Decision details

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST MADE FOR THIS ITEM:

None

RESOLVED:

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services:

1.    That, pursuant to Contract Standing Order (CSO) 2.01(c) and CSO 0.08 (approval of contracts valued at £500,000 or more), approved the award of a contract to Supplier B, identified in paragraph 7.2.1 of the report and named in paragraph 2.1 of the exempt portion of the report (Part B), for an estimated contract value of £1,571,384.61 (excluding contingency as detailed in Part B). The contract covered the supply, installation and support of Audio?Visual equipment in the Civic Centre and other Council buildings. It was awarded for a period of four years, from 13 April 2026 to 12 April 2030.

2.    Approved the issuance of a letter of intent for up to 10% of the tendered contract value, totalling £157,138.46.

3.    In the event that the Council had been unable to award the contract to Supplier B, approval was granted to award the contract to Supplier E, named in paragraph 6.2.1 of the exempt portion of the report (Part B), who had submitted the next highest scoring bid.

Reasons for Decision

The Civic Centre Programme was constructing the Council’s new offices, and Audio?Visual systems were required to enable and support new ways of working. Staff surveys had repeatedly highlighted the reliability of AV systems as essential for carrying out day?to?day tasks effectively. Securing a supply and support contract ensured the necessary reliability.

The Council adopted new ways of working under the change programme, including activity?based working, in which employees chose workspaces suited to the tasks they were undertaking. The AV contract reflected these requirements and enabled spaces for flexible working.

The Council had been conducting Full Council and other statutory meetings on an ad hoc basis using legacy equipment that required renewal. As the chamber would be used beyond statutory purposes—as a flexible space for staff, the community, and event hire—it required specialist equipment and backend systems.

The original business case for the Civic Centre had identified a revenue stream of £50k per year, and events within the building were central to generating this income. The event space, welcome space, courtyard and chamber were all to be equipped for external hire, internal use and community events.

Some AV equipment would be nearing recommended refresh thresholds at the point of Civic Centre occupancy in 2027. While some items could be reused, a supply and support contract was required to ensure that any equipment failures did not leave spaces out of action for extended periods.

Mindful of the Council’s financial pressures and the need to secure best value, the project sought to reuse existing equipment wherever feasible. A review of current provision showed that some reuse was possible where technically and financially appropriate. This approach aligned with the Cabinet Member Signing decision of 3 August 2022 regarding AV contracts at Alexandra House and 48 Station Road.

Where legacy equipment could not be reused in the Civic Centre, it would be redistributed to other Council sites where appropriate, helping to improve provision in smaller sites and supporting sustainability through equipment reuse. Capital budgets from individual schemes would support the moves and installations.

Internal AV support teams would continue providing day?to?day assistance. The additional support contract would address more complex technical issues and continuous system improvements.

The supplier recommended for contract award had submitted a strong tender demonstrating significant expertise and a clear commitment to delivering the appropriate solution. Their costs aligned with discovery phase estimates.

The recommended supplier also demonstrated a strong understanding of the Council’s requirements and relevant experience in similar projects, showing clear processes to ensure successful delivery.

The proposed contract enabled the Council to meet all Civic Centre objectives and achieve value for money in delivering new Audio?Visual equipment.

A letter of intent was required to allow the preferred contractor to begin mobilisation early, aligning their work with the building programme and expediting delivery ahead of the formal contract being finalised.

Additional reasons for the recommended provision were set out in the exempt section of the report.

Alternative Options Considered

Option 1: Do nothing

This option, which would have involved not awarding a contract for new Audio?Visual equipment, would have left staff and visitors without the digital tools required for collaboration and flexible meetings. The Council chamber, event spaces and community areas would not have been digitally enabled. The Council would also have been unable to provide suitable office workspace for staff, creating significant operational challenges for new ways of working.

Option 2: Lift and shift all existing Audio?Visual equipment

Although some reuse was possible, this option had significant drawbacks:

• Much of the equipment would have been nearing its refresh point shortly after occupancy, making reliability an issue and necessitating procurement soon after.
• Existing equipment did not fully meet new requirements, making wholesale transfer technically unviable.
• The fit?out period of approximately three months would have rendered Alexandra House and 48 Station Road less than fully operational during that time.
• The chamber, event and committee spaces lacked viable existing equipment and would still have required procurement.
• The option was resource?intensive, requiring multiple teams for logistics.
• There was a high risk of failing to meet occupation timelines due to compatibility issues, logistical delays and potential equipment failures.