Scope
Reference
WFHAPWRR001
Description
Waltham Forest Housing Association (WFHA) is undertaking a competitive tender process to appoint a supplier to deliver their Planned and Responsive Maintenance Services.
This process is being managed by Altair Ltd on behalf of WFHA. Please note that this will conclude as WHFA contract and has no connection to Altair Ltd.
This ITT is provided on the same basis to all organisations.
The aim of this procurement process is to appoint one provider to deliver services outlined within Schedule 6 - Specification.
The anticipated annual contract value is estimated at £450,000 for the planned element and £320,000 for the reactive element, resulting in a total estimated annual spend of £770,000. Over the full five-year term, the estimated total contract value is £3,850,000.
Please note that whilst this is an estimated contract value it is not in any way guaranteed.
Waltham Forest Housing Association (WFHA) are looking for a Service Provider to deliver their planned works and responsive repairs service.
WFHA is a small independent and not-for-profit Registered Provider (PR), providing social homes across the London Borough of Waltham Forest for over sixty years. WFHA currently owns 329 homes; 155 general needs, 152 sheltered housing and 21 supported housing for adults with learning disabilities.
In addition, WFHA owns a property used to house young homeless people and this is currently 1 leased to another provider. The Service Provider will be required to undertake any external and structural repairs and planned works on this property as part of this contract. Please note internal repairs are not in scope for this contract.
A list of WFHA properties is outlined in Schedule 8.
Please note the full Schedule 8 is not included in the Invitation to Tender (ITT) Pack and will only be shared once Schedule 7 Property and Asset Confidentiality Agreement has been signed and returned by bidders.
WFHA is a community focussed, values-based, tenant-centric organisation. The Service Provider will be required to embody these values and support WFHA in achieving its vision and values as part of the service delivered under this contract.
WFHA's Vision
WFHA is working to deliver a future where everyone, in every community we serve, has a safe, affordable home and great life chances; in a society where they are valued and respected.
WFHA's Values
We RESPECT people and communities through our belief in equality, inclusion and the value of diversity. We believe we have more in common than things that separate us.
We EMPOWER people and communities by maximising strengths and opportunities and building resilience.
We are AMBITIOUS, constantly improving, delivering better value for money and striving to provide more homes and services.
We CARE about what we do, step up to take responsibility and are passionate about our social purpose and making a positive difference.
We are HONEST, act with integrity and are accountable to our tenants, our partners and each other.
Further information about WFHA's service standard and commitments can be found in Appendix 1 - WFHA Service Standards and Commitment.
Contract Term
The contract duration shall be an initial period of three (3) years with the option of an extension of one (1) plus one (1) year making a total of maximum five years (5) with no further options to extend.
Any renewal will be based on satisfactory performance and mutual agreement between both parties.
Contract Value
The anticipated annual contract value is estimated at £450,000 for the planned element and £320,000 for the reactive element, resulting in a total estimated annual spend of £770,000. Over the full five-year term, the estimated total contract value is £3,850,000.
2. Service Scope and Outcome
Scope of Works
The scope of work shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
General responsive repairs
Void services
Capital works
Electrical - Planned Maintenance and Responsive Repairs
Call centre (out of hours only) (Please note that WFHA staff manage call during hours)
The scope of work shall not include, but not be limited to, the following:
Specialist drainage works (responsive repairs)
Gas servicing and installations (responsive repairs and capital works)
WFHA acknowledges that this contract is a long-term arrangement and understands that service needs and requirements may evolve over time.
Contract Outcome
The overall aim of the contract is to establish a positive working relationship between the Service Provider and WFHA, focused on delivering a high-quality service to tenants and tenant-centric outcomes.
WFHA are committed to providing safe, good quality and well-maintained homes and the Service Provider must support WFHA in maintaining this commitment. WFHA seeks a Service Provider who will collaborate to deliver high-quality services to tenants and achieving the best outcomes for its tenants throughout the contract's duration.
Tenant Satisfaction
Tenants' opinions on their homes and services they receive are fundamental to WHFA strategic direction and operational delivery and the Service Provider is expected to support WFHA in achieving high levels of satisfaction in relation to the impact the Service Provider's delivery and conduct has as part of this contract.
In line with the Government's Tenant Satisfaction Measures, WFHA will be monitoring performance relevant to these areas under this contract:
TP08: Agreement that the landlord treats residents fairly and with respect
TP09: Satisfaction with the landlord's approach to handling of complaints
TP11: Satisfaction that the landlord makes a positive contribution to neighbourhoods
WFHA is required to undertake Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) surveys in accordance with the Regulator of Social Housing's Consumer Standard. The collection of TSMs data will be supported by the TSM survey and any other satisfaction surveys undertaken. WFHA will share any relevant information in regard to TP08, TP09 and TP11 with the Service Provider. The data collected will be used to identify areas of improvement and the Service Provider will be expected to work in collaboration with WFHA.
