Issue - meetings

Report of the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources

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  ...  view the full decision text for item 7

The Head of Technology introduced the report. The rationale for the report was explained.

It was asked by the Cabinet Member what the social value would be for the delivery of the contract, and whether the was a possibility to fund or encourage apprenticeships within the delivery of the contract. It was noted that the Council could utilise some of the social value financial aspect to implement apprenticeships as part of delivery and would explore the option as part of the delivery of the contract.

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  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7