Neutral Vendor Managed Service Solution for sourcing Services

This decision seeks approval for the call off from a competed framework (North East Professional Services, NEPRO3) for the supply of specialist professional and consultancy services. GLA collaborative procurement for this service was explored but was not available. The estimated up to four year value of the call off is £120,000,000. Approval of the call off does not commit MOPAC to this spend.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

1. Approve Option 1, a call off against the NEPRO 3 framework. Providing the continued delivery of a Neutral Vendor Managed Service Solution for the supply of Specialist Professional and Consultancy Services via Bloom Procurement Services Ltd (single provider on the framework). The call off being for four year period commencing 1st October 2021 on an initial two year term with options to extend by a further 23 months (current framework expiry plus allowable two years call off expiry restricts the final year to 11 months).

2. To note the estimated 4 year contract value of £120,000,000 is based on the last two years spend through the current arrangement of £30,000,000 per annum. However there is no commitment to this level of spend nor any minimum spend requirement. Future expenditure incurred in respect of this call-off contract will either be met from Business Group Devolved Revenue budgets or from approved capital and revenue programme and/or project budgets.

3. Delegate authority to be given to MPS Director of Commercial Services to award and sign resulting Call Off arrangement with Bloom.

4. Support Commercial Services investigating the possibilities for insourcing of this requirement. Any such business case will be submitted via PIB/IAM in accordance with existing governance.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. The existing call off arrangement to access these services expires on 30 September 2021. The approval of this route to market will enable the access to continue.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The use of this route to market will only be used for out-come based requirements and not for temporary demand for resource.

2.2. The previous call off arrangement was from the NEPRO2 framework which has been re-procured by North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) as NEPRO3.

2.3. Five potential routes to procure professional and consultancy services, including the GLA collaborative procurement route, were assessed. A full options appraisal is available in the restricted section of the report.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. The total call-off value over 4 years is estimated at £120,000,000. Approving this route to market does not commit MOPAC to any spend.

3.2. Future expenditure incurred in respect of this call-off contract will either be met from MPS Business Group devolved revenue budgets or from approved capital and revenue programme and/or project budgets.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. The Mayor's Office 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.

4.2. The MPS assure that this proposal forms a compliant route to market.

4.3. Paragraph 4.14 of the Scheme provides the DMPC reserves the right to call in any MPS proposal to award a contract for £500,000 or above.

4.4. Paragraph 7.23 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Director of Strategic Procurement has consent for the approval of the award of all contracts, with the exception of those called in through the agreed call in procedure.

5. Commercial Issues

5.1. The procurement is for the supply of professional and specialist consultancy services. The proposed call off term is for a initial period of two years followed by options to extend by a further 23 months.

5.2. The call off is proposed from a competed framework tendered by the North East Procurement Organisation(NEPO) – North East Professional Services (NEPRO 3) - following the expiry of the previous NEPRO 2 framework.

5.3. Bloom, the successful bidder for the framework, were the clear winner in terms of pricing, service, quality and delivery. MPS personnel were involved in the design of the tender documents, quality and technical question setting and in the evaluation of some of the technical elements of the providers ITT submissions.

5.4. As well calling off from a competed framework value for money is enhanced by, for larger pieces of work, providers submitting an best and final offer which in the past has delivered a lower price, and the inclusion of a volume rebate.

6. GDPR and Data Privacy

6.1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities.

6.2. The MPS assure that the proposal does not use personally identifiable data of members of the public, so there are no GDPR issues to be considered.

7. Equality Comments

7.1. MOPAC is required to comply with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. This requires MOPAC to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations by reference to people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

7.2. An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) has been completed which evidences those disproportionately affected by stop and search.

8. Background/supporting papers

• Appendix 1 Framework Call off against NEPRO 3/Bloom for the Provision of a Neutral Vendor Managed Service Solution for sourcing Specialist Professional & Consultancy Services