Tag Archive for: procurement

A new special school building which will cater for 100 students with social, emotional and mental health needs has moved a step closer after plans were lodged with the local council.

River Tees Academy Grangetown will take in youngsters aged between five and 19 years old from across the Tees Valley and employ about 70 teaching staff.

Source: Teeside Live

A Cornish construction and professional services consultancy facilitated £15 million worth of work in Cornish schools in 2022, on behalf of Cornwall Council.

The work, delivered by Mace Ward Williams Joint Venture (MWJV), is the result of one of Cornwall Council’s highest single year investment into school infrastructure on record.

The rolling programme aims to ensure all 39 local authority managed schools in the county are in the best possible condition.
Mark Stitson, Schools Maintenance Programme Manager at MWJV, said:

 

“It is great to be working with Cornwall Council on a significant body of work in such important settings.
“MWJV was created to simplify the procurement process. We have a large network of local suppliers offering a variety of construction services, such as project management, architecture, engineering and surveying. Working in this way ensures a significant proportion of Cornwall Council’s budget is spent on local SMEs.”

One of the beneficiaries of the Schools Maintenance Programme is the Humphry Davy School in Penzance.

In 2022 alone MWJV has facilitated a wide body of work and upgrades in the secondary school, including boiler replacements, electrical distribution board replacements, water system upgrades, roofing work, and more.

Theresa Grainger, business manager at Humphry Davy, said:

 

“Much of the work carried out in 2022 has helped bring the school in line with new compliance regulations, however the upgrade that will undoubtedly have the greatest impact is the new boiler and building management system.

“Aside from being much more efficient, the new system gives us greater control of how the buildings are heated. At a time when energy prices are so high, this is going to have a significant impact in 2023.”

The Schools Maintenance Programme is scheduled to continue throughout 2023, with further investment into local authority maintained schools.

 

By Nick Beard, Group Technical Officer, LHC Group

 

Can you describe some of the current financial / economic challenges faced by schools?

 

Like most other sectors, education is feeling the squeeze as the cost of living crisis deepens and the UK heads towards recession.

Frustrated with pay conditions, hundreds of thousands of teachers across England and Wales are set to strike throughout February and March – placing pressure on the government and National Education Union (NEU) to come to a last-minute deal on pay if they are to prevent pupils facing further disruption to their education.

School budgets are being stretched more than ever and any pay increases will have to be funded through efficiency savings, meaning other areas – such as building works and refurbishment – may lose out.

This is unfortunate, as many of the UK’s schools have become tired and are no longer fit for purpose, having been standing for up to 60 years in some cases. And while the government’s School Rebuilding Programme is going some way to addressing this, only a select few of the schools and sixth-form colleges most in need are able to benefit. The demand is high as the system-built sites of the 1960s and 70s near the end of their design lives.

 

How is that all affecting their refurbishment / new building programmes?

 

The cost of construction materials remains high and the labour shortage is continuing across the construction industry, meaning schools are finding it hard to make their budgets work and secure projects.

In January, British Steel announced a hike in its prices by £75 a tonne, while analysis of data from EU member states, the central EU database, Eurostat, and the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) shows the cost of labour in Britain has increased by 30% since the Brexit referendum.

Refurbishment, extension and new-build projects are also affected by the fact that contractors are often committed to projects – particularly in the education sector, where companies tend to find their money through refurbishment works – at least 18 months in advance. Therefore, forward planning is important but not always possible. For example, if schools want to plan works during the six-week summer holiday, it’s highly likely that all suitable contractors will have already committed to work by now.

This is when practices like offsite manufacturing can come into their own, as they minimise disruption and risks to staff and pupils and enable buildings to be put up quickly. This is particularly beneficial for refurbishment or expansion programmes, where they can be built in advance and then transported and installed on site within a six-week window.

 

Why might schools procure building work through a framework?

 

It makes sense for schools to procure through a framework as they have to comply with procurement regulations but may not have the in-house skills or resource to carry out the more complex and time-consuming procurement procedures the regulations require. Using frameworks removes a lot of this complex regulatory procurement part from the process and allows buyers to focus on securing suitable contractors for their specific project from a pre-vetted list.

At most schools, a capital project is something staff will more than likely only procure once in a lifetime, so the existing team and governors may not have the relevant expertise to do that. By using a framework, staff can get the framework provider to assist them with early market engagement and support and advice with the call off process.

 

What are the benefits for schools of procuring through a framework?

 

Frameworks can allow for faster procurement. As suppliers have already been through the statutory periods, schools can speed up the procurement process and better focus on what they need.

They also offer access to a selection of high-quality, pre-approved and pre-assessed contractors. This gives assurance to clients where the resource may not exist to undertake a procurement process alone.

There is also the option of procuring via mini competition or direct award, so frameworks can provide a solution where an urgent requirement necessitates.

