Provision of Targeted Family Support Services to young children through Childrens' Centres

CPV: Social work services · Welfare services for children and young people

Procedure method

Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Services

Notice status

Awarded without competition

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Direct award (no call for competition)

GPA / WTO covered

Unspecified in notice

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

18 Nov 2021, 10:10 GMT

Last source update

18 Nov 2021, 10:10 GMT

Authority reference

DN578571

FTS notice number

2021/S 000-028778

Classification (CPV)

Social work servicesWelfare services for children and young people

Delivery area

South West (UKK13)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-02f7d9 Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

Published justification

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union in the cases listed below

• The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

Explanation:

In 2021 following the direct impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns on the service the Targeted Families Support services through Childrens’ Centres was continued through contract variations awarded to two providers, Barnados, and Gardners Lane and Oakwood Federation, for 12 months until 31.3.22 with a value of £3,625,482 per annum GBP to cover Gloucester City, Forest of Dean, Stroud, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury localities.

Due to the continuing impact of COVID-19, and the legislation changes by the Government there is a requirement to extend these two contracts with Barnados, and the one contract with Gardiner Lane & Oakwood Federation, by a further 12 months until 31.03.23

This extension is seen as a modification under the provisions outlined in Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which provides that contracts may be modified without a new procurement procedure in any of a number of cases, including:

(1) (b) for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor that have become necessary and were not included in the original procurement, where a change of contractor:

(i) cannot be made for economic or technical reasons such as requirements of interchangeability or interoperability with existing equipment, services or installations procured under the initial procurement; and

(ii) would cause significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of costs for the contracting authority;

(iii) provided that any increase in price does not exceed 50 % of the value of the original contract.

In this case, GCC will seek to rely on the modification provisions of 72(1)(b) in the context of the Council’s proposed contract variation. It would not be possible to engage any providers other than Barnados, and Gardners Lane and Oakwood Federation to provide Childrens’ Centres services during the 12 month period required by the Council.

The reasoning for this is that the size of the Childrens’ Centres Service and the breadth of required services means it would not be possible, before April 2022, to mobilise replacement suppliers who would be able and ready to discharge the Council’s statutory duties.

There have been changes from Central Government around Family Hubs, to improve cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes in disadvantaged and vulnerable children (conception to age five) across a number of areas to help children to achieve their potential and improve their chances of success in later life. These include labour market participation, earnings, health and wellbeing.

Moreover, in view of the need to carry out extensive market testing and market development to reshape the service into Family Hubs to incorporate the latest government changes, during a period in which this services market remains in recovery, the comprehensive procurement process that will be needed to appoint a service provider(s) to provide a service of the complexity described above, would not be possible before April 2022 without substantial duplication of costs.

Moreover, a short-term contract award to anyone other than the incumbent provider would cause significant inconvenience, service disruption for the community, and a substantial duplication of costs to the Council, on the basis that the Council would incur foreseeable costs with regards to the TUPE transfer of staff and other pensions, salary and HR costs associated with moving such a sizeable service infrastructure to another supplier for a interim period while the full procurement takes place.

A modification up to £3.6M GBP does not exceed 50 % of the value of the original contract £21,752,892 GBP

• BarnadosAwarded supplier Ilford, UK
• Gardiners Lane & Oakwood FederationAwarded supplier Cheltenham, South West

No document links were published on the notice.