On the 19th November 2020, the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee authorised the Director of Public Health to recommission a range of services. This report provides an update on the recommissioning process and outcome for the Ethnic Minority Health Improvement and Inequalities Programme. The contract term has a maximum value of £261,250.00 and is a three year contract with the option to extend for one year plus a further year.

The process has concluded, the tenders received have been fully evaluated according to Council procurement rules and the Director of Public Health will take the decision to award the contract to the successful bidder.

Resolved – That

the winning tender for the Ethnic Minority Health Improvement and Inequalities Programme which has been submitted and evaluated in accordance with Wirral Council Contract Procedure rules be accepted and the award of a three-year contract (with the option to extend for one year plus a further year) commencing on 1st October 2021 at a maximum value of £261,250 be approved.

The current service contract is due to end on the 30th September 2021. A procurement exercise has been completed in accordance with Council Contract Procedure Rules and the successful bidder is the most economically advantageous, is fully compliant and is within allocated budget provision. The new contract will be in in place by the 1st October 2021. 

The decision to not recommission the service was considered, however local insight work with ethnic minority leaders and the Public Health England Report  - Beyond the Data: Understanding the Impact of Covid-19 on BAME groups (2020) evidenced how ethnic minority communities have been disproportionally impacted by Covid. Therefore, the need to have a service to accommodate and respond to those needs was deemed essential.