Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1.0   Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

 

1.1      The purpose of this report is to:

 

·         seek approval from members for tenders and STAs over £30,000

 

2.0     Recommendations

 

2.1     The Committee is asked to:

 

·         Approve the public advertisement of tenders as per Standing Order 37a detailed in Appendix 1 (Table 1)

 

·         Approve the award of STAs in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions as detailed in Appendix 1 (Table 2)

 

·         Note the award of contracts by Arc 21 on behalf the council (Table 3)

 

3.0     Main report

 

3.1     Publically Advertised Tenders

 

         Section 2.5 of the Scheme of Delegation states Chief Officers have delegated authority to authorise a contract for the procurement of goods, services or works over the statutory limit of £30,000 following a tender exercise where the council has approved the invitation to tender

 

         Standing Order 60(a) states any contract that exceeds the statutory amount (currently £30,000) shall be made under the Corporate Seal.  Under Standing Order 51(b) the Corporate Seal can only be affixed when there is a resolution of the Council.

 

         Standing Order 54 states that every contract shall comply with the relevant requirements of national and European legislation.

 

3.2     Single Tender Actions (STAs)

 

         The following STAs are being submitted for approval:

 

·         Provision of consultancy services to provide a five year strategic plan, including creative programming approach, for the Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival.  The tender was publicly advertised in October 2019 but all suppliers who submitted a response failed the evaluation.  This work aligns with the Council’s new ten-year cultural strategy for Belfast, approved by Members in August 2019.  Urban Scale Intervention were identified as a supplier that can complete the work

·         Delivery of Research to Inform Provision of Enterprise Support.  This tender exercise approved in October 2019 resulted in no suitable bidder being appointed.

·         12 month extension of contract with BT for data connectivity for remote sites. This extension is required to assist with the implementation and handover of the new data connectivity service provider which has been impacted by COVID-19.

·         15 month extension of contract with Bryson Recycling from 1st August 2020 until 31st October 2021 for the continued provision of kerbside collections. This extension is required until a strategic decision on the future of the service is finalised and a procurement strategy developed in line with the Waste Framework 2017.

·         12 month extension of T1612 contract with Signtime for the provision a wide variety of signage (information and H&S) that the Council requires in parks, open spaces, depots, recycling centres etc from 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2021. This STA will regularise this expenditure whilst a formal procurement exercise is completed.

·         12 month contract with an approved contractor for the removal, treatment and disposal of seasonal/contentious waste during this 2020 financial year as agreed at the Bonfire Project Board in February 2020.

 

3.3     The Committee is also asked to note that a 6 month extension of contract has been agreed with our supplier for the continued treatment and disposal of residual waste.

 

3.4     Financial & Resource Implications

 

         The financial resources for these contracts are within approved corporate or departmental budgets

 

3.5     Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

 

         None.”

 

            A Member referred to the proposed 15 month extension of the Council’s contract with Bryson Recycling and requested that it be reduced to three months due to their poor performance and the number of complaints regularly received.

 

            The Chief Executive, the City Solicitor and the Director of Finance and Resources urged caution and advised that the Council was currently in the process of developing a new waste collection strategy in line with the Waste Framework and stated that it would not be feasible to implement a new strategy within such a short timescale.

 

            In addition, the Director of Finance and Resources detailed the significant capital finance implications that returning this function in-house would have on the Council’s finances and stressed that no provision had been made.

 

            Detailed discussion ensued, following which it was agreed that initially the extension would be for a period of 6months, with a report to be submitted to the next meeting of Committee regarding the impact that this would have on the strategic decision and on the future of waste collection services.

 

            The Committee approved:

 

·         the public advertisement of tenders as per Standing Order 37a detailed in Table 1;

·         approved the award of STAs in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions as detailed in Table 2  (with the exception of the Bryson Recycling); and

·         noted the award of contracts by Arc 21 on behalf the council as detailed in Table 3.

 

 

 

 

Table 1 – Publically Advertised Tenders

 

Title of Tender	Proposed Contract Duration	Estimated Total Contract Value	Senior Responsible Officer	Short description of goods/ services
Provision of a Sustainability Audit on Belfast City Council	Up to 9 months (31st March 2021)	£60,000	Grainia Long	Belfast City Council has agreed to develop a Climate Plan and the first stage of this is to establish a baseline and evidence base from which to identify priorities and actions.
Supply & Delivery of Goods for Resale at Belfast Zoo	Up to 4 years	£460,000	Nigel Grimshaw	The tender is required for goods for resale for the souvenir shop at Belfast Zoo. This generates additional income for the zoo.
Provision of a Christmas Lighting Scheme for Belfast City Centre from Christmas 2020 onwards	Up to 5 years	£800,000	Alistair Reid	5 year lease costs for replacement of Christmas lighting. Current lighting managed by BCCM and near end of life
Provision of an Active Travel project to increase journeys by foot or cycle - PEACE IV Shared Space and Services Theme	Up to 16 months	£150,000	Nigel Grimshaw	EU Funded project to increase journeys taken by foot or cycle along the Forth Meadow Community Greenway.
Provision of a community engagement project  - Civic Education PEACE IV Shared Space and Services Theme	Up to 16 months	£80,000	Nigel Grimshaw	EU Funded project to engage with 600 young people along the Forth Meadow Community Greenway.
Provision of the delivery of 3 Community Events - PEACE IV Shared Space and Services Theme	Up to 16 months	£120,000	Nigel Grimshaw	EU Funded project to engage with 600 participants and hold 3 public events along the Forth Meadow Community Greenway
Provision of the delivery of an  Intergenerational Project - PEACE IV Shared Space and Services Theme	Up to 16 months	£80,000	Nigel Grimshaw	EU Funded project to encourage community participation along the Forth Meadow Community Greenway
Provision of recruitment, delivery and accreditation of Volunteer Training - PEACE IV Shared Space and Services Theme	Up to 16 months	£124,000	Nigel Grimshaw	EU Funded project to recruit 60 volunteers from Forth Meadow Community Greenway and deliver and achieve certification in mediation training.
Supply and delivery of a range of fruit and vegetables for Belfast Zoo	Up to 3 years	£225,000	Nigel Grimshaw	The tender is required for the supply of fruit and vegetables for Belfast Zoo.

 

 

 

Table 2- Direct Award Contracts (Single Tender Action)

 

Title of Tender	Supplier	Total Value
Provision of consultancy services to provide a five year strategic plan, including creative programming approach, for the Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival	UrbanScale Intervention	£80,000
Contract for the provision of data connectivity for remote council sites	British Telecom (BT)	£35,000
Delivery of Research to Inform Provision of Enterprise Support	Aston Enterprise School	Up to £100,000
Kerbside recycling collections (T1200)	Bryson Recycling	£2.4m (only a six month extension agreed)
Supply and Delivery of Installation of Signage (T1612)	Signtime	£75k
Seasonal/ contentious waste removal	Confidential	Confidential

 

Table 3- Contracts awarded by Arc 21 on behalf of the council

 

Contract Title	Period of Contract	Senior Responsible Officer
Municipal Waste Disposal Contract – Lot 1	Up to 3 years	Nigel Grimshaw