And while there continues to be plenty of discussion around sustainability and creating buildings fit for the future, procurement frameworks can facilitate access to specialist consultants and expertise in carbon net zero building, or asset maintenance long-term.

 

Why might schools procure using an LHC framework?

 

Besides all of the benefits listed above, schools may choose to procure via an LHC framework for the comprehensiveness and flexibility our frameworks provide. Procuring via an LHC framework enables the clients to work with LHC and our appointed companies to deliver exactly what they need.

 

When did LHC first launch a framework dedicated to the building, extension, and refurbishment of schools and what was this called?

 

Our Education Framework for Contractors (EF1) was launched in 2009 and was predominantly aimed at lower cost refurbishment works for education.

 

How and why has LHC developed and adapted its framework that covers the building, extension, and refurbishment of schools?

 

Following EF1 we launched our Schools and Community Buildings framework (SCB1) in 2013, which was picked up by the Educational Funding Authority in the South East because they didn’t have a lower value framework for contracts.

We evolved SCB1 in 2017 to become SCB2 and, following feedback from clients, expanded on the scope to cover any type of non-residential public building.

When we launched our Public Buildings Construction and Infrastructure framework (PB3) in 2021, we consulted again with clients and subsequently introduced a specific workstream for the refurbishment of existing buildings to assist schools and other public sector authorities with finding specialist contractors that carry out refurbishment and improvement work on non-residential buildings.

PB3, which also includes buildings for NHS and blue light services and an infrastructure workstream, is due to operate until 30th September 2025. We also added a range of value bands to help support SMEs with gaining a place on the framework and accessing public sector clients.

 

Can you talk me through the process of appointing companies onto the PB3 framework and how they are assessed?

 

A single stage open tender process was used. We looked at the general competency of suppliers but also their experience and ability to deliver the different types of buildings and projects they applied for, to make sure they had the right knowledge and capability for working in education (including special educational needs), healthcare, and blue light services.

We used a range of criteria to assess the suitability of applicants, including:

  • Good standing and company governance
  • Financial due diligence and insurances
  • Accreditations and certifications
  • Case study examples (of previous similar projects)
  • Live project scenarios
  • Fire safety
  • Sustainability and achieving net carbon zero

 

We also asked specifically about things like the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), which is a way to assess a building’s environmental credentials once it’s been constructed. We are finding that a lot of LHC clients want a BREEAM score for their buildings, so we asked suppliers whether they have delivered this before and, if not, quizzed them on who they would use for this. This is aimed at getting them to identify assessors and how they would approach the process of delivering the requirements of BREEAM.

 

What kind of companies do you have on PB3 – can you name some stand-out companies?

 

There are a total of 47 companies on the PB3 framework, including tier one contractors Galliford Try, Kier, Vinci, and Willmott Dixon but also more local and regional contractors.

 

About PB3

 

The Public Buildings Construction and Infrastructure (PB3) framework allows local authorities, social landlords and other public sector bodies to source contractors for works relating to the construction and refurbishment of educational, healthcare, emergency service and community buildings. It can also be used for residential properties within mixed-use developments, student accommodation, conversion of commercial building for residential use, and can include associated infrastructure works.

The framework is worth up to £750 million in England, £750 million in Scotland and £100 million in Wales.


 

For more information CLICK HERE

 

 


 


 

School procurement: John Welch, Deputy Director for Construction at Crown Commercial Service explains how to use frameworks for your building or maintenance project

 

 

 

With the new academic year in full swing, now is a good time to review your procurement strategy and pin down the areas you need to focus on throughout the year – such as essential building maintenance work or construction projects.

At Crown Commercial Service (CCS) we understand that the education sector is under more pressure than ever to make every penny count. We’re here to help you save time and money on procurement, allowing you to get on with what matters most – running your school. We can help you procure works on everything from the construction of a new secondary school, to the painting and decorating of your classrooms.

Why procure through a framework?

 

If you don’t want to put your project out to tender yourself, procurement tools such as CCS framework agreements can help you identify a list of suitable, pre-checked suppliers. Frameworks also have the advantage of including pre-agreed terms and conditions, saving you time on negotiations with builders and contractors at the pre-construction phase of a project, as well as having built-in, robust legal protections.

 

CCS frameworks have already been advertised on Find a Tender and suppliers have been assessed using one of the procurement procedures. This means all you need to do is follow the award process in the contract or in the customer guidance that CCS provides for all its frameworks, knowing that all suppliers who are able to bid have been assessed for their ability to deliver to the agreed standard on the goods and services you need.

Once you’ve decided that using a framework is the best way for your organisation to buy what you need, you can then ask all the suppliers listed on it to bid. This process is called a further or mini-competition and can be run under most frameworks. Check the customer guidance for the framework you decide to use.

 

Why run a further competition?

 

Frameworks provide specific goods or services, but individual customer needs may vary, which makes it difficult for suppliers to provide a ‘one size fits all’ approach to pricing and requirements.

