Decision Maker:

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: February 23, 2026

Purpose:

Content: Salford City Council – Record of Decision   I Paul Dennett, City Mayor, accept the recommendation of the Procurement Board and in exercise of the powers contained within the Council Constitution do hereby approve:   ·     an exception to Contractual Standing Orders as permitted within the City Council Constitution for the reason(s) highlighted in the table below and to the award of the Contract for General and Specialist Information and Advice Services Options Appraisal, as detailed in the table below:   Detail required Answers     Title/Description of Contracted Service/Supply/Project General and Specialist Information and Advice Services Procurement Reference Number (DN and CR, supplied by Procurement) DN793403 Name of Successful Contractor Citizens Advice Salford Supplier Registration Number (to be supplied by Procurement) 701559 Proclass Classification No. (to be completed by procurement) 111230   Type of organisation (to be supplied by Procurement) Charitable Trust Status of Organisation (to be supplied by  Procurement) SME Contract Value (£) £576,792 per annum Total Contract Value including extensions (£) £2,883,960 Contract Duration 3 YEARS with an annual review of performance Contract Start Date 01/04/2026 Contract End Date 31/03/2029 Optional Extension Period 1 12 months with an annual review of performance Optional Extension Period 2 12 Months Who will approve each Extension Period? Procurement Board (extension > £150k) Contact Officer (Name & number) Lauren Fairey (l.fairey@salford.gov.uk) Lead Service Group Adult, Social Care & Health Partnerships Reason for CSO Exception: The goods / services / works are only obtainable from one provider and there is no other provider available to allow genuine competition Tick if it applies ? Reason for CSO Exception: The execution of works or the supply of goods or services is controlled by a statutory body Tick if it applies ? Reason for CSO Exception: Delivers Best Value to the Council Tick if it applies ? Reason for CSO Exception: Special education, health or social care contracts, if it is considered in the Council’s best interests and to meet the Council’s obligations under relevant legislation Tick if it applies ? Reason for CSO Exception: The execution of works or the supply of goods and services is required so urgently as not to permit compliance with the requirements of competition Tick if it applies ? Reason for CSO Exception: Security works where the publication of documents or details in the tendering process could prejudice the security of SCC and Salford residents Tick if it applies ?     The reasons are: An exception to Contractual Standing Orders and giving approval to direct award the General and Specialist Information and Advice Contract to CAS because: ·     Continuing a well-respected service that support to 21,224 people accessing General and Specialist Information and Advice service. ·     Offers value to money as bringing in £16,160,168 in benefit gains into Salford, which is a 2,856% return on investment. CAS brings an additional £673,262 worth of services into Salford that compliments General and Specialist Information and Advice service. ·     Following the most recent market engagement exercises in October 2025  only one provider (CAS) was able to demonstrate that they were able to deliver General and Specialist Information and Advice Services in Salford. A direct award avoids a time consuming and costly tendering exercise. ·     Aligns with strategic priorities in redesigning the Adult Social Care Front Door and CAS Care Act General and Specialist Advice and Information service being an element of this alongside the other services that CAS provide that supports prevent, reduce and delay. ·     CAS are already signed up to the Mayors Employment Charter and they are accredited as a Living Wage Employer. ·     CAS have demonstrated commitment to social value through their volunteering programme and will continue to do so through the new contract. ·     The new service will be co-designed with CAS and relevant partners to improve the service and better align it to Salford City Council’s strategic requirements. ·     A direct award gives us the flexibility and agility to drive continuous service improvements throughout the contract period, ensuring that the service evolves to meet the needs of those who use it.   Options considered and rejected were: ·     Go to the market for a General and Specialist Information and Advice Service ·     Develop a Salford City Council delivered General and Specialist Information and Advice service   Assessment of risk: Risk relates to the implications if the scheme does not happen or any risk if there is a potential delay in making the award. See also legal, finance and procurement sections of the document.   The source of funding is: Revenue Budget.   Legal advice obtained: Supplied by Shared Legal Service: This report sets out three prospective options for recommissioning the redesigned service, with option 2 (direct award to the incumbent provider). The contract value exceeds the financial statutory services procurement threshold, therefore the contract would need to be let in compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 (as well as the Council’s Contractual standing orders).   