Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director of Environment.

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director for Environment, concerning the approval of a contract award for the administration system to be used at the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium. Following the procurement tender exercise, all bidders, including the preferred bidder and the current supplier, had failed the financial assessment. The Service was therefore unable to proceed without the Committee’s approval.

It was confirmed that the system used by the preferred bidder would be cloud based. The cost of the annual licensing fees were in line with expectations, noting that approximately £33,000 would be saved per annum in posting, packaging and franking costs when the system was fully implemented.

The Committee raised concerns on the preferred bidder having failed the financial assessment. The basis of this failure was queried. The response was that the response to this specific query would have to be held in non-public session. The Committee agreed that it could not approve the contract award until it had heard and were satisfied with the explanation for the failure of the financial assessment. It was agreed to Delegate Authority to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, to approve the contract award subject to the Committee’s satisfaction on the explanation for the failure of the City Corporation’s standard financial appraisal.

RESOLVED – That the Committee agree to Delegate Authority to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Port Health & Environmental Services Committee, to agree to approve the awarding of the contract to the preferred bidder, subject to the Committee’s satisfaction on the explanation for the failure of the Corporation’s standard financial appraisal.