The provision of Mechanical and Electrical Management Services

The direct award is justified because TfL is

acquiring a property within a fixed and compressed

transaction timetable and must immediately

assume landlord responsibilities to existing tenants.

The incumbent suppliers are already delivering

essential mechanical and electrical management, maintenance services required under existing lease

arrangements, and continuity of those services is

necessary to ensure TfL can meet its contractual

and operational obligations from the date of

acquisition.

A competitive procurement before or immediately

after completion is not practicable and would create

a material risk of service interruption, exposing TfL

to potential liability and impacting the effective

operation of the property. The incumbent suppliers

also possess detailed knowledge of the building's

systems, infrastructure, plant and operational

requirements, meaning that replacing them at the

point of acquisition would likely result in service

incompatibility, loss of critical knowledge, and

disproportionate technical and operational

difficulties.

The proposed arrangements are therefore

consistent with the rationale underpinning Schedule

5, Paragraph 7 of the Procurement Act 2023, as a

change of supplier would result in services that are

different from or incompatible with those currently

being provided, creating disproportionate technical

and operational challenges. The direct award is

intended as a short-term measure to maintain

business continuity and allow TfL sufficient time to

assess and implement appropriate long-term

arrangements, including integration into existing

property management structures or undertaking a

competitive procurement within the next 12 months