Further competitions enable you to outline your own specific requirements and identify the best solution for your school. Suppliers can then consider your requirements and submit a bid that outlines how exactly they can meet your needs. You could even go further and invite suppliers to get involved early in your project to help influence based on their experience to deliver against your needs.

When should you run a further competition?

 

Further competitions work best for more complex goods and services; for example, installing fire protection sprinklers and alarms throughout your educational establishment or a major refurbishment or construction project.

 

They’re not best suited  for low-value, ad-hoc purchases, where the time and cost of running a further competition is disproportionate to the goods and services supplied; such as purchases of one-off, so-called ‘tail spend’ items such as calculators or sports equipment. They are also not ideal when you have urgent requirements, because of the time it can take to complete the process although CCS experts can help you with accelerating mini competitions if this is required

 

In some instances, you can choose to place a direct award without further competition. This is an allowed option in our Construction frameworks. For some agreements, such as a Dynamic Purchasing System, there is no direct award option and you can only award a contract following a further competition.

 

How to get it right

 

Running a further competition can be daunting if you’ve never done it before, and it’s not part of your normal day to day job. Visit our website for more information on further competition and how to get it right.

 

Find out more

As the largest public procurement organisation in the UK, we’ve got a range of tailored solutions specifically aimed at customers within the education sector.

We offer the biggest construction commercial agreements in the country, driving industry change in support of the government’s construction strategy. For example, our Construction Professional Services (CPS) framework and dynamic purchasing system (DPS) helps deliver and support a wide range of construction projects through all stages of the project lifecycle.


To find out more about how CCS can help you add power to your procurement,

 CLICK HERE and download our digital brochure.


 

Our construction frameworks allow schools to embed social value in the way most appropriate to their circumstances. 5 top tips on what you need to consider

 

Social value in procurement is about making sure that what you buy creates additional benefits for society. To get it right, you need to start thinking as early as possible about how to apply it to what you are buying.

The PPN 06/20 policy note highlighted changes that mean public sector buyers are required to think differently about how they secure social value from the goods and services they buy for their local area.

This significant policy change meant that social value became a mainstream priority in all public sector procurement from 2021 onwards.

What is social value and why is it important for schools?

A properly planned and delivered school building project not only has the potential to have a transformational impact on the lives of learners but it can also be beneficial to the wider community, provided social value considerations are taken into account during the procurement process.

Social value is created when projects support environmental, economic and social wellbeing. In the case of school construction, this might involve commissioning a project that requires the suppliers bidding for the work to state what environmental benefits they would offer should they win the contract. These could include installing solar panels to supplement the energy supply to sourcing sustainable materials.

When a school signs a new contract, they can ask prospective suppliers to consider what they would be able to offer in terms of social value themes; this could include creating local employment opportunities, reducing energy and water consumption, detection and prevention of modern slavery or minimising damage to the environment

What precise environmental, economic and social outcomes you choose to prioritise is up to you but your bid evaluation exercise will work much better if you have a clear understanding of what your social value ‘ask’ is from the start. This will help you to draft your specification and evaluation questions and avoid any sense that social value is arbitrary.

To ensure that there are clear lines of sight between your social value expectations and what suppliers can offer, here’s our 5 top tips on what you need to consider.

  1. Embed throughout the project

Focus on embedding social value considerations throughout the project. For larger projects consider a project specific social value strategy. Don’t wait until the main contractor tender to start thinking about it either, consider writing clear guidance around social value and what is expected in the brief.

  1. Don’t ask for everything

Early community engagement brings tailored social outcomes. This will help your team to be able to focus on what social value outcomes you want for your project and help to avoid you asking for everything. What are the key themes for the area of construction? Does it have a high unemployment rate? Engage with local charities and social enterprises to find out what’s important to them.

  1. Consider what questions to ask at tender stage

Tailor your questions to be project specific and drive a SMART answer. Think carefully about who you ask to assess and score these questions, it should be someone with the right skills and experience to know a good answer from a bad one.

  1. Make it contractual and monitor

Getting some great social value outcomes at the tender stage is fantastic, but it’s really important that this is fed through and delivered. One way to do this is to convert these promises into social value KPI’s that are monitored throughout.

  1. Ask for data

Include clear instructions on exactly what you want captured. For example, if you’re asking for contractors to train apprentices, ask them to record apprentice initials and postcode, the programme, level and start and end dates so that you can interrogate the data. Ensure your contract has a right to audit clause and that any data you collect is GDPR compliant.

How CCS can help support your next school building project

Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) construction frameworks allow customers to embed social value in the way most appropriate to their circumstances.

There’s a wide range of social value related considerations, such as opportunities for disadvantaged groups, contributing to achieving healthy communities, driving climate change, and with recent impacts of EU exit on labour, social value that considers upskilling the workforce and providing job opportunities has become more important than ever


Find out more

For more advice on including social value in your construction projects, CLICK HERE