Decision details

Procurement Strategy and Contract Award for Planned Void Works

Decision Maker: Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Services

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

Planned voids for the Council's Housing Repair service. Providing void refurbishments to ensure properties are ready for re-let.

Decision:

1.     Appendix 1 is not for publication on the basis that it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) as set out in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

 

2.     To approve a contract award to the Preferred Supplier, identified in appendix 1 (the “Preferred Supplier”) for the Contract Value included in appendix 1 (the “Contract Value”) for a contract period of 1 year using Lot 16 of the Framework. We aim to incept the contract as soon as allowable.

 

Reasons for the decision:

To continue to support the Housing Repairs service and provide additional temporary capacity relating to void works and smooth out potential peak demands and reduce void rental loss.

 

Alternative options considered:

1.     Do nothing or decommission the service – Not recommended

 

This option is not recommended as the Council cannot address the matters with its current contractors due to having reached the contract value, so needs to reprocure this requirement.

 

2.     Deliver the supplies, services, and/or works in-house (make/buy decision) – Not recommended

 

The Council does not have the capacity in-house to deliver these works, so to fulfil our obligations, we need to procure the works, to be delivered by an external specialist contractor.

 

3.     Undertake a full regulated procurement process, advertised to the market – Not recommended

 

It is recognised that a full regulated procurement process, advertised to the market would attract the widest competition and achieve the best value for money for the Council. We are working towards this on the current procurement of the new repairs contract, however, the disadvantage to this approach for void works, is the time it takes to procure. Competitive procurement can take between 10 and 16 months, which is not a timeframe we have available to us on this occasion, so an alternative compliant route to procure needs to be used.

 

4.     Procure using a suitable and compliant framework or Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), either by way of a mini competition or direct award – Recommended

 

Similar to the full regulated procurement process, advertised to the market, the timescales associated with running a successful mini competition for these works are estimated between 6 and 12 months to complete, which is a not a timeframe we have available to us on this occasion. It is for this reason that a compliant direct award from a suitable and compliant framework is proposed to be the best option for the Council and its tenants.

Publication date: 07/11/2025

Date of decision: 07/11/2025

Effective from: 13/11/2025

Accompanying Documents: