1. Purpose of the report and policy context

1.1 Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) needs a robust and reliable device estate to support its increasing mobile workforce. To reduce current maintenance and support costs, provide staff with a device type and specification that is aligned to their working profile and have flexibility and control when ordering end user devices.

1.2 It is recommended that BHCC, along with its Orbis partners, access an established national framework which would allow individual call off contracts for BHCC to own, manage and control the purchase of its individual end user devices.

1.3 The current call-off contact under the HealthTrust Europe LLP Framework Agreement, expires 30 September 2023. Therefore, a re-procurement exercise is required. This contract is for the provision of Enterprise level ICT solutions for IT hardware products, software, programs, applications, associated products, services and support.

2. Recommendations

2.1 That Committee grants delegated authority to the Executive Director Governance, People & Resources to procure and award a contract for end user devices, for an initial term of two years, commencing on 1 October 2023 with the option to extend for a further two years and grants delegated authority to the Executive Director Governance, People & Resources to exercise that extension.

3. Context and background information

3.1 All the Orbis partners have a requirement to carry out a rolling refresh of their client device estate (desktop PCs and laptops) with the refresh of a specific device based on several factors, including its age and continued ability to meet the demand and performance of a changing application estate.

3.2 The current contracted supplier of client devices for all Orbis Councils is Dell Corporation Ltd. The benefit of a joint Orbis contract includes economies of scale and easier contract management for Orbis IT&D. The aim is for the new contract to not only cover the supply of new devices but also include any services needed to support a modern and flexible approach to the deployment of those devices.

3.3 In total, the number of client devices across all three partners is approximately seventeen thousand with the device estate of each Council made up of a combination of devices selected from the Orbis Device Catalogue.

3.4 The current contract fixes the minimum discount rate against the current list price of a device with the pricing reviewed quarterly. This has simplified the procurement of devices and has enabled the Councils to plan and manage the device budgets better whilst ensuring best value is maintained throughout the lifetime of the contract.

3.5 The aim is to put in place a new contract that will provide as a minimum the same service with the same management and support. The procurement process will also investigate any options a potential supplier could contribute towards an improved device deployment service that supports a hybrid work style with many working remotely most of the time.

4. Analysis and consideration of alternative options

4.1 The proposed procurement process is to carry out a mini competition under NHS Shared Business Services, Digital Workplace: Hardware (Link 3: IT Hardware & Services) SBS10044 Framework.

4.2 Other national frameworks are available, for example Crown Commercial Service/ESPO RM6068 Technology Online & Associated Services (TePAS).

4.3 Conducting an Open Tender would be more resource intensive and take longer to complete the procurement process than accessing a framework.

5. Community engagement and consultation

5.1 No community engagement or consultation has been carried out as this procurement concerns service provision within the Council.

6. Conclusion

6.1 A renewed call off contract will enable IT & Digital to continue to support the organisation’s need for robust and reliable devices and provide the flexibility to procure a range of device specifications. Because of the economies of scale attainable through the Orbis partnership, a joint procurement with our partners provides the best opportunity of achieving value for money and leveraging greater social value and sustainability benefits.

7. Financial implications

7.1 The mini competition, undertaken by Orbis collectively, will likely achieve economies of scale and better fixed discounts under the new contract than if procured by BHCC alone. Whilst the discount rates are not known at this stage, they are likely to be worthwhile considering an anticipated spend under the new contract of over £4m.

7.2 It is to be noted that under the current contract a quarterly price review process requires an early indication (1 month) by Dell of a likely price change. This has allowed the service to time its device purchases to avoid higher costs, and it is hoped and anticipated that this price review process will continue in the new contract.

Name of finance officer consulted: Peter Francis Date consulted: 13.02.23

8. Legal implications

The Council is required to comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Using a Framework is a compliant route to market. The Council’s Contract Standing Orders (CSOs) will also apply to this procurement exercise

Name of lawyer consulted: Alice Rowland Date consulted: 16/2/23

9. Equalities implications

9.1 Entering a new contract is unlikely to be bring about any material change in the service and any associated equalities impacts. As is currently the case, and new devices procured via the framework will be rigorously tested with the current set of accessibility tools.

10. Sustainability implications

10.1 The Council is committed to creating a better, healthier environment and is aware its procurement of goods, works and services will have environmental implications, both in respect of local areas and around the planet. Building sustainability into the device procurement and on-going device lifecycle is therefore an essential dimension to the success of the IT and Digital service provision to the Council. Key outcomes being sought from the proposed procurement include the selection of a supplier with a reputation for sustainability and minimising e-waste when the devices are retired from service. A good result would be the selection of a technology vendor that proactively takes steps to reduce their products’ carbon impact and have a commitment to sustainability practices including reuse or redeployment of old equipment and associated components.

10.2 This procurement will therefore be run in line with the ISO:20400 guidance. With prospective suppliers expected to provide evidence of their environmental initiatives, credentials, industry certifications and plans or commitments to support sustainability. The credentials and information sought will include:

i. Carbon Reduction Plan

The supplier will be asked to submit a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) that:

· Confirms their commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050 at the latest.

· Provides their current emissions from their own operations (including business travel, employee commuting, waste generated, transportation and distribution).

· Provides emissions in CO2e (Carbon Dioxide Equivalent) for the seven greenhouse gases.

· Sets out their environmental management measures including certification schemes or specific carbon reduction measures they have adopted and will apply when performing the contract.

· Is published on their website and signed by a director (or equivalent).

ii. Products delivered under this contract must be certified in accordance with TCO Certified upon product delivery. As proof of criteria fulfilment, the product shall be listed in TCO Development’s Product Finder, available at tcocertified.com/product-finder and a certificate of proof shall be available upon request. All proposed devices should be Energy Star qualified and EPEAT registered and the rating for each proposed model provided.

iii. The supplier will be required to maintain a standard of environmental protection, including the following certifications (or equivalent standards), relevant to the delivery of this contract:

· ISO 14001 standard for managing environmental programs throughout the lifecycle.

· BS 8887-220: to change a used product into an as-new product, with at least equivalent performance and warranty of a comparable new replacement product.

· BS 8887-211: for reworking and remarketing used computer hardware.

· BSI KitemarkTM for remanufactured and reconditioned products.

iv. Circular Economy

The supplier will be expected to support reuse and the circular economy by adhering to the following requirements:

· Deliver, promote, and support a sustainable equipment life cycle from design and material selection through to the end-of-life disposal and recycling.

· Provide products that are modular by design and have a minimum life cycle of at least 5 years.

· Provide a product warranty lasting a minimum of 3 years and an extended warranty lasting a minimum of 5 years.

· Provide products that carry at least one USB Type-C connector that is backward compatible with USB 2.0 to improve the re-use of standardised connectors for charging and data transfer, and to prevent problems with failing ports.

· Provide devices that can be easily upgraded inhouse and repaired to extend a device’s ‘ability to perform’ lifetime. To be considered ‘easily upgraded inhouse and repaired’.

v. Minerals and Raw Materials

The supplier will need to evidence that they have adopted the EU’s Conflict Minerals Regulations which ensures that minerals used in or during the manufacture of their devices are not mined in conditions of armed conflict and/or human rights abuses. The supplier will also need to evidence that where the use critical raw materials in their devices is unavoidable, they are designed in such a way that the critical raw material can be repaired or recycled easily.

11. Other Implications

Social Value and procurement implications

11.1 The outcome from the Procurement Advisory Board is to ask suppliers for the local social value they can provide alongside this contract, in addition to the national social value activities they carry out.