Issue - items at meetings - Procurement of the Primary & Special School Meals Contract

Report of the Executive Director for Children’s Services (copy attached).

That the Committee:

1)           Authorise the Director of Children’s Services to procure and award a new contract for primary and special school meals with a term of four years and an option to extend the term by up to a further two years.

2)           Authorise the Director of Children’s Services to grant a two year extension to the contract referred to in 2.1 above, subject to performance of the contractor.

3)           Note that in parallel to the procurement process for a new contract, a separate exercise will take place to determine whether an alternative provision might offer financial or other potential benefits to the council, schools and the city.

4)           Note that in the event that an alternative delivery option may provide a better opportunity, a further report detailing the proposals will be brought to Committee for a decision.

109.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director for Children’s Services in relation to Procurement of the Primary & Special School Meals Contract. The report sought authorisation to let a contract for all Primary & Special Schools (excluding the Bilingual Primary) with the city and at the same time investigate alternative options for service delivery; the current contractual agreement was due to end on 31 July 2017.

109.2    In response to Councillor Wealls it was clarified that the recommendation to explore an in-house option had come from the Procurement Advisory Board; there was already a strong team leading on this that had the capacity to look at other options.

109.3    Councillor Sykes highlighted that the authority had been the first in the country to be receive Silver in the Food for Life Award, and it was important this be maintained. In response to a further question the Executive Director confirmed that both streams of the process could run in parallel: the procurement and the exploration of alternative service delivery models.

109.4    In response to Councillor Mac Cafferty the Executive Director confirmed that any decision to progress an alternative model would have to be taken by the Committee. Councillor Meadows also added that the alternative model would likely focus on elements that could be added during the procurement process and she reiterated that this would have to come before the Committee for final decision.

109.5    The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote:

109.6    RESOLVED: That the Committee:

1)     Authorise the Director of Children’s Services to procure and award a new contract for primary and special school meals with a term of four years and an option to extend the term by up to a further two years.

2)     Authorise the Director of Children’s Services to grant a two year extension to the contract referred to in 2.1 above, subject to performance of the contractor.

3)     Note that in parallel to the procurement process for a new contract, a separate exercise will take place to determine whether an alternative provision might offer financial or other potential benefits to the council, schools and the city.

4)     Note that in the event that an alternative delivery option may provide a better opportunity, a further report detailing the proposals will be brought to Committee for a decision.