The Cabinet Procurement and Insourcing Committee of Hackney Council met on Monday 2 March 2026 to approve a new Human Resources Information System, award contracts for substance use support services and early years catering, and greenlight the procurement for five new housing development projects. The committee also approved contracts for internal kitchen and bathroom renewals.

Human Resources Information System (HRIS) Payroll Hosted Application

The committee approved a direct award of a contract to Supplier 1 for a Human Resources Information and Payroll System. This system will be hosted and maintained via the KCS Framework for an initial three-year term, with an option for a single two-year extension. This decision is a key decision for the council.

Substance Use Support Framework Contract Award

The committee approved the establishment of two frameworks for substance use support services. The first is a nine-lot framework for Healthcare-related Substance Use Services, awarding spaces to seven providers for a maximum of four years, with a total cost of up to £11,155,000. The second is a seven-lot open framework for Non-Healthcare related Substance Use Services, awarding spaces to three providers for a maximum of four years, costing up to £4,905,000. These frameworks aim to mitigate the harms of drug and alcohol misuse across Hackney and the City of London, funded by a three-year determination from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. The evaluation criteria for these frameworks were 85% quality and 15% value. Discussions during the meeting addressed the lower weighting of price to encourage bids from smaller community groups and how to ensure services for marginalised communities, such as the Jewish and traveller communities, are integrated into core provider strategies.

Early Years Catering Service Framework Contract Award

A single-supplier framework contract was approved for the provision of Early Years Catering Services to Hackney's Children Centres and Family Hubs. The contract was awarded to Provider 1 for an initial three-year term, with an option to extend by one year, at a maximum value of £2,792,522 over four years. This service will ensure healthy and nutritious meals for children under five, meeting the Early Years Foundation Stage Nutrition Guidance and Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering. The service specifications have been updated to align with current legislation, allergen requirements, and cultural diversity. The supplier has committed to sustainability measures, including reducing single-use plastics and food waste. The council will review the in-sourcing of this contract at the end of year two.

Procurement of Design and Build Construction Contracts for Five Council Housing Development Projects

Approval was given for the procurement strategy for five Council Housing Development Projects, forming Tranche 2 of Hackney's New Homes Programme (NHP). These projects will deliver 109 new homes, with 101 designated for social rent and eight for outright sale. The sites include Weyman Court, Cherbury Court, Selwyn and Wellday, Parkside, and Blandford Court. The estimated total cost for these schemes is £52 million. Construction tenders will be evaluated with a 60% weighting for quality (including a minimum of 15% for social value) and 40% for cost, using a fixed-price approach. Authority was delegated to the Group Director for Housing, Climate, and Economy to enter into the main building and enabling works contracts, a measure deemed necessary due to current market volatility. The procurement will utilise a Competitive Flexible Procedure compliant with the Procurement Act 2023.

Planned Internal Work Contracts

The committee approved the business case and direct award of contracts for capital works on kitchens and bathrooms within the council's housing stock. Two contracts were awarded via the Fusion21 Framework 'Building Improvement Works'. Wates Property Services Limited received a contract valued at £3,000,000, and Chigwell London PLC received a contract valued at £2,000,000. Both contracts are for one year with the option to extend by a further year. These works are part of the council's £500m Housing Capital Works programme and will address domestic kitchen and bathroom renewals, as well as rectifying hazards such as damp and mould and internal fire safety issues. The scope was reduced from previous plans due to budget changes. An annual report on the performance of these contracts and social value commitments will be presented to the Hackney Procurement Board.

Unrestricted Minutes of Previous Meetings

The committee confirmed the unrestricted minutes of the Cabinet Procurement and Insourcing Committee held on 2 February 2026 as a true and accurate record. They also confirmed the unrestricted minutes of the Hackney Procurement Board held on 13 January 2026.

Declarations of Interest and Apologies

There were no declarations of interest made by committee members. Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Carole Williams.