Prior information notice
This notice is for prior information only
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Portsmouth City Council
Civic Offices
PORTSMOUTH
PO12AL
UK
Contact person: Procurement Service
Telephone: +44 2392688235
E-mail: procurement@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
NUTS: UKJ31
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/business/procurement/contract-opportunities-with-us/
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/business/procurement/contract-opportunities-with-us/
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Housing, Neighbourhood and Building Services - Repairs & Maintenance, Gas Servicing & Repair and Fire Safety Compliance Services Delivery Lotting Options Appraisal 2025
Reference number: P00005075
II.1.2) Main CPV code
50700000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Portsmouth City Council (the 'Council') is undertaking a further Soft Market Testing (SMT) exercise following cabinet approval to outsource the Repairs & Maintenance and Gas Servicing and Repairs across the Council's managed building assets.
The Council previously published a Prior Information Notice (PIN) under -Housing, Neighbourhood and Building Services - Repairs & Maintenance and Gas Servicing & Repair Delivery Options Appraisal, Portsmouth - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032496-2024?origin=SearchResults&p=1
The Council is responsible for managing a portfolio of properties that require regular repairs and maintenance, along with gas servicing to ensure safety, compliance, and efficiency to Council properties.
The Council have published a PIN and subsequent associated documents under the current Public Contract Regulations 2015. However, the subsequent formal procurement will look to commence from the end of May 2025/early June 2025, at which point the forthcoming Procurement Act 2023 will have come into force legally.
The Council's further options appraisal will assess market capacity, capability, and interest in delivering the required services under 4 lots, the current proposed structure of which is as follows. The options appraisal will place a particular focus on the structure of Lots 2 and 4 below -
• Lot 1 - Repairs and Maintenance On-Island (Lot1A) and Repairs and Maintenance Off-Island (Lot 1B) (this is one lot with two separate contract awards to different suppliers) - estimated annual value from £14M to £18M per supplier, total value both suppliers of around £36M
• Lot 2 - Repairs and Maintenance Corporate Assets - estimated annual value from £400k to £600k
• Lot 3 - Gas Servicing and Repair - estimated annual value from £4M to £5M
• Lot 4 - Fire Safety Compliance Services - estimated annual value from £500k to £1M
The income figures included on the lots above are based on current known anticipated demands. The Council are reviewing the implications of the devolution process to Portsmouth and the wider Authorities and will look to future proof to any subsequent procurement process to include impacts in relation to economic development, supplier diversity and regulatory compliance. This will encompass considerations of the geographical location, scope of service, and value of the opportunity.
For full details of the Council's formal report and associated appendices in seeking cabinet approval to continue with an outsourcing solution can be found using the following link -
https://democracy.portsmouth.gov.uk/ieIssueDetails.aspx?IId=31340&PlanId=0&Opt=3#AI25498
To assist interested suppliers in understanding the proposed lotting options, the Council will be running a Microsoft Teams event on Wednesday 5th March 2025 at 15:00.
Suppliers are encouraged but not obliged to complete an online survey. Completing the survey will help the Council to structure the lots and scope of service to allow the optimal means for suppliers, including SMEs, to participate in the subsequent procurement.
For detail on how to access the survey suppliers should register on the Councils e-sourcing platform, Intend - https://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home
The Council are requesting the survey is completed by Wednesday 19th March 2025 by 12:00, any responses after this deadline may not be considered in the soft market testing report.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
500 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
Yes
II.2) Description
Lot No: 1
II.2.1) Title
Lot 1 - Repairs and Maintenance On-Island (Lot1A) and Repairs and Maintenance Off-Island (Lot 1B)
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
45311000
45312000
45315100
45315300
45315400
45315500
45315600
45315700
45317100
45317200
45317300
45324000
45331000
45332000
45341000
45342000
45343100
45343200
45351000
45410000
45420000
45430000
45440000
45451000
45452000
45453000
45454000
50711000
50712000
50760000
50870000
51100000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ31
UKJ32
UKJ35
Main site or place of performance:
Portsmouth PO1 to PO9
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Lot 1 - Repairs and Maintenance On-Island (Lot1A) and Repairs and Maintenance Off-Island (Lot 1B) (this is one lot with two separate contract awards to different suppliers) - estimated annual value from £14M to £18M per supplier, total value both suppliers of around £36M
The income figures included on the lots above are based on current known anticipated demands.
