Issue - meetings

To seek approval to undertake a procurement exercise for holiday activity provision via the Holiday Activity and Food programme 2022-2023.

         Approval was sought to undertake a procurement exercise for holiday activity provision via the Holiday Activity and Food programme 2022-2023.

Approval was sought to undertake a procurement exercise for holiday activity provision via the Holiday Activity and Food programme 2022-2023 to a maximum value of £360,000.

Additionally, approval was sought to authorise the Director of Children and Education to request an exemption to the Council’s Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules to contract an existing schools catering provider for the Holiday Activity and Food programme 2022-2023 to the maximum value of £144,000.

Reasons for Decision

The Department for Education had recently informed all local authorities in England that the Holiday Activity and Food programme would now be funded for an additional three years, from 2022 – 2025. 

Approval was therefore requested to undertake a procurement process for holiday activity provision for centralised activity providers at a maximum value of £360,000 and to undertake an exemption to procurement procedures to contract an existing centralised meal provider at a cost of £144,000. Both decisions would require Cabinet approval in order to meet the procurement and contracting regulations in order to meet the timescales to enable live delivery for Easter 2022.

Alternative Options

There were no viable alternative options as the Holiday Activity and Food programme 2022 would continuing investing through a grant making scheme to support the voluntary and community sector to deliver holiday activity in communities. Local voluntary and community sector capacity was limited and would not meet the sufficiency of places that were required to offer that exceeded 17,500 children currently in receipt of benefit related free school meals.

A procurement process was undertaken for our current schools catering provider. It identified value for money, local jobs for local people and the provider had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver against the School Food Standards which was a requirement of the grant.

Agreed:-

(1)     that the Director of Children and Education be authorised, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, to undertake a procurement exercise for holiday activity provision via the Holiday Activity and Food  programme 2022-2023 to a maximum value of £360,000;

(2)     that the Director of Children and Education be authorised to request anexemption to the Council’s Procurement and Contract Procedure Rulesto contract an existing schools catering provider for the Holiday Activityand Food programme 2022-2023 to the maximum value of £144,000.