WFHA staff will collect feedback from tenants regarding the quality of service provided during all interactions and this will be shared with the Service Provider to ensure that any failures in services levels are addressed or where they are exceeded it can be passed on to the relevant recipient.
Information about WHFA's most recent TSM survey and tenant feedback can be found here: Tenant Satisfaction Survey 2023.
The Service Provider should be aware of and have regard to tenants' opinions about their homes and services they receive in relation to this contract.
3. Service Delivery: Onsite Conduct
The Service Provider shall ensure that all its operatives embody WFHA values and recognise their importance of support WFHA in achieving it vision to serve the community and value and respect their tenants.
The Service Provider's team will be deemed as an extension to WFHA, and its reputation and tenant satisfaction is paramount. WFHA is a small housing association where the Service Provider is expected to be an extension of WHFA and become an integrated service to ensure that tenants feel safe and comfortable in their homes.
Several of WFHA's tenants have additional support requirements that the Service Provider will need to be attentive when onsite and communicating with tenants. WFHA requires the Service Provider to build good communication and engagement with tenants whilst onsite.
WFHA expects all members of their staffing structure to have a good understanding of written and spoken English to enable them to read any instructions or converse with any staff or tenants.
WFHA will not tolerate any rudeness, bad language or other inappropriate behaviour towards its tenants. If this is reported by a tenant or third party an investigation must be carried out by the Service Provider. If such a report results in a legitimate complaint the Service Provider shall liaise with WFHA and resolve any concerns to prevent repeated issues.
As a minimum standard DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks will be required for all staff attending sites and records of these must be provided on an annual basis to WFHA.
4. Service Delivery: Service Provider Identification
Identity Cards
The Service Provider must supply to all working personnel employed with an ID badge which must contain the following details, as a minimum:
Photograph of operative
Operative's name and trade
Service Provider's name and logo
ID badges must be worn visibly and be ready for inspection by WFHA tenants and WHFA scheme staff if required. Failure to adhere to this requirement may result in tenants or WFHA scheme staff having the right to refuse or terminate services. WFHA will not pay for any refused or terminated service visits. It will be the Service Provider's responsibility to promptly rebook the site visit, ensuring that it does not affect the ongoing work being delivered.
The Service Provider must provide WFHA with a list of all operatives that will be working under the contract with their names, description and other information that can used to identify staff if any checks need to be made with WHFA for safeguarding purposes. A list of their training and trade qualifications will be required also where relevant.
The Service Provider must inform WFHA if there are any changes in staff allocated to the contract before they commence any work.
The Service Provider holds ultimate responsibility for the safety of all onsite employees, tenants, their belongings, visitors, and the immediate environment during any works or services delivered.
The Service Provider shall ensure that all floors and surfaces throughout any visit shall be adequately protected against
Total value (estimated)
- £3,850,000 excluding VAT
- £4,620,000 including VAT
Below the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028
- Possible extension to 30 June 2030
- 5 years
Description of possible extension:
Expectation is for after the initial 3 year term, that the extensions will be annual i.e. 3 year initial term + 1 year + 1 year. Extension will be at the discretion of the contracting authority and agreement with the supplier
Main procurement category
Works
CPV classifications
- 45000000 - Construction work
- 50000000 - Repair and maintenance services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Participation
Conditions of participation
The Tender MUST be received via WFHA's agents e-tender portal 12 Noon on Wednesday 9th April 2025. Tenders that are not submitted by this deadline will be excluded.
You are strongly advised not to delay uploading your Tender submission.
Failure to submit a full response to any of the Tender deliverables specified below may result in the exclusion of the Tender from further consideration by WFHA.
Requirement
Schedule
Completed responses to the selection questions
Provide responses to the Quality/Technical questions
Signed and dated Form of Tender
Signed and dated Non-Collusion Certificate
Signed and dated Disclosure of Interest Certificate
Completed Pricing Response
Following the deadline for submission, Bidders will not, in general, be permitted to amend or supplement their Tenders. However, WFHA reserves the right, at its discretion, to request a Bidder to clarify its Tender in writing, correct obvious errors, or to supply further information.
The Tender shall remain open for acceptance by WFHA for 90 days from the deadline for submission of tender responses.
General Tender Submission Guidance
Each Tender submission must be submitted in accordance with these instructions.
Responses must be submitted in English.
Bidders should answer all questions as accurately as possible using the format and page lengths where instructed as well as requests for other information.
Use of diagrams is permitted only if requested, but inclusion will count as part of the page limit. Where a question is not relevant to the Bidder this should be indicated with an explanation (where applicable).
If a response exceeds the page limits, the first pages within the limit will be evaluated only.