The current model for gas and repairs maintenance has been delivered with a single term service provider for gas, covering both on and off-island and two term service providers for repairs, with one covering on-island and one covering off-island.
As both the gas contract and the two repair contracts are due to expire in March 2026 there is an opportunity to run the re-procurement of these concurrently and explore the possibility of obtaining value while aligning service priorities.
The lotting arrangements and proposed core scope of services have been considered using the feedback provided from the initial Soft Market Testing questionnaire and to assist with the alignment of the service and are set out as follows:
Lot 1 - Repairs and Maintenance On-Island (Lot1A) and Repairs and Maintenance Off-Island (Lot 1B) (this is one lot with two separate contract awards to different suppliers)
o General Repairs and Maintenance
o Electrical Installation Condition Report
o Smoke/Heat Detector Checks
o Asbestos Removal
o Emergency Lighting
o Domestic Extractor /Ventilation/Duct Checks
o MVHR Testing and Repair
o Asbestos Removal
o Visual Electrical Checks
o Visual Window Checks
o Individual fire door installation/maintenance
o Out of hours cover
o Door entry
o Warden Call
o PV servicing/maintenance
o Voids Works
Suppliers will be able to bid for multiple lots with the exception that they cannot win both the Lot 1A Repairs and Maintenance On-Island and Lot 1B Repairs and Maintenance Off-Island. Notwithstanding the above exception, the Council reserves the right to award under any or a combination of lotting options i.e. the Council could award lots 1A, 2, 3 and 4 to a single contractor and lot 1B to a separate contractor.
The Council are also considering restricting suppliers who are shortlisted to bid for either Lot 1A or Lot 1B, being shortlisted the lot 2 opportunity and vice versa. Suppliers will be asked to feedback on this consideration as part of the SMT questionnaire.
In determining the contracting models, the Council have considered the feedback received from the initial Soft Market Testing as well considering the experience gained from previous models.
It is proposed that the contracts to be used will be as follows:
• Lot 1 - NEC 4 Option E: 5 years + potential 5-year extension
The final contract arrangement has not been definitively set but is likely to be as set out above. Whilst the Council has identified its preferred model above, suppliers can provide feedback, with supporting rationale, as to any potential concerns.
Lot No: 2
II.2.1) Title
Lot 2 - Repairs and Maintenance Corporate Assets
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
45311000
45312000
45313000
45315100
45315300
45315400
45315500
45315600
45315700
45317100
45317200
45317300
45324000
45332000
45341000
45342000
45343100
45351000
45410000
45421000
45422000
45431000
45432000
45440000
45451000
45452000
45453000
45454000
50711000
50712000
50760000
50870000
51100000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ31
UKJ32
UKJ35
Main site or place of performance:
Portsmouth PO1 to PO9
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Lot 2 - Repairs and Maintenance Corporate Assets - estimated annual value from £400k to £600k
The income figures included on the lots above are based on current known anticipated demands.
The current model for gas and repairs maintenance has been delivered with a single term service provider for gas, covering both on and off-island and two term service providers for repairs, with one covering on-island and one covering off-island.
As both the gas contract and the two repair contracts are due to expire in March 2026 there is an opportunity to run the re-procurement of these concurrently and explore the possibility of obtaining value while aligning service priorities.
The lotting arrangements and proposed core scope of services have been considered using the feedback provided from the initial Soft Market Testing questionnaire and to assist with the alignment of the service and are set out as follows:
Lot 2 - Repairs and Maintenance Corporate Assets
o General Repairs and Maintenance
o Electrical Installation Condition Reports
o Asbestos Removal
o Emergency Lighting
Suppliers will be able to bid for multiple lots with the exception that they cannot win both the Lot 1A Repairs and Maintenance On-Island and Lot 1B Repairs and Maintenance Off-Island. Notwithstanding the above exception, the Council reserves the right to award under any or a combination of lotting options i.e. the Council could award lots 1A, 2, 3 and 4 to a single contractor and lot 1B to a separate contractor.
The Council are also considering restricting suppliers who are shortlisted to bid for either Lot 1A or Lot 1B, being shortlisted the lot 2 opportunity and vice versa. Suppliers will be asked to feedback on this consideration as part of the SMT questionnaire.
In determining the contracting models, the Council have considered the feedback received from the initial Soft Market Testing as well considering the experience gained from previous models.
It is proposed that the contracts to be used will be as follows:
• Lot 2 - NEC 4 Option E: 5 years + potential 5-year extension
The final contract arrangement has not been definitively set but is likely to be as set out above. Whilst the Council has identified its preferred model above, suppliers can provide feedback, with supporting rationale, as to any potential concerns.
Lot No: 3
II.2.1) Title
Lot 3 - Gas Servicing and Repair
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
45311000
45315100
45315300
45315400
45315500
45315600
45317100
45317200
45317300
45331100
45331110
45331200
45331210
45331211
45332200
45333100
45333200
45343100
45351000
45453100
45454100
50711000
50712000
50721000
51110000
51120000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ31
UKJ32
UKJ35
Main site or place of performance:
Portsmouth PO1 to PO9
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Lot 3 - Gas Servicing and Repair - estimated annual value from £4M to £5M
The income figures included on the lots above are based on current known anticipated demands.
The current model for gas and repairs maintenance has been delivered with a single term service provider for gas, covering both on and off-island and two term service providers for repairs, with one covering on-island and one covering off-island.
As both the gas contract and the two repair contracts are due to expire in March 2026 there is an opportunity to run the re-procurement of these concurrently and explore the possibility of obtaining value while aligning service priorities.
The lotting arrangements and proposed core scope of services have been considered using the feedback provided from the initial Soft Market Testing questionnaire and to assist with the alignment of the service and are set out as follows:
Lot 3 - Gas Servicing and Repair
o Annual Gas Servicing
o CO Detector Checks
o Gas Boiler Installations
o Gas Boiler and Heating Repairs
o Voids Gas Safety Works
o Out of hours cover
Suppliers will be able to bid for multiple lots with the exception that they cannot win both the Lot 1A Repairs and Maintenance On-Island and Lot 1B Repairs and Maintenance Off-Island. Notwithstanding the above exception, the Council reserves the right to award under any or a combination of lotting options i.e. the Council could award lots 1A, 2, 3 and 4 to a single contractor and lot 1B to a separate contractor.
In determining the contracting models, the Council have considered the feedback received from the initial Soft Market Testing as well considering the experience gained from previous models.
It is proposed that the contracts to be used will be as follows:
• Lot 3 - 3* Schedule of Rates: 5 years + potential 5-year extension
The final contract arrangement has not been definitively set but is likely to be as set out above. Whilst the Council has identified its preferred model above, suppliers can provide feedback, with supporting rationale, as to any potential concerns.
Lot No: 4
II.2.1) Title
Lot 4 - Fire Safety Compliance Services
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
45311000
45312100
45312310
45312311
45315100
45315300
45315400
45315500
45315600
45321000
45324000
45343000
45351000
51110000
51120000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ31
UKJ32
UKJ35
Main site or place of performance:
Portsmouth PO1 to PO9
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Lot 4 - Fire Safety Compliance Services - estimated annual value from £500k to £1M
The income figures included on the lots above are based on current known anticipated demands.
The current model for gas and repairs maintenance has been delivered with a single term service provider for gas, covering both on and off-island and two term service providers for repairs, with one covering on-island and one covering off-island.
As both the gas contract and the two repair contracts are due to expire in March 2026 there is an opportunity to run the re-procurement of these concurrently and explore the possibility of obtaining value while aligning service priorities.
The lotting arrangements and proposed core scope of services have been considered using the feedback provided from the initial Soft Market Testing questionnaire and to assist with the alignment of the service and are set out as follows:
Lot 4 - Fire Safety Compliance Services
o Automatic Opening Vents Testing and Repairs
o Fire Alarm Testing and Repairs
o Lightening Conductor Testing and Repairs
o Visual Fire Door Checks
o Sprinkler Testing and Repair
o Fire Damper Testing and Repair
o Fire Extinguishers
o Fire stopping
o Smoke Vents
o Out of hours cover
o Evacuation alert system
Suppliers will be able to bid for multiple lots with the exception that they cannot win both the Lot 1A Repairs and Maintenance On-Island and Lot 1B Repairs and Maintenance Off-Island.
Notwithstanding the above exception, the Council reserves the right to award under any or a combination of lotting options i.e. the Council could award lots 1A, 2, 3 and 4 to a single contractor and lot 1B to a separate contractor.
In determining the contracting models, the Council have considered the feedback received from the initial Soft Market Testing as well considering the experience gained from previous models.
