A decision was made to directly award a contract for cycle training to Cycling Instructor Ltd at an estimated cost of £600,000 over 4 years. The decision was made using the London Borough of Waltham Forest's framework for cycle training procurement, and will be funded by Transport for London.

Cycle Training Contract Award

The council's Corporate Director of Environment & Sustainable Transport, Aled Richards, made a decision to award a contract for cycle training in Newham to Cycling Instructor Ltd. The decision was made under the council's scheme of delegation to officers, which allows the Corporate Director of Environment & Sustainable Transport to make procurement decisions. ¹ The decision has been designated a 'key decision' as its total value is estimated to be greater than £500,000. ²

The decision was made to use a framework agreement established by the London Borough of Waltham Forest for the procurement of cycle training services. Using the framework was deemed quicker and cheaper than running a full tender process. The report notes that:

given the estimated value of the contract, it was decided that using a framework will enable the Council to have the benefit of value-added and social value benefits provided under a framework. Public reports pack 19th-Sep-2024 Officer Key Decision

Cycling Instructor Ltd were the highest ranked provider on the framework. They will be contracted to provide cycle training to residents of Newham for 4 years at a cost of up to £600,000. The council will fund the contract using money provided by Transport for London through the Local Implementation Plan.

Newham Council has previously pledged to enable more people to cycle. Their draft Transport Strategy, which was published in 2020, states an ambition to 'make cycling and walking the natural choices for shorter trips'.

The decision has been published on the council's website along with the officer report that sets out the details of the decision. The report notes that the contract will fund Bikeability training, as well as other cycling skills courses, for adults and children living, working, and studying in the borough. In 2023-24 the council provided training to 1890 people. They aim to train more people under the new contract. The report also notes that:

The service is free for everyone with access to training on standard bicycles. There is an EQIA completed for the LIP Programme in which cycle training is covered. A separate exercise will be done to commission providers of services for non-standard and all ability bicycles. The service can be complimented with other services for instance cycle parking and cycle accessories offered by Traffic Management and Road Safety team in EST. Public reports pack 19th-Sep-2024 Officer Key Decision