Minutes:
The Committee considered the undernoted report:
“1 Relevant Background Information
1.1 The purpose of this report is to request extensions to existing events tenders beyond their initial contract period and for the issuing of a laser lighting tender for the purpose of the marking the opening of the Belfast Titanic building. This tender would be on behalf of NITB with BCC as the delivery vehicle for the event, but not involve Council finances.
1.2 Members are asked to note that in October 2010 Council agreed to the issuing of the tenders listed below:
1.3 - Production Management
- PA, Stage and Lighting
- Mobile Video Screens
- Fireworks
- Carnival Parade
1.4 All these tenders assist in the delivery of the Council’s large scale civic events by the way of production management contracts with a variety of companies. This arrangement allows experienced operators to tender for Council contracts whilst full budgetary control remains within the Council. These service contracts would be issued initially for one year, with the option of renewal for a further three years.
1.5 Members are being asked to extend the existing contracts. The rationale behind the request to Committee is due to: the need to develop and put in place a more robust procurement strategy aimed at achieving greater value for money and minimising risks associated with today’s public procurement environment. All these factors have added to a considerable delay to the issuing of tenders, along with added workloads for both the Procurement and City Events Units. As a result, it is unlikely that the respective tender processes will be completed by the end of the terms of the current contract periods.
1.6 Belfast Titanic Festival 2012 Laser & Lighting Tender
As part of the commemoration to mark the centenary of Titanic 2012 Members are being requested to agree to the issuing of a tender for a laser and lighting show on behalf of NITB on the basis that this event will form part of the Council lead Titanic Belfast festival.
2 Key Issues
2.1 The City Events Unit has been working with the Council’s Procurement Unit since the Committee approved the issuing of the tenders in October 2010. As the process has developed it has become clear that in order to ensure maximum value for money within the tendering process that considerable more work is required to enable the tenders to go public. Therefore, with the endorsement of the Procurement Unit, Members are asked to approve an extension to the existing contracts.
2.2 The existing service contracts are due to expire between the end August and the start of November 2011 and despite the extensive work by the both Council units it is clear that the tendering process will not be completed before the expiration of the current contracts. Therefore, Members are being requested to agree to the extending of the contracts on a month to month basis, with a cap of six months from July 2011.
2.3 Belfast Titanic Festival 2012 Laser & Lighting Tender
Members are reminded that the Council has agreed to the staging of a series of events connected to the centenary of the Titanic in 2012. As part of the commemoration the Council will be working with NITB to deliver a Belfast Titanic Festival during 2012. Part of this event will involve a
world?class laser lighting show on the outside of the new Titanic Belfast building. This project would be funded solely by NITB but tendered for by BCC. This show would be run over a two week period at a cost of £500,000 and be a part of the planned overall Titanic Belfast centenary programme, managed by BCC. The significant cost attached to this element is the desire to showcase not only the new Belfast Titanic building, but to produce a display of a truly international standard, that will help to attract international visitors to the city.
2.4 Members are asked to note that alternative sites are also being considered by NITB for this show. Therefore, if members agreed to the issuing of this tender an update of the final chosen location will be brought back to Council in due course.
3 Resource Implications
3.1 Financial
The cumulative cost of extending tenders would be £230,000. This finance is within the Council’s City Events Unit revenue budget
3.2 The budget for the Titanic Belfast laser lighting show would not involve Council resources and would be financed solely by NITB.
3.3 Human Resources
There are no additional staffing resources connected to this report. All elements will be handled within existing staff structures.
4 Equality and Good Relations Considerations
4.1 As with all major civic events activity, the outputs have the potential to bring together people from a wide range of backgrounds and therefore promote good relations in the city.
5 Recommendations
5.1 It is requested that Members approve:
- an extension to the contracts stated above
- the issuing of a laser lighting contract on behalf of Northern Ireland Tourist Board.”
During discussion, the Head of City Events and Venues clarified for the Members a number of issues regarding the proposed extension to the current contracts and indicated that the Council’s Procurement Unit and Legal Services Section had both confirmed that it would be appropriate and cost efficient in these instances to extend the terms of the contracts. In addition, it was pointed out that the Council’s ability to deliver the projects outlined might be impacted upon should there be a delay in extending the contracts.
After further discussion, the Committee adopted the recommendations.