It is proposed that the contracts to be used will be as follows:
• Lot 4 - NEC 4 Option A Priced Contract with Price List: 5 years + potential 5-year extension
The final contract arrangement has not been definitively set but is likely to be as set out above. Whilst the Council has identified its preferred model above, suppliers can provide feedback, with supporting rationale, as to any potential concerns.
II.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice:
27/05/2025
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
For access to additional information visit the Council's e-sourcing platform, Intend - https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/business/procurement/contract-opportunities-with-us/
The estimated total value for the initial five-year term for all lotting options is £213M. If the options to extend the contracts are exercised, the estimated total value over ten years for all lotting options is £426M. However, we have stated a total value of £500m at II.1.5 above to allow us to develop and grow the portfolio of properties, if required.
As part of the Council's commitment to ensuring a fair, open, and competitive procurement process in accordance with the current provisions of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 and the planned provisions of the Procurement Act 2023, the Council recognise the importance of transparency in this process and aim to adhere to the following principles:
• Open Communication
• Fair Opportunity for Participation
• Data Protection and Confidentiality
• Non-Commitment and No Advantage
• Compliance with Procurement Legislation
• Feedback and Outcome
The following supporting documents are new/updated and have been included as part of the SMT Briefing pack via the e-tendering portal, Intend -
• SMT Briefing Document - Repairs & Maintenance and Gas Servicing & Repair Delivery Lotting Options Appraisal 2025
• Appendix 1 - RM Delivery Model Review Report & Appendices Zip - suppliers should pay particular attention to the following documents in the report
o RM Delivery Model Review Report
o Appendix E - Soft Market Testing Report
o Appendix I - Contract Options
o Appendix J - Scope of Works Options
o Appendix K - Scope of Service Areas
o Appendix L - Lotting Options
• Appendix 2 - Copy of SMT Questionnaire - R&M Contracts and Gas Servicing Lotting Options Appraisal 2025 (not for submission)
The following supporting documents were part of the original SMT briefing pack and have been included for context for all suppliers taking part in this exercise -
• Appendix 3 - Affected Properties (provides an overview of the stock, its compliance requirements and recent repair volumes)
• Appendix 4 - Current Scope of Service (provides an overview of general tasks to be undertaken and a performance requirement of how they will be undertaken)
• Appendix 5 - Asset Management Strategy 2021
• Appendix 6 - Procurement Governance
• Appendix 7 - Conflicts of Interest Statement
• Appendix 8 - Conflicts of Interest Declaration
• Appendix 9 - Intend Guidance, Supporting Information & Clarification Process
• Appendix 10 - Request for participation at SMT events
• Appendix 11 - Social Value Policy March 2021
• Appendix 12 - SMT Briefing Document - R&M Contracts and Gas Servicing 2024 v1.0
• Appendix 13 - R&M and Gas Contracts Presentation 23.10.224 & 25.10.24
• Appendix 14 - SMT Teams Presentation-20241025_100421-Meeting Recording
All documents issued in respect of this SMT process are made available in good faith.
As part of the soft market testing, the Council are running a Microsoft Teams Meeting on Wednesday 5th March 2025 at 15:00.
The Council would anticipate the meetings to take no longer than 90 minutes and would look to follow the suggested agenda below -
• 15:00 - Introductions - 10 minutes
• 15:10 to 16:00 - PCC Presentation
• 16:00 to 16:30 - Question and answers
To book a place on the Microsoft Teams meeting, suppliers are to complete Appendix 10 - Request for participation at SMT events and return this using the correspondence function on Intend.
Suppliers are not limited to the number of delegates for the Microsoft Teams meeting and should submit their request to attend no later than Tuesday 4th March 2025 by 16:00.
The Council will be recording the Microsoft Teams meeting and will subsequently make this available as part of the SMT pack via Intend.
Any questions and answers will be recorded via a separate clarification log and will be published to Intend for all suppliers to access, unless deemed commercially sensitive. For full details in relation to the clarification process then suppliers should refer to Appendix 9 - Intend Guidance, Supporting Information & Clarification Process.
To meet current and future conflict of interest obligations, the Council requires that all suppliers participating in the SMT process complete and return Appendix 8 - Conflicts of Interest Declaration. Any suppliers who have previously submitted a conflict-of-interest assessment do not need to complete a new declaration, unless there have been changes to the original submission and/or new individuals from your organisation will be taking part in the process.
