Multi-Disciplinary Consultancy Framework - Peterborough City Council

local authorities, including county councils, district councils, London boroughs, metropolitan districts, combined authorities, unitary authorities, parish and town councils;

central government departments, executive agencies and other central government bodies;

NHS bodies and other health and social care bodies;

police and crime commissioners, police authorities and police forces;

fire and rescue authorities and services;

schools, academies, multi-academy trusts, further education institutions, universities and other educational establishments;

registered providers of social housing, housing associations and Arm's Length Management Organisations (ALMOs);

combined authorities and other transport authorities;

public corporations and other publicly funded or controlled bodies; and

other bodies which meet the definition of a contracting authority under the Procurement Act 2023.

PART A - DIRECT AWARD

A1. Grounds for Direct Award

A1.1 A Direct Award may be made without Mini Competition where one or more of the following grounds is satisfied and documented in writing before award:

(a) **Urgency:** the Services are required with such urgency that a Mini Competition is impractical, arising from circumstances the Council could not reasonably have foreseen and that are not attributable to the Council's own acts or omissions - for example, an emergency building safety inspection required within 24-48 hours;

(b) **Sole capable supplier:** the Services can technically only be performed by a specific Consultant on the Approved List, by reason of unique expertise, proprietary rights, exclusive access or continuity with prior work - for example, a Consultant holding unique heritage records for a specific listed building;

(c) **Low value:** the estimated value of the Call-Off Contract (exclusive of VAT) is below the Minimum Contract Value specified in the relevant Contract Particulars, and Direct Award represents demonstrable best value for money; or

(d) **Permitted by PA 2023:** the Direct Award is expressly permitted under sections 45-47 or Schedule 4 of the PA 2023, as confirmed in writing by the Council's legal advisers before award.

A1.2 A Direct Award shall not be made merely for administrative convenience, to avoid competitive tension, or to favour a particular Consultant on the Approved List.

A2. Direct Award Procedure

A2.1 Before making a Direct Award, the commissioning officer shall: (a) document the specific ground under A1.1; (b) select the Consultant having regard to quality scores from the framework evaluation, current workload and capacity, and specialist expertise relevant to the requirement; (c) complete the Call-Off Contract Particulars in the applicable form (RICS SFCA at Schedule 2 Part A ); and (d) obtain internal approval in accordance with the Council's financial and contract approval procedures before issuing the Call-Off Contract.

A2.2 The Council shall retain all Direct Award documentation (written ground, selection rationale, executed Call-Off Contract) on its contract management system for audit purposes under clause 6.5.

PART B - MINI COMPETITION

B1. When Mini Competition is Required

B1.1 Mini Competition is the default call-off route. It shall be used for all Call-Off Contracts that do not satisfy the Direct Award criteria in Part A.

B1.2 The Council shall invite all Consultants on the Approved List for the relevant Lot simultaneously. No Consultant may be excluded from an invitation without prior written justification (such as a declared conflict of interest).

B2. Invitation to Tender

B2.1 The ITT shall include: (a) a unique Mini Competition reference; (b) full description of Services or Works, including site addresses, asset category, RIBA stages or MTC scope, and phasing; (c) estimated contract value and duration; (d) the draft Call-Off Contract incorporating the relevant Schedule 2 amendments; (e) evaluation criteria, sub-criteria and weightings; (f) any minimum quality threshold; (g) response format and deadline; (h) site visit or clarification arrangements; (i) BSA 2022 dutyholder requirements including Higher-Risk Building identification; (j) CDM obligations for notifiable projects; (k) social value requirements; (l) expected award date and applicable standstill period; and (m) any documents required with the response.

B3. Response Periods

Estimated Contract Value Minimum Response Period Notes

Below £25,000 5 Business Days Direct Award also available at this level

£25,001 - £100,000 10 Business Days

£100,001 - £500,000 15 Business Days

Above £500,000 20 Business Days Consider whether a full procurement is more appropriate

Any value - urgent only Minimum 5 Business Days Urgency must be documented; cannot be used routinely

B4. Evaluation

B4.1 All compliant responses shall be evaluated against the stated criteria and weightings only. The evaluation panel shall include at least one technically competent officer and one procurement officer. A non-scoring legal or governance observer is recommended for contracts above £250,000.

B4.2 Evaluation criteria shall be drawn from the following menu within the PA 2023 framework, with quality:cost remaining at 60:40 unless the specific requirement justifies adjustment within PA 2023 limits:

Criterion Min Weight Max Weight Guidance

Technical approach and understanding of scope 10% 30% Assess understanding of the brief and proposed methodology

Team, key personnel and CVs 5% 30% Qualifications, experience and availability of proposed individuals

Programme and resource plan 5% 15% Deliverability within required timescale

Risk management approach 0% 10% Relevant for complex or high-risk projects

Social value and sustainability commitments 0% 10% Measurable commitments consistent with Tender; must address community benefit, apprenticeships and net zero trajectory

Local provision and supply chain - presence within or commitment to the Local Area (as defined in clause 1.1) 0% 10% Assess: existing office/resource presence in the Local Area (Peterborough city and Cambridgeshire); demonstrable local sub-consultant and supply chain relationships; local employment and skills commitments; or a credible and time-bound plan to establish local presence within 6 months. This criterion implements the PCC requirement for a "focus on serving the client locally" (PCC Scope §4). Cannot be combined with the Social Value criterion so that both together exceed 10% of total weighting.

Fee / cost submission 20% 40% Consistent with Schedule 4 rates; lowest compliant fee scores maximum cost marks

B5. Award and Standstill

B5.1 The Council shall simultaneously notify all participating Consultants of the outcome, providing: (a) the name of the successful Consultant; (b) scores for each criterion; and (c) brief reasons for the award.

B5.2 Where the PA 2023 requires a standstill period, the Council shall observe it before executing the Call-Off Contract.

B5.3 Following expiry of any standstill, the Council shall execute the Call-Off Contract by completing the Contract Particulars in full from Schedule 2 Part A or Part B as appropriate.

PART C - RECORD KEEPING AND TRANSPARENCY

C1 The Council shall maintain a comprehensive register of all Call-Off Contracts under this Framework Agreement (see clause 6.5), recording: Lot; Consultant; award route; contract value; start and end dates; evaluation scores (Mini Competition); commissioning officer; and call-off reference number.

C2 The Council shall publish award notices in accordance with the PA 2023 and applicable PPNs on Contracts Finder and its procurement portal within required timescales.

C3 The Consultant shall co-operate fully with all record-keeping and reporting requirements, providing accurate and timely information about contract performance, expenditure and sub-consultant spend on request.

SCHEDULE 2 PART A - RICS SFCA CALL-OFF: CONTRACT PARTICULARS AND SCHEDULE OF AMENDMENTS

Framework Agreement Cross-Reference: Clauses 2.5, 6.3, 8.4

This Schedule 2 Part A governs every Call-Off Contract for professional consultancy services.

Part A1 sets out the Contract Particulars to be completed for each appointment, structured to mirror the RICS Standard Form of Consultant's Appointment (May 2022, revised April 2025). Part A2 sets out the Schedule of Amendments to the RICS SFCA (May 2022, revised April 2025) - 16 Amendments each precisely referenced to the RICS SFCA clause being amended or the new clause being inserted. The Amendments prevail over the standard printed form where there is any inconsistency.