Content

Salford City Council – Record of
Decision
 
I Councillor Youd, Lead Member
for Finance and Support Services and chairman of the Procurement
Board, in exercise of the powers contained within the
Council Constitution
do hereby approve:
 
·     
the extension of the Call-Off
Contract for Specialist Professional Services, as detailed in the
table below:
 

Detail required

Answers

Title/Description of Contracted
Service/Supply/Project

Specialist Professional Services Call-Off
Contract

Name of Successful
Contractor

Bloom Procurement Services Ltd

Supplier Registration Number

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

08045123

Type of organisation

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

Private Limited Company

Status of Organisation

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

Non-SME

Contract Value (£)

£750k - £900k per annum estimated
average

Contract Duration

48 months

Contract Start Date

01/02/2024

Contract End Date

31/08/2027

Optional Extension Period 1

24 months

Optional Extension Period 2

months

Who will approve each Extension
Period?

Procurement Board (extension >
£150k)

Contact Officer (Name &
number)

Anthony Hilton

Lead Service Group

Service Reform & Development

How the contract was procured?

(to be supplied by
procurement)

Direct Award

Framework Details (where
applicable)

(procurement body, framework reference
& title, start/ end date

North Eastern Shires Procurement Organisation
NEPRO3
01/09/2019 – 01/09/2027
(Option to extend to 01/09/2029)

Funding Source

Combination of Above (please detail below)

 

Each project is funded differently (Capital, Revenue
or Grant Funds)

Ethical Contractor (EC): Mayor’s Employment
Charter

 
 

EC: Committed to sign up to charter

EC: Accredited Living Wage Employer

 
The Reasons are:
The Council has a need for the
use of additional professional services outside the use of
full-time staff. The existing Call-Off contract with Bloom expires
in February 2024, and there are several live projects still being
delivered by Bloom, supporting various regeneration projects across
the City.
 
Options considered and rejected
were: None.
 
Assessment of Risk:
There are several live
projects with Bloom and there is a risk to those projects not being
delivered if there was no formal contract in place with Bloom.
Delays to projects could mean the risk of not meeting deadlines,
funding arrangements and reputational risk to the Council of
failing to complete projects.
 
The source of funding
is: various, dependant on
project and can be a mix of Revenue, Capital and Grant
funds.
 
Legal Advice obtained:
As detailed in the report, the NEPRO solution is available for use by all public sector
organisations, and Bloom was appointed to deliver
NEPRO3 as a single supplier on the framework following a
competitive tender process from September 2019 for an initial
period of four years, with the potential to extend up to 2027 and
2029. NEPO have now extended that agreement, and for the reasons
set out in the body of the report the Council wishes to extend its
Call-Off agreement in line with the framework.
 
It is an established principle that an existing
public contract is capable of being extended (or modified providing
any modification does not affect the overall nature of the
contract), where the original agreement makes provision for the
extension.
 
In accordance with CSO’s, where the Council
wishes to procure services from the call-off contract to support
projects and the value is up to £150k,
these will be authorised by the relevant Executive Director and any
contracts valued above £150k will be sent to Procurement
Board for authorisation.
 
Financial Advice
obtained:
Financial implications of
contracts let under this framework will continue to be evaluated on
a scheme-by-scheme basis. Each individual contract will also be
subject to the governance procedures which determine spend approval
limits. There is no additional cost to the council as a result of
this contract award because the cost of service (5%) is absorbed by
the supplier in their fee. The contract is not exclusive and
therefore best value for money can be achieved
throughout.
 
Procurement Advice
obtained:
Salford City
Council’s contractual standing orders states that were there
is suitable framework this must be used unless there is an
auditable reason not to do so.
 
NEPRO3 has been
awarded to Bloom via a PCR complaint tendering process by North
East Purchasing Organisation. Call-Off contacts with Bloom can be
signed without any commitment to volume of projects or value of
work. The Call-Off contract is simply a formal process that is
required to be completed, to allow the Council to use the services
of Bloom as and when required.
 
The Council does not have to
enter an exclusive arrangement as there will be instances where it
is not possible due to various reasons, for example where a
specific category is not catered for by Bloom, or there are
spending rules such as ring-fenced funds. However, to gain the
maximum benefit and value for money, provide more transparency and
controls on consultancy spend, obtain greater visibility and
accountability, that commissioners are encouraged to use Bloom as
the first-tier provider when considering engaging a
consultant.
 
HR Advice obtained:
HR Implications of extending
the contractual arrangements are limited. Our current arrangements
for temporary staff through the GM collaborative framework
generally do not allow for securing contractors of this level or
technical skills. By having this framework in place, it supports
the safe provision of contractors ensuring that governance around
due diligence is built into the process mitigating against risks to
the council such as right to work, placement fees and IR35
liabilities and also supports the transparency of “other
types of workers”.
 
Climate Change Implications
obtained: None/
 
The following documents have
been used to assist the decision process:
·     
Report to Procurement Board on 10th
January 2024.
 
Contact Officer: Anthony Hilton
Telephone number: 686-6250
 
This matter is not subject to
consideration by another Lead Member.
 
The appropriate Scrutiny
Committee to call-in the decision is the Overview & Scrutiny
Panel.
 

Signed:     Cllr J
Youd         Dated:      10 January 2024.
           
     Lead
Member
 

FOR DEMOCRATIC SERVICES USE
ONLY
 
*          
This decision was published on 12 January 2024
*          
This decision will come in force at 4.00 p.m. on 19 January 2024
unless it is called-in in
accordance with the Decision Making Process Rules.