Net Zero Accelerator (phase two) - North West

Concepts

• architecture and construction
• north west additional
• north west additional information
• north west
• net zero accelerator
• the net zero accelerator project
• the north west
• two
• zero
• net

Location

A variety of school and college sites situated across the North West

Description

This VEAT notice relates to the modification of a Department for Education contract for the appointment of a delivery partner in the North West to deliver the Net Zero Accelerator project to selected schools and colleges in those regions which aims to reduce carbon emissions through energy efficiency upgrades, decarbonisation planning, and sustainability engagement. This modification will add an additional 20 schools and colleges to the North West, in addition to the 47 sites initially accommodated for in the contract and the 10 additional sites permitted within it's extension option, resulting in a total of 77 sites. This notice also confirms that the Department has exercised it's contractual right to add 10 additional schools to the contract, as permitted by Regulation 72(1)(a). Aside from the increased volume of sites, there are no changes to deliverables and outcomes of the contracts. Consequently, the total value of each contract will increase by approximately 29.03%, up to a maximum of £6,030,000, please see the Description of the procurement for further details. These modifications are permitted under Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, please see section D for further justification information. All values listed exclude VAT.

Total Quantity or Scope

This requirement was competed compliantly via an open-procedure multi-lot tender. When the original contract award notices were published, an error occurred in which only the minimum contract value of £2,596,000 was disclosed. This figure did not reflect the full value advertised in the initial procurement documents. This VEAT notice serves in part to clarify the original maximum contract value of £4,673,189. Due to this modification, the maximum contract value is now increased to £6,030,000. All values listed exclude VAT. The Contracts Finder identifier number for the award notice is as follows: 881536e9-d00d-4521-945c-04c45db14f29 – Net Zero Accelerator (phase two) – North West

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 71000000 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price and quality.

Legal Justification

The modification to the contracts fall within the permissible grounds set out under Regulation 72(1)(e) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 in that the modifications are not substantial within the meaning of Regulation 72(8) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 because: a) The inclusion of the additional schools and colleges into each contract does not render any of the contracts materially different compared to when it was originally procured. The type of services originally required of the contract (the provision of school decarbonisation works and associated support services, including but not limited to procurement and behavioural change management) is the same as that which it will carry out on the previously awarded contracts, it is just a case that the number of schools receiving these services under the contracts will increase. b) Adding the additional schools and colleges would not have changed the outcome of the original procurement in any way. The Contract will be fully operated in accordance with their current terms; c) As the current contracts will be operated for the additional schools and colleges on the same terms, this does not alter the economic balance of the contract in favour of the development partners; d) The change does not considerably alter the scope of the contracts as the works and services provided will remain unchanged, meaning there will be no significant changes to the deliverables, and the schools and colleges which have been included are adjacent in terms of geographical scope also; e) This is not a change in contractor. The modifications are also exempt under Regulation 72(1)(c) because the need for them has been brought about by circumstances the Department for Education could not have foreseen, and they do not change the overall nature of the contracts and the value changes are below 50%. Additional and unforeseen budget for the overall project has become available which must be spent imminently and the timeframes for the spend would not allow for an additional procurement process to take place. Government rules dictate that the original procurement could not have catered for optional additional value such as budget increases as only approved budgets can be advertised to the market.

Other Information

The overall weightings were 80% quality (as broken down in the above Quality criterion section) and 20% price.