intention is therefore to commence a compliant tender exercise in July 2027. This period of time will enable the Council to confirm if a joint procurement exercise will be undertaken and prepare the necessary procurement documentation to be ready to tender.