1.1 To waive the Contract Standing Orders that require a minimum of five tenders to be sought for contracts of £172,514 or greater total estimated value to allow the Council to directly award a contract to Catalyst Housing Group from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2018.
1.2. To elect to directly award a contract to Catalyst Housing Group in accordance with Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii)of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the “Regulations”), on the grounds that “the services can be supplied only by a particular economic operator” and “competition is absent for technical reasons” and Regulation 76 (8) (a)“ in relation to the award of contracts subject to this section, contracting authorities may take into account any relevant considerations, including the need to ensure, quality, continuity, accessibility, affordability, availability and comprehensiveness of the services” and 76 (8) (b) contracting authorities may take into account “the specific needs of different categories of users, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups” and that contract to be for the provision of 30 nursing dementia beds at Acton Care Centre for two years with a maximum contract value of up to £2,012,400 during the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2018. This represents a price increase of 2.54% on 2014-15 costs, the price increase to be backdated to 1 April 2015.
1.3 To note the continuation of the informal arrangement for preferred status for spot purchase of a further ten nursing dementia beds and 20 nursing frail elderly beds at Acton Care Centre. The arrangement to continue to 31 March 2018 and to agree a price increase of 2.54% on 2014-15 costs, the price increase to be backdated to 1 April 2015.