A report by the Director of Regeneration, Housing and Planning reported that on 12 April 2012 the Cabinet approved continuation of a worklessness support programme and authorised the Director of Regeneration, Housing and Planning to commence a competitive tendering exercise (Minute No. 387 refers).  The Council commenced the procurement process via The Chest portal on 4 May 2012 under the title: Supply of the Working Wirral Programme.  The current contract ended on 31 August 2012 and was delivered by a voluntary and community sector consortium called The ReachOut Partnership led by Involve Northwest.

The report:

·  advised of the recommendations from the competitive procurement process to select a delivery partner for the worklessness support programme: Working Wirral; and

·  recommended to accept the most economically advantageous tender in terms of quality/price and appoint the supplier to deliver the service on behalf of the Council.

Appendix 1 of the report contained commercially sensitive information regarding a competitive tendering process and was deemed to be exempt from disclosure under paragraph 3, Part 1 of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). It would be considered in Part 2 of the meeting once the press and public had been excluded (Minute No. 66 refers).

Councillor Phil Davies informed that he considered that the contract was costly in the light of the job outputs it would provide and questioned whether it represented value for money.  Therefore, before any decision was made he asked for a further report setting out a detailed breakdown of costs in terms of job outputs and delivery.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the decision on accepting the tender be deferred and delegated to the Leader of the Council; and

(2)  a report be provided to the Leader of the Council that addresses and evaluates value for money of the contract.