FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT FOR CHILDREN'S RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENTS - CONSORTIA COMMISSIONING

FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT FOR CHILDREN'S RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENTS - CONSORTIA COMMISSIONING Local Authorities across the Southern Region of England have come together to commission children's residential care using a framework agreement that will be reopened yearly. Southampton City Council has taken the lead for the purposes of tendering the opportunity.

The Commissioners met with the market on the 17th July 2017 to discuss future planning and asked the market their views and opinions on a variety of points. Since the last market engagement the Commissioners have developed a service specification and planned a procurement process with a number of the concerns addressed to ensure the success of the framework for both providers and commissioners in the longer term.

The OJEU Contract Notice for the Framework Agreement will be sent for publication on the 28th February 2018. It is planned that on or around this date we will be publishing a presentation to the market giving outline details of the procurement, including a short summary of how we have responded to questions from the market and how to register to participate in the procurement process.

We are providing the opportunity to the market to ask clarification questions regarding the information provided in the presentation, this can be done by accessing the project on the Curtis Fitch Portal at https://supplysouthampton.esourcingportal.com . Responses to the clarification questions asked regarding the planned procurement will be published on the Curtis Fitch Portal.

The opportunity to ask clarification questions regarding the planned procurement will close on the 14th March 2018. It is intended that the Invitation to Tender will be published on the Curtis Fitch Portal on the 16th March 2018.

Further details are included in the OJEU Contract Notice, which includes the details of the Local Authorities included in the Consortia. The Council undertakes to use reasonable endeavours to hold confidential any information provided in the proposal submitted, subject to the Council's obligations under law, including the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

If the applicant considers that any of the information submitted in the proposal should not be disclosed because of its sensitivity then this should be stated with the reason for considering it sensitive. The Council will then consider the sensitivity statement before replying to any request received under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Any enquiries regarding the tender process must be directed through the website to the Curtis Fitch System.