Awarded contract

Supported Accommodation "Hostel"

  • Oxford City Council

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice reference: 2024/S 000-013723

Published 29 April 2024, 12:08pm



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Oxford City Council

Town Hall, St Aldates

Oxford

OX1 1BX

Email

procurement@oxford.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 1865249811

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKJ14 - Oxfordshire

United Kingdom

+44 1865249811

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.oxford.gov.uk

Buyer's address

https://www.oxford.gov.uk

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Regional or local authority

one.5) Main activity

General public services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Supported Accommodation "Hostel"

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 98300000 - Miscellaneous services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Non-institutional accommodation for single persons who are homeless or rough sleeping or who may be at risk of becoming homeless. To provide an essential part of the provision of services for single homeless persons in Oxford, and key to the delivery of the City Council's Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-28, as well as the Oxfordshire Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)

Lowest offer: £799,000 / Highest offer: £1,000,000 taken into consideration

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 98300000 - Miscellaneous services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKJ14 - Oxfordshire

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

9 units of move-on beds.

22 units of short-term beds.

6 units of progression beds

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.14) Additional information

The value stated at 11.1.7 represents the total value of the contract for a 3 year period.


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below

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

Explanation:

This provision sits under the Light Touch Regime under Section 7 of the PCRs, however the proposed value for the 3 year contract falls just above the threshold.

Regulation 32 is being used to award the proposed contract without competition where the services can be supplied by only a particular supplier due to technical reasons i.e. that A2Dominion own the building "Matilda House" and have exclusive rights at their property.

The building Matilda House is a unique development that provides the opportunity to accommodate and provide support for a range of different support needs. The layout provides flexibility to adapt and meet the needs of individuals as need change over time.

A2Dominion owns this building. They are also commissioned by the Council to deliver the support from this building at present under an existing contract which is due to end in August 2024.

A2Dominion have stated that they would not allow another provider to deliver support from this building, should we go to open tender and another organisation be the successful bidder.

The other possibility is that we the Council go out to competitive tender for a support provision to be delivered from another, similar building. It would then be up to prospective providers to find such a building in the city, from which they could deliver the service from 1st September 2024.

Based on recent exercises where Council officers conducted extensive searches for similar buildings, we do not believe that there are currently any buildings in the city that could host the service that is needed.

Throughout 2023, the Rough Sleeping team have worked with internal and external colleagues to find a building to deliver 20+ self-contained rooms to provide accommodation for persons experiencing rough sleeping.

Working with colleagues in the Council's Property team to examine the Council's property portfolio, alongside the County Council's and other public services like the NHS, as well as St Mungo's regional property lead seeking suitable property, all efforts have been fruitless. Where any buildings have been found that could potentially be made suitable (such as old office buildings), potential capital investment would be needed in order to redevelop these to provide good quality and adaptable accommodation similar to that provided at Matilda House.

Furthermore, during the process of seeking a smaller building to redevelop into a ~12 unit 24 hours supported accommodation provision in the city, that we would have been able to bid for capital funding for, this search exercise was also fruitless.

Council Officers therefore believe that a service provider wishing to provide a support service, and potentially bidding for a support contract under an open tender, would not be able to find a suitable property in the city to provide this support from.

Therefore, Council officers are seeking a direct award under the procurement rules on the grounds that there is only one provider that is able to deliver the support provision we are after, from the only suitable building that is available to meet the needs from 1st September and onwards.

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes


Section five. Award of contract/concession

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

29 April 2024

five.2.2) Information about tenders

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire

A2Dominion Housing Group Limited

The Point, 7th Floor, 37 North Wharf Road, London

W2 1BD

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
Companies House

28985R

The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: £1,000,000

Lowest offer: £799,000 / Highest offer: £1,000,000 taken into consideration


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

This provision sits under the Light Touch Regime under Section 7 of the PCRs, however the proposed value for the 3 year contract falls just above the threshold.

Regulation 32 is being used to award the proposed contract without competition where the services can be supplied by only a particular supplier due to technical reasons i.e. that A2Dominion own the building "Matilda House" and have exclusive rights at their property.

The building Matilda House is a unique development that provides the opportunity to accommodate and provide support for a range of different support needs. The layout provides flexibility to adapt and meet the needs of individuals as need change over time.

A2Dominion owns this building. They are also commissioned by the Council to deliver the support from this building at present under an existing contract which is due to end in August 2024.

A2Dominion have stated that they would not allow another provider to deliver support from this building, should we go to open tender and another organisation be the successful bidder.

The other possibility is that we the Council go out to competitive tender for a support provision to be delivered from another, similar building. It would then be up to prospective providers to find such a building in the city, from which they could deliver the service from 1st September 2024.

Based on recent exercises where Council officers conducted extensive searches for similar buildings, we do not believe that there are currently any buildings in the city that could host the service that is needed.

Throughout 2023, the Rough Sleeping team have worked with internal and external colleagues to find a building to deliver 20+ self-contained rooms to provide accommodation for persons experiencing rough sleeping.

Working with colleagues in the Council's Property team to examine the Council's property portfolio, alongside the County Council's and other public services like the NHS, as well as St Mungo's regional property lead seeking suitable property, all efforts have been fruitless. Where any buildings have been found that could potentially be made suitable (such as old office buildings), potential capital investment would be needed in order to redevelop these to provide good quality and adaptable accommodation similar to that provided at Matilda House.

Furthermore, during the process of seeking a smaller building to redevelop into a ~12 unit 24 hours supported accommodation provision in the city, that we would have been able to bid for capital funding for, this search exercise was also fruitless.

Council Officers therefore believe that a service provider wishing to provide a support service, and potentially bidding for a support contract under an open tender, would not be able to find a suitable property in the city to provide this support from.

Therefore, Council officers are seeking a direct award under the procurement rules on the grounds that there is only one provider that is able to deliver the support provision we are after, from the only suitable building that is available to meet the needs from 1st September and onwards.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Law and Governance

Oxford City Council

Oxford

OX1 1DS

Email

procurement@oxford.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 1865249811

Country

United Kingdom