Bidders must provide explicit and comprehensive Tender responses as these will be the single source of information on which the evaluation will be made.
Any information submitted to WFHA in response to any question or requirement must be pertinent to that question or requirement. Any information not considered pertinent will not be considered by WFHA.
Answers to each question are self-contained and must not cross-refer to responses to other questions.
It is important that Tender responses to the questions in the ITT provide specific evidence of an ability to meet the requirement/s of the specification.
DO NOT provide general organisational literature, marketing or promotional brochures and web-links as these will not be considered to be an appropriate response, nor will they be considered in the evaluation process and may prove detrimental to your Tender.
Vague or nebulous Tender responses or merely stating "to be considered" or "to be discussed" are not acceptable. If a Bidder cannot be specific in its Tender response relating to any particular matter, then the reason/s as to why a full response cannot be provided must be stated.
Where supporting documents are required, they must be clearly labelled and referenced to the question to which they relate to avoid any doubt in the evaluation process.
Bidders must upload their quality responses as individual word pdf documents. Submission must use the following file naming convention: CompanyName_WFHA_Questionnumber.pdf. For example, WalthamForestHousingAssociation_WFHA_Q1.pdf. Responses must be within the page limits using Arial font size 10 in A4 unless stated different.
Please do not top and tail your responses with letterheads, graphic, company logos etc and do not repeat the question at the start of your response this is not required.
Please do not use lengthy document titles when uploading your responses as this may affect the download process of the PostBox. Please do not ZIP your responses as again this may have an effect on the download process.
Please ensure you use the "Dispatch "function to finish the upload of your responses. Once all is dispatched to the system correctly you will receive a notification that this has been completed. Until you receive this email your upload is not completed
All unit rates and prices must be quoted in pounds sterling only excluding VAT.
Bidders must notify WFHA immediately of any change in the information submitted in its Selection Questionnaire or responses at any time during the procurement process.
Tender responses will be checked for completeness and compliance with the instructions before evaluation. WFHA reserves the right to refuse to consider a tender if the response is incomplete or is found to be inaccurate.
WFHA reserves the right to require some or all Bidders to clarify and/or expand the answers contained in their Tender submissions, in writing. Requests for further information will be made in writing to Bidders via the Portal. Failure to respond promptly or adequately may result in the Bidder's disqualification from the procurement process.
It is the Bidder's responsibility to ensure that its tender is received by the stated deadline - failure to do so, will exclude your Tender submission from the process.
No unauthorised alterations or additions are to be made to the Form of Tender or any other component of the ITT.
Tenders must not be qualified or accompanied by statements which could be construed as rendering the Tender equivocal, conditional and/or placing it on a different footing from other Tenders. Only Tenders submitted without qualification strictly in accordance with the ITT (as issued or subsequently amended by WFHA) will be accepted for consideration. Qualified Tenders may be excluded from further consideration and bidders notified.
Use of the Online Portal
WFHA's agents Altair Ltd on their behalf are utilising an electronic tendering Portal, "myTenders", to manage this procurement process and to communicate with Bidders.
All responses to the tender must be submitted via the Portal. All interested Bidders should therefore register (for free) on the Portal to access documentation and communications and make their submission.
Documents in the Portal area may be updated from time to time and Bidders are advised to regularly access the Portal to see if new information or documents have been added. WHFA or it's agent will not be responsible for Bidders not reviewing any new or amended documentation submitted. It is the Bidder's responsibility to ensure that they regularly access the system.
Any requests for clarification relating to this exercise must be communicated using the secure messaging function on the Portal. Responses to requests for clarification will be communicated to all Bidders via the secure messaging function on the Portal.
When uploading your response, please be aware of the speed of your Internet connection, your system configuration and general web traffic, all of which may impact on the time taken to complete the transaction.
You are advised to access the user guides and 'help' function within the system. WFHA will not accept any responsibility in respect of user errors.
Any difficulties or problems with access to the Portal should be reported to myTenders via telephone or logging a ticket on their website.
Phone: 0800 222 9006
If issues with the Portal are likely to result in a late submission, they must be reported before the submission deadline to email: procurementaltair@altairltd.co.uk. This is not to be used for any other reason and all other communication must be via the Portal's message function.
Clarifications
All requests for clarification or further information on the ITT or WFHA's Requirements must be made in accordance these instructions and via the Portal before the deadline.
Bidders, their agents, potential subcontractors and suppliers, must not contact WFHA or any of its officers, employees or advisers or any third party connected to WFHA or its advisers in relation to this procurement, outside the process outlined within this section, or elsewhere in this document, without the prior written permission of WFHA, requested via the Portal.
If a Bidder is unsure of the meaning of a question or anything in this ITT, then it is their responsibility to ask the Association to clarify in writing via the Portal message function before the deadline as defined within this document.