The Council is issuing the Prior Information Notice under the Public Contract Regulations (2015), though the intention will be to run the procurement process using a Competitive Flexible Procedure (CFP) under the Procurement Act 2023, which is due to be live from the 24th February 2024.
The Council anticipate the Competitive Flexible Procedure will be akin to the Restrictive Procedure under the Public Contracts Regulations (2015), with two separate stages -
Stage 1 - Initial Selection
The Council will issue a Contract Notice / Tender Notice (under the Procurement Act 2023) outlining the key details and requirements, including the overview of the procurement process & associated programme, value of the opportunity, scope of the contracts, lotting options & associated contractual terms, minimum levels of technical experience & accreditations and evaluation & award criteria.
This stage focuses on shortlisting suppliers that meet the necessary technical, financial, and operational capabilities required for the contract. It aims to reduce the number of bidders to a manageable level through consideration of current experience, capacity, systems, accreditations, financial standing, legal standing, etc.
The Contract Notice / Tender Notice will provide all necessary information for potential suppliers to assess and apply for the opportunity under any of the relevant lotting options specified. The Council envisages the shortlisting process will have the following number of suppliers per lot -
• Lot 1 - Repairs and Maintenance On-Island and Repairs and Maintenance Off-Island (this is one lot with two separate opportunities) - 3 to 4 suppliers
• Lot 2 - Repairs and Maintenance Corporate Assets - 4 to 6 suppliers
• Lot 3 - Gas Servicing and Repair - 4 to 6 suppliers
• Lot 4 - Fire Compliance - 4 to 6 suppliers
Any interested suppliers will need to register on the governments Central Digital Platform for the Council to review any potential grounds for exclusion and a debarment check. The Central Digital Platform will be live from Monday 24th February and information on how suppliers can register can be found using the following link - Suppliers: How to register your organisation and first administrator on Find a Tender in three easy steps (HTML) - GOV.UK.
It is worth noting, the Council will be required to undertake checks on any named subcontractor a tenderer incorporates into their bid. If the subcontractor was to meet the exclusion grounds and/or be listed on the debarment list, then the Council will need to investigate this as part of any award decision
Stage 2 - Invitation to Tender (ITT)
The second stage, shortlisted suppliers are invited to submit detailed proposals, including price, delivery methodology, and any specific solutions they propose. The Council may also enter into clarification and / or negotiations to ensure requirements are fully considered and / or optimise final tenders, making it more flexible than the traditional open or restricted procedures. The council may also consider the use of interviews and site visits. The procurement process will also consider the viewpoint of residents at every stage including for development of requirements and assessment of resident engagement proposals. The details for as and when this may occur will be outlined in the initial Tender Notice.
Suppliers will be required to provide tender specific proposals in delivery of the services under any of the specific lotting options, which the Council will undertake a review of, including qualitative and pricing responses
The Council are intending to run the SMT and the subsequent envisaged tender process under the following Procurement Programme -
• PIN/RFI issued - Friday 21st February 2025
• SMT Briefing - Microsoft Teams Meeting -Wednesday 5th March 2025 from 15:00
• SMT Clarification Deadline - Wednesday 12th March 2025 by 16:00
• SMT Survey Monkey Questionnaire Deadline - Wednesday 19th March 2025 by 12:00
• SMT Draft Feedback Report - shared with suppliers taking part with the SMT process - Monday 31st March 2025
• SMT Draft Feedback Report - Deadline for supplier comments - Monday 7th April 2025 by 10:00
• FTS & Tender Notice issued - Monday 26th May 2025
• Tender issued and procurement documents published on Intend - CFP Stage 1 - Monday 26th May 2025
• Deadline for requests for clarification - Wednesday 18th June 2025 by 16:00
• CFP Stage 1 submission deadline - Friday 27th June 2025 by 12:00
• Notification of shortlisting decision - Monday 21st July 2025
• Final procurement documents published on Intend - CFP Stage 2 - Monday 28th July 2025
• Deadline for requests for clarification - Monday 8th September 2025 by 16:00
• Tender return deadline - Friday 26th September 2025 by 12:00
• Contract Award Notice Published - Monday 10th November 2025
• Standstill and section 20 notification start - Tuesday 11th November 2025
• Standstill finish - Friday 28th November 2025
• Section 20 Notice Finish - Tuesday 9th December 2025
• Contract award - Wednesday 10th December 2025
• Contract commencement - Wednesday 1st April 2026
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
21/02/2025