As set out in the procurement comment below, there are certain grounds under section 41 and Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 which permit direct award. The report details a recent market engagement in which only the incumbent responded, and it suggests that whilst this result is not conclusive evidence that Citizens Advice Salford is the only provider on the market able to deliver the service, it is evidence of a limited number of market operators who can provide the redesigned specification thereby supporting reliance on this direct award ground.   Reliance on any direct award grounds under the Procurement Act 2023 poses a potential risk of challenge if there were to be any other alternative market operators who for example may not have seen the early market engagement exercise.   Legal Services is happy to support with the drafting and finalisation of the contract terms.   Financial advice obtained: Supplied by Salford City Council Finance Team: This report looks at the commissioning intentions for the General and Specialist Advice service currently delivered by Citizens Advice Salford. The value of the current contract is £565,726 and is funded by: ·     Salford City Council - £310,146 – of which £116,941 is in the Integrated Fund and £193,205 outside the Integrated Fund ·     GM ICB - £255,580 – all in the Integrated Fund   Included within the £255,580 funded by the GM ICB is funding of £55,928 in relation to the Mental Health element of the service. This is to be excluded from this decision and will be dealt with in a separate paper. Leaving an existing contract value of £509,728.   It was initially proposed that the contract was uplifted by £124,072 to £633,870 per annum as no inflationary uplifts have been applied to this contact since 2016.   A proposed funding split of the increase between the Council and GM ICB has been calculated based on the existing contributions by each partner. This indicates SCC would be asked to fund £66,994 of the increase and GM ICB £57,078.   GM ICB is has confirmed that it does not have financial provision to fund the additional £57,078 for the Health, Palliative Care, Expectant Families and Disabled Children due to: ·     The budget being discretionary spend from the NHS perspective and the statutory responsibility for the entirety of the service including any health elements rests with the council. ·     There is no additional funding available to contribute without decommissioning another service to release the funds.   There is however the potential for a discretionary annual inflationary uplift to the GM ICB elements of the contract. This will be considered annually by GM ICB.   As a result the proposed contract value is £576,792 per annum taking into account an increase for inflation of £66,994 which is to be fully funded by Salford City Council. If this contract is agreed this increase will be funded from a corporately held budget to meet inflationary pressures and will be applied after the Council’s budget has been set in February.   There is a risk that this award does not consider future inflationary pressures for the provider and this will be mitigated by a financial review of the new contract (if approved) at the end of year 2.   It is also recommended for the future delivery of the Greater Manchester Citizens Advice Out of Hours service that the Council SCC fund the £3,000 per annum for the service which will also need to be met from the corporately held inflation budget.   Funding included within the Integrated Fund will need confirmation by ICPC.   Procurement advice obtained: Supplied by Salford City Council Corporate Procurement Team: The Commissioner’s preferred option (option 2) which is to directly award a contract to Citizen’s Advice Salford is supported by a recent market engagement process carried via The Chest.   The total contract value necessitates compliance with Salford City Council’s Contractual Standing Orders and the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23).   The proposed award meets the criteria for a direct award under Section 41, Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023.   Citizen’s Advice Salford, the incumbent appears to be the sole potential provider of this specialist service and this is supported by recent formal market engagement process where despite a number of organisations having viewed the market engagement document and service specification, only one organisation (Citizen’s Advice Salford) submitted a market engagement return.   Should Procurement Board approve Option 2 (Direct Award), the Council is required to publish a formal transparency notice on the Central Digital Platform (a government portal) prior to formalising the award and executing the contract.   HR advice obtained: N/A.   Climate change implications obtained: N/A.   The following documents have been used to assist the decision process: ·     proc-brd-report-exception-to-csos-and-awarding-the-contract-General and Specialist Information and Advice Options Appraisal v3.   Contact details Contact Officer:  Lauren Fairey    Telephone number: l.fairey@salford.gov.uk   Please delete from the bullets below any which are not relevant: ·     This matter is also subject to consider by the Lead Member for Adult, Social Care and Health Partnerships ·     The Lead Member has been consulted and is supportive of the proposed contract.     Signed:   Paul Dennett       Dated:   23 February 2026.                 City Mayor   FOR DEMOCRATIC SERVICES USE ONLY   This decision was published on 24 February 2026 This decision will come in force at 4pm on 3 March 2026 unless it is called-in in accordance with the Decision Making Process Rules.