Avalon House Refurbishment & Extension Works - Scrutton Street, London

Portsmouth City Council - the 'Council' - is inviting applications from suitably qualified & experienced contractors to take part in a procurement process which a contract which will award a contract for the refurbishment and extension of an existing office building at 57-63 Scrutton Street, London EC2A, delivering high-quality Cat A workspace with improved amenity and sustainability performance.

The property is situated on Scrutton Street, Hackney, within the Shoreditch commercial district. The site is fully built-out, with party-wall boundaries to both sides and constrained logistics typical of central London projects. Neighbour access and coordination will be required for façade and roof-level works.

The works comprise

• Comprehensive refurbishment of existing structure and services.
• One-storey rooftop extension to create additional office accommodation and an accessible terrace.
• Basement reconfiguration for new plant, cycle parking, lockers and showers.
• Full replacement of façades, glazing, and entrance canopy.
• Delivery of a fully electric, BREEAM Excellent-targeted building in line with Part L 2021 and London Plan policies.
• Retention and localised strengthening of the existing steel frame and raft foundation.
• New composite-deck structure at roof level with green/blue roof and screened plant zone.
• Installation of twin 8-person MRL lifts serving all floors including the roof terrace.
• HVRF heating/cooling, MVHR ventilation and air-source hot-water generation.
• PV array at roof level and smart metering/BMS integration.
• Cat A internal finishes and reception enhancements.
• Associated drainage, waterproofing and external works.

The scope of the contractor appointment will include for post RIBA 4 design responsibilities although it should be noted that the Council will not be making its design team available for novation. The contract will be let using the JCT Design & Build Contract 2024 - subject to project specific client amendments and amendments required for compliance with the Procurement Act 23.

The estimated value of the contract is approx. £8.9M (excluding VAT) based upon cost plan estimates against the current design which is currently developed to RIBA Stage 2. The Council has undertaken pre-app discussions with the planning authority and is targeting to have submitted a full planning application in early 2026. The Council will progress design to RIBA Stage 4 at which point it will seek submission of lump sum tenders.

The Council is targeting to have awarded the contract by 4th September 2026 with start on site targeted for commencement on 4th December 2026 and completion of works targeted for completion on 30th November 2027 after which a 12-month contractual defects liability period will apply. These target dates are indicative and could be impacted if there are any significant delays in obtaining planning permission.

The Council will undertake the procurement process to award the contract in line with the procurement procedure and programme outlined below which utilises the Competitive Flexible Procedure as defined within the Procurement Act 23.

• Tender Notice & 1st Stage CFP PSQ Documents issued - 19th December 2025
• Clarification deadline - 26th January 2026 @23:59
• 1st Stage CFP PSQ submission deadline - 6th February 2026 @12:00
• Shortlisting confirmation - 20th February 2026
• ECI input sought from shortlisted contractors - March - April 2026
• 2nd stage CFP ITT issued - 27th May 2026
• 2nd stage CFP ITT clarification deadline - 29th June 2026 @23:59
• 2nd stage CFP ITT submission deadline - 7th July 2026 @12:00
• Issue of Assessment Summaries - 17th August 2026
• Issue of Contract Award Notice - 17th August 2026
• Standstill begins - 18th August 2026
• Standstill ends - 28th August 2026
• Contract award - 4th September 2026

The Council will administrate this procurement process using it's e-sourcing solution In-tend which is accessible free of charge via:

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/Home

The system will be used to administrate the procurement process, including for

• Access to and issue of procurement information & documentation
• Pre-tender submission clarification requests and response
• Tender submission
• Tender opening & access to responses
• Post-tender submission clarification requests and response
• Issue of evaluation and award decision notifications
• Publication of summary contract register information in accordance with Local Government Transparency Code (2015) requirements

Suppliers who are not already registered on the In-tend system will need to register their details in order to access the procurement documentation, raise clarification requests and return tender submissions.

