- Id
- ocds-h6vhtk-055d4d
- Status
- complete
- Procurement Method
- limited
- Main Procurement Category
- services
- Procurement Method Details
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Why this procedure was chosen
- Inclusion Group, as the contracting authority, hereby provides the justification for the direct award of the contract to ECO Approach, without prior publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) or the Find a Tender Service (FTS). This decision is made in strict accordance with the provisions of Regulation 32(3) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (or the equivalent national transposition of EU Directive 2014/24/EU, as applicable), which permits the use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication for additional services by the original contractor under specific circumstances.
ECO Approach is the incumbent supplier for the services in question, and our assessment, conducted under PfH's call-off procedures which permit consideration of a "lawful advantage of an incumbent Supplier," has concluded that a change of supplier would unequivocally result in considerable inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs for Inclusion Group.
Specifically, our analysis has identified the following critical factors:
Unavoidable Costs of Changing Supplier: Transitioning to a new supplier would necessitate significant and unavoidable financial outlays. These include, but are not limited to, the costs associated with:
Extensive re-training of our staff on new systems and processes, leading to productivity losses during the transition phase.
Potential investment in new or adapted infrastructure to ensure compatibility with a different supplier's operational model.
The inherent administrative burden and resource allocation required for onboarding a new provider, including contract negotiation, legal reviews, and extensive due diligence processes.
Potential for initial service disruption during the migration period, which could impact our residents and operational efficiency, incurring indirect costs.
Lower Risks of Service Migration: The continued engagement with ECO Approach, as the incumbent, presents a demonstrably lower risk profile for service migration. ECO Approach possesses an in-depth understanding of Inclusion Group's specific operational requirements, existing infrastructure, and the unique needs of our residents. This established knowledge base mitigates the significant risks associated with:
Potential delays or failures in service continuity that could arise from a new supplier's learning curve or unforeseen integration challenges.
The risk of non-compliance or misinterpretation of our specific service level agreements and regulatory obligations by an unfamiliar provider.
The disruption to established communication channels and working relationships that are critical for the efficient delivery of services to our vulnerable residents.
Based on this thorough assessment, Inclusion Group is satisfied that the cumulative impact of these unavoidable costs and elevated risks associated with changing suppliers constitutes the "considerable inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs" as stipulated by Regulation 32(3). Therefore, to ensure the continuity of essential services, safeguard our operational integrity, and responsibly manage public funds by avoiding disproportionate expenditure and risk, the direct award of the contract to ECO Approach is deemed lawful and necessary under these exceptional circumstances.