Any requests for clarification received after the deadline will not be responded to.
Bidders must notify WFHA via the Portal promptly regarding any perceived ambiguity, inconsistency or omission in this ITT or any of its associated documents and/or any other information issued to them during the procurement process, and these will be responded to via the Portal.
Any queries and requests for clarification which are not made through the Portal will not be answered. Any queries and requests for clarification submitted after the deadline for submission of clarification questions will not be answered.
WFHA will endeavour to answer all clarifications as quickly as possible but cannot guarantee a minimum response time.
Published clarifications shall become part of the Tender and its evaluation, and any subsequent agreement between the Parties and should be treated as such by the Bidder.
Bidders should note that both requests for clarification and responses will be circulated to all Bidders. Any response will be communicated anonymously to all Bidders who have responded, have expressed an interest, or have shown an interest before the return date for submission of Tenders.
WFHA also reserves the right to disseminate information that is materially relevant to all Bidders, even if the information has only been requested by one Bidder, subject to the duty to protect any Bidder's commercial confidence in its responses.
Any Bidder who directly or indirectly canvasses any member of WFHA or any of its officials or representatives concerning the Procurement Process or contract award may be disqualified.
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
4 April 2025, 5:00pm
Tender submission deadline
17 April 2025, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
The Tender MUST be received via WFHA's agents e-tender portal 12 Noon on Wednesday 17th April 2025. Tenders that are not submitted by this deadline will be excluded.
You are strongly advised not to delay uploading your Tender submission.
Failure to submit a full response to any of the Tender deliverables specified below may result in the exclusion of the Tender from further consideration by WFHA.
Following the deadline for submission, Bidders will not, in general, be permitted to amend or supplement their Tenders. However, WFHA reserves the right, at its discretion, to request a Bidder to clarify its Tender in writing, correct obvious errors, or to supply further information.
The Tender shall remain open for acceptance by WFHA for 90 days from the deadline for submission of tender responses.
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Quality | The Compliance Check will check that each Tender Response: complies, includes a completed and signed Form of Tender and Certificate of non-collusion. Provided answers to all the questions in the... |
Quality |
| Price | The Bidder's Pricing Submission will be examined in order to detect any computational errors. Where an examination reveals an error or discrepancy between these prices and the overall Tender figure,... |
Price |
| Certificates and Declarations | The forms and certificates in Schedule 3 must be signed without qualification and will be evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis, with a Pass being a signed, unqualified return and a Fail being an unsigned or... |
Quality |
Weighting description
Technical and Quality Evaluation = 60% Weighting
Price = 40%
There are also additional mandatory certificates and declarations which must be completed to comply
Procedure
Procedure type
Below threshold - open competition
Documents
Associated tender documents
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Authority/NoticeBuilder/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=591879
Appendix A - ITT Checklist - Checklist for all requirements for the ITT
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Authority/NoticeBuilder/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=591880
Invitation To Tender - The full tender details of the requirement
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Authority/NoticeBuilder/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=591921
ITT - Schedule 1 - PSQ Procurement Specific Questionnaire
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Authority/NoticeBuilder/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=591925
ITT Schedule 2 - Evaluation Methodology
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Authority/NoticeBuilder/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=591926
ITT Schedule 3 - Quality Questions - Response Schedule
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Authority/NoticeBuilder/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=591929
ITT Schedule 4 - Pricing Schedule
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Authority/NoticeBuilder/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=591930
ITT Schedule 5 - Contract Terms
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Authority/NoticeBuilder/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=591931
ITT Schedule 6 - Service Specification
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Authority/NoticeBuilder/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=591932
ITT Schedule 7 - Property Details Confidentiality
https://www.mytenders.co.uk/Authority/NoticeBuilder/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=591933
ITT Schedule 8 - Property List
Contracting authority
Waltham Forest Housing Association
- Mutuals Public Register: 21186r
31 Church Hill
London
E17 3RU
United Kingdom
Contact name: Kevin Harding
Telephone: +447350398302
Email: procurementaltair@altairltd.co.uk
Website: https://wfha.org.uk/
Region: UKI53 - Redbridge and Waltham Forest
Organisation type: Public undertaking (commercial organisation subject to public authority oversight)
Other organisation
These organisations are carrying out the procurement, or part of it, on behalf of the contracting authorities.
Altair Consultancy and Advisory Services Ltd
Summary of their role in this procurement: Acting as Agent on behalf of the Contracting Authority
- Companies House: 07463003
Tempus Wharf
London
SE16 4SA
United Kingdom
Contact name: Kevin Harding
Telephone: +447350398302
Email: kevin.harding@altairltd.co.uk
Website: https://www.altairltd.co.uk
Region: UKI44 - Lewisham and Southwark