Councillor Charles Buchan (substitute for Provost Bill Howatson) (Aberdeenshire Council); Bailie Norman MacLeod (Glasgow City Council); Councillor Paul Di Mascio (North Lanarkshire Council); and Councillor John Shaw (Renfrewshire Council).

Councillor Shaw, Convener, presided.

H Carr, Head of Strategic Procurement, S Brannagan, Head of Customer and Business Services, C Taylor, Affordable Housing Project Manager, L Campbell, Corporate Services Manager, E McCluskie, Procurement Co-ordinator and C Richardson, Senior Procurement Specialist (all Scotland Excel); and M Conaghan, Legal and Democratic Services Manager, C McCourt, Finance Business Partner and E Currie, Senior Committee Services Officer (all Renfrewshire Council).

Provost Bill Howatson (Aberdeenshire Council); Councillor Angus MacMillan Douglas (Angus Council); Councillor Graham Hutchison (City of Edinburgh Council); Provost Norman Macdonald (Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar); Councillor Stephen Thompson (Dumfries and Galloway Council); Councillor Altany Craik (Fife Council); Councillor Alister MacKinnon (Highland Council); and Councillor Amanda Hawick (Shetland Islands Council).

There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to commencement of the meeting.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Executive Sub-committee held on 20 September 2019.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There was submitted a revenue budget monitoring report by the Treasurer and the Director of Scotland Excel for the period 1 April to 13 September 2019.  

The report intimated that Scotland Excel was projecting an overspend of £14,000 by year-end in its core activities and that it was anticipated that projects would contribute £173,000 to core.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Scotland Excel relative to the award of a new framework for the provision of debt recovery and sheriff officer services which would operate from 1 December 2019 until 30 November 2022, with the option to extend for up to an additional 12 months until 30 November 2023.

The report intimated that the expiry of the regional contract, led by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, to procure these requirements with Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire and Highland Councils, as collaborative partners, presented an opportunity for Scotland Excel to provide a national collaborative solution that would drive value through consolidation of the spend.  

The report summarised the outcome of the procurement process for this national framework agreement and intimated that the framework would provide a mechanism for local authorities to procure a range of debt recovery and sheriff officer services. It was anticipated that these services would be predominately utilised by revenue and budget departments within local authorities who did not have the capacity to retrieve outstanding debt in-house.

The framework had been divided into two lots as detailed in the report and had been advertised at a value of £4.4 million over the four-year period. 

Tender responses had been received from six suppliers and Appendix 1 to the report outlined the location of the service providers with all six being based in Scotland supporting the Scottish economy.

Based on the criteria and scoring methodology set out in the tender document, a full evaluation of compliant offers had been carried out and Appendix 2 to the report detailed the scoring achieved by each service provider. 

Based on the evaluation undertaken, and in line with the criteria and weightings set out in the report, it was recommended that a multi-supplier framework agreement be awarded to the service providers as outlined in Appendix 2 to the report.  

Appendix 3 to the report detailed the Scottish Living Wage status of bidders. 

DECIDED: That the award of the framework agreement for provision of debt recovery and sheriff officer services, as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report, be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Scotland Excel relative to the award of a renewal framework for the provision of security services and cash collection which would operate from 16 September 2019 until 15 September 2023, effective from 1 December 2019.

The report summarised the outcome of the procurement process for this national framework agreement and intimated that the framework would provide councils and other participating associate members with a mechanism to procure a range of security services, including guarding, stewarding, marshalling, key holding and mobile patrols and included cash collect services.

The framework had been divided into four lots as detailed in table 1 of the report and Appendix 1 to the report detailed the participation and spend summary of those participating in the framework.

It was noted that 18 candidates were brought forward to the ITT stage and one candidate did not submit an offer.  Tender responses had been received from 17 suppliers by the closing date then one supplier subsequently withdrew their offer. 

Based on the criteria and scoring methodology set out in the tender document, a full evaluation of the 16 compliant offers had been carried out and Appendix 3 to the report detailed the scoring achieved by each tenderer in each lot per council area. 

Based on the evaluation undertaken, and in line with the criteria and weightings set out in the report, and to secure best value, capacity and coverage, it was recommended that a multi-supplier framework agreement be awarded to 14 suppliers across the 32 geographical areas and four lots as outlined in Appendix 3 to the report.  

Appendix 4 to the report detailed the Scottish Living Wage status of suppliers. 

DECIDED: That the award of the framework agreement for provision of security services and cash collection, as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report, be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Scotland Excel advising that Loreburn Housing Association Limited had submitted an application to become an associate member of Scotland Excel.

The report provided details of the organisation and the legislative position in relation to the application.

DECIDED: That the application by Loreburn Housing Association Limited to become an associate member of Scotland Excel, at an annual membership fee of £3,564, be approved subject to completion and signing of the agreement documentation.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Scotland Excel advising that the Scottish Legal Aid Board had submitted an application to become an associate member of Scotland Excel.

The report provided details of the organisation and the legislative position in relation to the application.

DECIDED: That the application by the Scottish Legal Aid Board to become an associate member of Scotland Excel, with no annual fee, be approved subject to completion and signing of the agreement documentation.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Scotland Excel advising that the University of Strathclyde had submitted an application to become an associate member of Scotland Excel.

The report provided details of the organisation and the legislative position in relation to the application.

DECIDED: That the application by the University of Strathclyde to become an associate member of Scotland Excel, with no annual fee, be approved subject to completion and signing of the agreement documentation.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Scotland Excel relative to Scotland Excel’s Conference and Supplier Excellence Awards 2020.

The report outlined the work being undertaken to deliver the conference and awards ceremony which would be held in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow on 20 and 21 February 2020.

It was noted that this event contributed to the delivery of a range of commitments within Scotland Excel’s operating plan relating to procurement capability, contract management, supplier engagement and business growth.  The report detailed the objectives of the event and the project status

DECIDED: 

(a) That the progress made towards delivery of the Conference and Supplier Awards be noted; and

(b) That members note this date in their diaries.

DECIDED: That it be noted that the next meeting of the Executive Sub-committee would be held at 10.45 am on 22 November 2019 in Scotland Excel Meeting Room 1, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley.