The Hackney Procurement Board met on Tuesday 12 May 2026, approving the contract award for the refurbishment of Hackney Museum and agreeing to use an existing framework for adult skills courses. The board also reviewed the minutes of the previous meeting.

Hackney Museum Refurbishment Contract Award

The board approved the award of a contract to Supplier E for the refurbishment, service improvements, and adaptations to Hackney Museum, located at 1 Reading Lane, Hackney E8 1GQ. The contract price is £1,256,634.88 excluding VAT. This decision follows the approval of a Low Risk Business Case Report in September 2025, which sanctioned a restricted competition tender route. The refurbishment project, which aims to make the museum a more welcoming and engaging cultural asset, is significantly funded by a £2.24 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), supplemented by a £350,000 council capital contribution. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028.

The procurement process involved a restricted competition due to the specialised nature of the refurbishment works. Alternative options considered and rejected included using an existing framework, which was deemed unsuitable due to the lack of a relevant framework for Events and Exhibition Space, and an open tender exercise, which was discounted due to the significant time and resource implications. The option to do nothing was also rejected as it would jeopardise the NLHF grant and fail to meet the project's objectives.

The chosen contractor, Supplier E, was the highest-scoring tender, with a total score of 86.44% based on 60% quality (including 15% social value) and 40% price. The report detailed extensive commitments from Supplier E regarding sustainability, including the use of renewable materials, waste reduction, and sustainable transport. They also committed to social value benefits such as sourcing from local supply chains, offering work placements and apprenticeships, and supporting local recruitment through initiatives like Hackney Works. The contract will ensure fair delivery by requiring the payment of the London Living Wage and adherence to equal opportunities and diversity policies.

Adult Skills Framework

The Hackney Procurement Board agreed to use the existing Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Adult Learning Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for the 2026/2027 procurement cycle for adult skills funding. This interim arrangement will be for one year, with an option for a further one-year extension, and will deliver adult skills courses to Hackney residents. This decision was made because the establishment of the council's own 4-year Adult Skills Open Framework, previously approved in July 2025, has been delayed. The DPS is immediately usable and already employed by other adult learning providers, ensuring timely procurement for the upcoming academic year.

The council's own framework is still considered necessary as the CCS DPS is set to expire in October 2028 and will not be permitted under the Procurement Act 2023. The Adult Learning Service is part-funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA) through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) grant, with an expenditure budget allocated for this procurement in 2026/27. The use of the CCS DPS is permitted under Regulation 37 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

The report highlighted that alternative options, such as in-house delivery of all adult skills courses or procuring a single supplier for all training, were rejected due to capacity limitations, lack of specialisms, increased costs, and potential issues with quality control and learner disadvantage. An engagement and communications plan has been developed to encourage local providers to register on the CCS DPS, offering support and guidance to simplify the application process.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The board approved the minutes of the previous meeting held on 14 April 2026.