The Hackney Procurement Board is scheduled to meet on Tuesday 26 May 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a significant discussion regarding a contract award for domestic electrical testing and inspections, as well as the board's timetable for the upcoming year.

Domestic Electrical Testing and Inspections Contract Award

A key item on the agenda is the proposed award of a contract for domestic electrical testing and inspections. This contract, valued at up to £2.2 million including VAT over a two-year period, aims to address a backlog of approximately 15,000 electrical inspections. The report pack indicates that Hackney Council self-referred to the Housing Regulator in 2024 regarding consumer standards, committing to improve its electrical testing programme.

The current direct labour organisation (DLO) undertakes around 1,300 electrical tests annually, which is insufficient to manage the existing backlog and maintain statutory compliance. The proposed plan involves increasing the DLO's allocation to 7,000 tests per year, with an additional 11,000 tests to be allocated to external providers. This contract award is intended to cover 5,000 of those external tests. The council has committed to the Housing Regulator that the electrical testing program will be recovered within three years.

The report outlines that two pilot programmes, involving around 800 inspections, have already been successfully delivered by external contractors to validate the operational viability and financial efficiency of a hybrid model between the DLO and external providers. The proposed contract is for one year with an option to extend for a further year.

Alternative options considered and rejected include increasing in-house provision, undertaking a full open tendering exercise, and using an existing Hackney framework. The report highlights that insourcing would require significant interim staff recruitment, and a full tendering exercise would be too time-consuming given the urgency. The current capital works framework is also still in its procurement strategy stage.

The report also details the evaluation criteria for the contract, which prioritised social value and commercial offer. The recommended bidder scored highly on quality, social value, and commercial aspects, demonstrating capability and value for money. The social value offer includes commitments such as sustaining jobs, employing operatives from the local authority area, mentoring at schools, donating time and materials, and providing employability advice.

The contract will be managed through a JCT Measured Term Contract, with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor performance, including customer satisfaction, client handover pass rate, safety, predictability of cost, and social value.

Hackney Procurement Board Timetable for 2026-2027

The board will also consider its timetable for the upcoming year, with the next scheduled meeting noted as Tuesday 9 June 2026 at 2.00pm.