The Executive Cabinet has decided to approve a collaborative joint procurement exercise for stairlifts funded by Disabled Facilities Grant, benefiting Chorley Council and South Ribble Borough Council.

URL: https://democracy.chorley.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=14512

Decision Maker: Executive Cabinet

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose:

Content: Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Member for Economic Development and Public Service Reform, presented the confidential report of the Director of Communities and Leisure on behalf of the Executive Member for Homes and Housing.   The report proposed the procurement arrangements for the supply, installation, servicing and maintenance of stairlifts funded by Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and outlined the rationale for Chorley Council (CBC) and South Ribble Borough Council (SRBC) collaborating again in a joint procurement exercise. The report also sought approval to utilise Consortium Procurement which was the procurement function of the Northern Housing Consortium.   Resolved: 1.      That the Council undertakes a collaborative joint procurement exercise for the above via Consortium Procurement for a contract period of 5 years commencing 1st October 2025, with the option to extend for a further two years. Whilst this will be a collaborative procurement exercise to achieve maximum advantage of combined volume, each Council will complete its own individual contract with the preferred provider at award stage. 2.      That the evaluation criteria to be used to evaluate tenders comprises weightings of 60% quality (incorporating 15% Social Value) and 40% price. 3.      That SRBC undertake the role of ‘lead body’ for the procurement in accordance with Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs). 4.      That the contracts include provision of extended warranties consisting of 1 year manufacturer warranty plus an additional 9 years funded via DFG. This clause is a feature of the existing contract and continues to provide important reassurance for residents - and for the Council as the DFG budget holder. 5.      That in the event of these proposed procurement arrangements being approved by Executive Cabinet, it is recommended that approval for the contract award decision is to be delegated to the Executive Member (Homes and Housing), once a preferred supplier has been identified using the Consortium Procurement ‘Further Competition Tender’ facility.   Reasons for recommendations: 1.      The Council has experience of successfully procuring DFG funded stairlift provision using the same approach that is recommended in this report. 2.      It is compliant from a procurement perspective, and the collaboration with South Ribble Borough Council (SRBC) offers economies of scale which are likely to benefit both Councils. The role of ‘lead body’ in the procurement is a technical consideration to enable compliance with Contract Procedure Rules. Having SRBC as the designated ‘Lead Body’ (as was the case in the procurement of the existing contract) does not compromise the Council’s sovereignty in terms of its decision making. 3.      The proposed weightings reflect the fact that when dealing with the supply and installation of equipment for vulnerable residents, price is not the most important consideration. Quality and reliability, with the reassurance that this brings to residents and to the Council, is key – hence the proposed weighting. The proposed Social Value weighting of 15% is standard for CBC procurement activity. 4.      The proposal to include an extended warranty period of ten years is consistent with the terms of the existing contract. This provides important reassurance for vulnerable residents who have the ‘safety net’ of knowing that the stairlift will be maintained at no cost to them for ten years following installation. It also presents a compelling case for landlords in the social and private sectors to give permission for an installation, knowing that the issue of ongoing maintenance is addressed. 5.      The recommendation for delegated authority for the contract award decision to be granted to the Executive Member (Homes and Housing) is consistent with the approach taken when the Council last tendered this service in 2020. It allows for an agile, streamlined decision making process.   Other options considered and rejected: The option of seeking competitive quotes on each occasion that a DFG funded stairlift is required was considered but ruled out due to being very time consuming for Officers (which would in turn potentially delay installations for residents). Such an approach was highly unlikely to yield any financial advantages for the Council.

Date of Decision: June 12, 2025