Contract Award for Creative Advertising Services

The decision is to obtain agreement to fund the procurement of Creative Advertising services for the MPS and National Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters. In 2016 the MPS Directorate of Media & Communications participated in a collaborative arrangement with the GLA to establish a creative services framework to ensure a compliant route to market. There is also an element of research to assist in testing creative approaches which is in scope of the GLA framework. The GLA contract is now in place and the MPS are in a position to access the framework. Notwithstanding, the creative services framework doesn’t provide access to the range of agencies now required. MPS Directorate of Media and Communications is proposing accessing the Crown Commercial Services Campaign Solutions Framework, which includes 27 appropriately resourced suppliers.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended:

1. That approval to initiate procurement activity is provided to allow MPS Commercial Services to tender against the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Campaign Solutions framework in early 2020.

2. That approval to award a contract is delegated to Director Commercial Services following the completion of the tendering process.

3. The contract will be for 3 years with a possible 1 year extension, and the maximum value of the call off agreement will be £3.4m inclusive of any extension.

1. Introduction and background

1.1 The Directorate of Media & Communications (DMC) currently operates a contract with Abbot Mead Vickers (AMV) for the delivery of corporate creative advertising services. The creative services facilitated by AMV enable the MPS to produce advertising campaigns to support organisational priorities such as anti-violence, domestic abuse and the MPS BeSafe crime prevention campaign. The contractor takes a brief from the client to address an organisational issue, recommends a creative route, suggested design, and then produces the assets to deliver the campaign.

1.2 In 2016 the DMC participated in a collaborative arrangement with the GLA to establish a creative services framework to ensure a compliant route to market. There is also an element of research to assist in testing creative approaches which is in scope of the GLA framework. The GLA contract is now in place and we are now in a position to access the framework. However, our campaigning activity is now more integrated, delivering activity across all communication disciplines from internal communication, to PR to traditional advertising and the creative services framework doesn’t provide access to the range of agencies now required.

1.3 The NCTPHQ operates in a similar way to DMC issuing creative briefs to the contractor, who will create the concept and recommend the best route to deliver our objectives. As NCTPHQ is hosted by MPS, they also access the services of AMV BBO and therefore experience a similar issue with limited choice of contractors due to the £50k spending limit. They will like to have access to a range of suppliers who could pitch different creative approaches. Accessing the CCS framework would allow the scope to do this.

1.4 DMC is therefore proposing accessing the CCS Campaign Solutions Framework, which includes 27 appropriately resourced suppliers. This framework covers all the services needed to run end-to-end campaigns. Each of the 27 agencies is able to deliver all the tasks required to design, plan and run a campaign internally and externally.

2. Issues for Consideration

2.1 The CCS Campaign Solutions framework will be procured through the Crown Commercial Services who oversee a large number of public services frameworks.

2.2 The MPS’s requirement has changed since the GLA framework was put in place and therefore the CCS framework is more suitable as it provides access to agencies who can supply integrated campaigns solutions.The CCS Campaign Solutions framework will deliver better value for money and increased creativity to MPS.

2.3 The frameworks are designed to offer clients an agile route to market and have been assessed by a competitive tendering process.

2.4 The framework is accessed by MOPAC for individual campaigns.

2.5. Access to this framework will enable the DMC to procure integrated communication campaigns to support the Police and Crime Plan 2017-2021.

3. Financial Comments

3.1 The contract will be for 3 years with a possible 1 year extension, and the maximum value of the call off agreement will be £3.4m inclusive of any extension.

3.2 The contract is a call-off contract which does not commit the MPS HQ or CT Policing to expenditure with the supplier in any particular year.

3.3 The available funding for this contract in 2019/20 is £750k from DMC Publicity Budget and £100k from NCTPHQ Publicity budget.

4. Legal Comments

4.1 Using the CCS Campaign Solutions framework is a legally compliant method of procuring creative advertising services for the MPS and NCTP HQ.

4.2 The Mayor's Officer for Policing Crime is a contracting authority as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations"). All awards of public contracts for goods and/or services valued at £181,302 or above will be procured in accordance with the Regulations.

4.3 Paragraph 4.13 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime has delegated authority to approve all requests to go out to tender for contracts valued at £500,000 or above.

5. GDPR and Data Privacy

5.1 The MPS is subject to the requirements and conditions placed on it as a ‘State’ body to comply with the European Convention of Human Rights and the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018. Both legislative requirements place an obligation on the MPS to process personal data fairly and lawfully in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals.

5.2 The Information Assurance and Information Rights units within MPS will be consulted at all stages to ensure the project meets its compliance requirements.

6 Equality Comments

6.1 This business case has undergone initial equality screening. Due regard has been taken to the Equality Act’s Public Sector Equality Duty.

6.2 Real consideration has been taken to assess equality impact caused by the proposed business changes. As a result, no positive or negative impact has been identified to any individual and/or group safeguarded by a protected characteristic and those who are not

7 Background/supporting papers

None.