The detailed KPIs and scoring methodology will also be detailed within the 2nd stage procurement documents. The KPIs will include for and develop upon the high-level structure set out below:

• PRE-CONSTRUCTION & MOBILISATION PHASE:
• Health & Safety Plan
• Supply Chain & Sub-Contractor Appointments
• Supply Chain & Sub-Contractor Payment Performance
• Cost Management Plan
• Programme Management Plan
• Environmental Management Plan
• Considerate Contractors Scheme Accreditation
• Quality Management Plan
• Agreed Reporting Structure
• Risk Management Plan
• CONSTRUCTION & PRACTICAL COMPLETION PHASE:
• Programme Management & Milestone Delivery
• Cost Management & Delivery to Contracted Sum
• Reporting, Forecasting & Early Warnings
• Communications & Response
• Health & Safety Management
• Environmental Management & Achievement of BREEAM Excellent
• Sub-contractor & Supply Chain Management
• Supply Chain & Sub-Contractor Payment Performance
• Minimising Disruption as per Considerate Contractors Scheme requirements
• Risk Management
• Quality Management & Snagging
• Site Logistics, Security & Access
• As-built information, O&M and Asset Data
• POST PRACTICAL COMPLETION & DEFECTS MANAGEMENT PHASE:
• Provision of final O&Ms, H&S file, Warranties, etc.
• Defects Number, Type & Severity
• Defects Response
• Defects Attendance
• Defects Rectification
• Recurring Defects
• Resolving neighbour / stakeholder issues due to defect impacts
• Environmental Performance of Asset to BREEAM Excellent standards

As required under the Procurement Act 23, the Council will publish a Contract Performance Notice at the key delivery points stated above which summarises delivery performance against the finalised KPIs.

The Council will work in partnership with the appointed contractor and will review KPI performance with the contractor at regular intervals. The Council will seek to agree KPI scores with the contractor prior to issue of a Contract Performance Notice and will provide the contractor with details of scores and rationale at least 8 working days prior to issue of the notice to allow for pre-issue representations.

In the event of significant non-performance, such as significant persistent performance issues where reasonable opportunity has been provided to the contractor to address but has failed to do so, application of significant damages or other significant penalties, termination (including partial termination) of the contract or the reaching of a settlement agreement between the parties, the Council will be required to issue a Performance Notice within 30 days of the breach in accordance with Section 71 of the Procurement Act 23.

The Council will provide notice to the Contractor promptly following the breach notifying of intention to issue a Contract Performance Notice on basis of poor performance, the date on which the notice will be issued, the content of the notice and provide the Contactor with at least 8 working days in which to make representations prior to issue. Further details of what would constitute significant non-performance in relation to this contract will be provided within the stage 2 procurement documents.

The Council may also be required to publish Contract Change Notices in the event of significant changes to the scope, value, duration, etc. to the contract.

Where such changes can be defined as non-substantial (10% position change in duration, non-material change to scope, material change of economic balance in favour of Contractor) and / or cumulatively fall below the relevant thresholds (15% of the contract value for works contracts) the Council will not be obliged to issue a Contract Change Notice and / or publish a modified redacted version of the contract within 90 days of the modification.

If a modification cannot be defined as non-substantial and / or below threshold, the Council may still make modifications to the contract, not exceeding 50% of the latest contract value per modification, in respect the following situations:

• Where the modification was transparently and unambiguously allowed for within the contract
• Materialisation of a published known risk
• Urgency & the protection of life
• Unforeseeable circumstances which could not have been reasonably foreseen by the Council
• Additional goods, works & services which are a repetition of items already covered within the scope of the contract and only where a change of contractor would significantly impact compatibility and result in significant in duplication of costs

In such instances the Council will be required to issue a Contract Change Notice each time a modification is made and publish an updated redacted version of the contract within 90 days of the modification.

The Council may also decide to include for a pro-active voluntary 8 working day standstill period from issuing a Contract Change Notice to subsequent modification of the contract in order to mitigate risk of challenge, although it will be under no legal obligation to do so.