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 award of the
Contract for Key Cities Policy and Media Support Services, as
detailed in the table below:

 

Detail required

Answers

Title/Description of Contracted
Service/Supply/Project

Key Cities Policy and Media Support
Services

Name of Successful
Contractor

ING Media

Supplier Registration Number

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

3800985

Type of organisation

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

Private Limited Company

Status of Organisation

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

SME

Contract Value (£)

£         
100,000 per annum estimated average

Contract Duration

36 months

Contract Start Date

01/01/2024

Contract End Date

31/12/2026

Optional Extension Period 1

6 months

Optional Extension Period 2

N/A

Who will approve each Extension
Period?

Strategic Director (extension <
£150k)

Contact Officer (Name &
number)

Jacquie Russell

Lead Service Group

Service Reform & Development

How the contract was procured?

(to be supplied by
procurement)

Open Tender

Framework Details (where
applicable)

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

N/A

Funding Source

Combination of Above (please detail below)

 

Funded by all Key Cities members.

Ethical Contractor (EC): Mayor’s Employment
Charter

 
 

EC: Committed to sign up to charter

EC: Accredited Living Wage Employer

 
The
Reasons are:
Salford City Council is a
member of Key Cities and serves as the network’s secretariat.
As a result, the council acts as the lead authority for Key Cities
business including the commissioning of services on its
behalf.
 
The network is supported by
external media and policy support services to increase awareness
and influence of Key Cities and its activity. The current contract
for these services expires on 31 December 2023. The Key Cities
Executive (Cabinet) has agreed to recommission these services to
ensure capacity is in place to enable Key Cities to continue to
function.
 
Options considered and
rejected were:
Not to award a contract.
 
Assessment of Risk:
The current policy and media
support services contract expires on 31 December 2023. Therefore,
if a new contract is not in place by 1 January 2024, there could be
a reputational risk for Key Cities in terms of not being able to
respond effectively to future media opportunities or national
policy announcements. This will negatively impact on the work of
the network.
 
The
source of funding is:
From subscriptions from the Key
Cities membership. No financial draw on the council.
 
Legal
Advice obtained: The
Shared Legal Service
The Council has recently tested
the market and sought bids from organisations to deliver the Key
Cities Policy and Media Support Services as described in the body
of the report. In compliance with the Public Contract Regulations
2015 (PCR) and its own Contractual Standing Orders (CSO’s),
Financial Regulations and the duties of Best and Social value, the
Council undertook an open tender process as set out in the report,
which appears robust and compliant with the requirements of
CSO’s and PCR.
 
The appointment of ING Media
for delivery of the Key Cities Policy and Media Support Services
contract follows an open tender process which is outlined within
the body of the report, with bidders being evaluated on the most
economically advantageous tender, resulting in the proposed award
of the contract to ING Media.
 
Having undertaken the open
tender exercise process set out in the report, the Council and
other member authorities of the Key Cities network may take some
comfort that value for money has been obtained and periodically
tested, with open competition maintained.
 
Financial Advice
obtained:Leanne
Wrigley
There will be no financial implications to Salford City
Council. 
Funding will be covered by the Key Cities budget. This is a
tender (and contract) that Salford will manage as lead authority
and secretariat for the Key Cities Group (a national network of 28
mid-size cities and towns. This contract, and Salford’s
support costs subject to an SLA, will be met by membership fees,
and in that respect an annual budget of £270,000 will be
transferred to Salford. Confirmation has been provided that the 28
member contributions will provide the funding required for
this.
 
Procurement Advice obtained: Emma Heyes, Category Manager,
Corporate Procurement Team
This contract opportunity was
openly advertised on the Chest, Contracts Finder, and Find a Tender
service. 33 expressions of interest were received, and 4 bids were
returned by the closing date.  Two bids
were excluded due to not achieving the minimum score on questions
contained within the Award Stage questionnaire.
 
The recommended award is made
to the company that achieved the highest score on a combination of
quality, cost, and social value aspects, and therefore submitted
the most economically advantageous bid.
 
The procurement process
complies with the requirements of SCC Contractual Standing Orders
and Public Procurement Regulations.
 
HR Advice
obtained: N/A
 
Climate Change Implications
obtained: N/A
 
Contact Officer: Jonathan Stancombe
Telephone number: 0161 926 1089
 
This matter is not subject to
consideration by another Lead Member.
 
 

Signed:     Cllr J
Youd         Dated:    22 November
2023.
           
    Lead Member
 

FOR DEMOCRATIC SERVICES USE
ONLY
 
*          
This decision was published on 22 November 2023
*          
This decision will come in force at 4.00 p.m. on 30 November 2023
unless it is called-in in
accordance with the Decision Making Process Rules.