Decision

To authorise the Procurement Team to award, enter into and sign a contract for Washroom Services under ESPO Framework 239_24 with Initial Washroom Services.

Reasons for the decision

Washroom Servicing is required across the council’s operational property estate. The service includes the following activities:
• Sharps disposal
• Air sterilising
• Modular had sanitiser
• Nappy waste
• Offensive waste
• Sani Sleeves
• Air freshener
• Feminine Hygiene

The current service is provided by Initial Washroom Services under a contract that expires on 5 October 2026.

A Sourcing Plan has been developed that provides the background, market and procurement considerations, and the decision on the most appropriate and cost-effective procurement approach required for the continued provision of the service.

Full consideration has been given to reducing the service standard to reduce costs. However, the service specified is already at the most basic standard and further reductions are not considered viable in the context of compliance and customer/staff welfare, and from a reputational perspective.

The recommended route to market is a direct award to Initial Washroom Solutions via the ESPO Framework 239_24, once the current contract expires on 5 October 2026.

The contract will be for 5 years from 6 October 2026 to 5 October 2031. The annual value of the contract will be [redacted].This represents an increase in the annual value of £3,716 which is caused by inflation and the increase of activity due to the requirements to provide gender neutral/single sex facilities. The annual increase will be absorbed by the Assets revenue budget and will not require additional funding

See the attached document for considerations in line with Wiltshire Council’s Constitution.

Alternative options considered

Procurement and PI&O considered a further extension under the previous ESPO Framework 239_20. This was rejected because that framework
has expired, and although a clause in the framework agreement permitted rolling annual extensions without a finite end date, we considered that this was not in the spirit of public sector procurement and where an
extant framework exists, that should be used.

The council could have undertaken its own procurement under the auspices of the Procurement Act 2023. This was rejected because of existence of the ESPO framework, which is simple to use. In addition, PI&O made an argument for a direct award to the incumbent supplier
because of the costs of change if a procurement exercise had resulted in a different supplier being awarded the contract.