Sustainable Organisation Review: Soft Market Test

West Lancashire Borough Council proposes to undertake a Sustainable Organisation Review ('Review'), the purpose of which will be to reappraise fundamentally the Council's operating model, and to identify opportunities for further income generation and efficiencies across all services. The aim of the Review is to ensure that the Council can deliver its vision ('To be a Council which is ambitious for West Lancashire - our Economy, Environment and for Health and Wellbeing'), key priorities, and maintain service provision and financial sustainability beyond 2020/21.

It is anticipated that the Council will appoint experienced and suitably qualified consultants to undertake key aspects of the Review, for which a tendering exercise or exercises will be necessary. Prior to embarking on a tendering exercise, the Council is launching a Soft Market Testing exercise, with the following objectives: (1) to facilitate early engagement with the market to ensure that the widest possible range of interested organisations are fully aware of the project, its scope and timescales; (2) to allow interested organisations with appropriate experience to outline their views and provide information with no commitment to themselves or to the Council; (3) to allow the Council to confirm, or encourage critical assessment of, the viability of its plans; (4) to gain expert input to inform the specifications for the tender exercise, and the structure and phasing of the tender requirements, in order to make the most of the opportunities, expertise and options available.

We emphasise that this is a soft market testing exercise, NOT a call for competition. A questionnaire, together with further details of the project and programme, and the Council's key priorities, can be downloaded from The Chest portal at www.the-chest.org.uk The Chest is an electronic tendering portal for public sector organisations in the north west of England.

Registration and use of The Chest by potential suppliers is free of charge. Additional information: A brief and questionnaire can be downloaded from The Chest portal at www.the-chest.org.uk