Supply of two mobile libraries

Description

Norfolk County Council conducted a competitive procurement to purchase two mobile libraries to replace ageing fleet in 2021. The contract was awarded to Nu-Track Ltd (contract award notice reference 2021/S 000-021840) to build two mobile libraires on chassis which were purchased by Nu-Track Ltd from TBF Thompson DAF Trucks Ltd, a division of TBF Thompson (Garvagh) Ltd. Nu-Track Ltd subsequently entered insolvency and were unable to complete the build of the two mobile libraries that were commissioned. The partially completed libraries were re-acquired by TBF Thompson (Garvagh) limited and Norfolk County Council have entered into a contract for the completion of the mobile libraries by T B F THOMPSON (GARVAGH) LIMITED as they hold legal title to the partly completed vans and therefore Norfolk County Council was not able to compete this requirement. Lot 1: Norfolk County Council conducted a competitive procurement to purchase two mobile libraries to replace ageing fleet in 2021. The contract was awarded to Nu-Track Ltd (contract award notice reference 2021/S 000-021840) to build two mobile libraries on chassis which were purchased by Nu-Track Ltd from TBF Thompson DAF trucks, a division of TBF Thompson (Garvagh) Ltd. Nu-Track Ltd subsequently entered insolvency and were unable to complete the build of the two mobile libraries that were commissioned. The partially completed libraries were re-acquired by TBF Thompson (Garvagh) limited and Norfolk County Council has entered into a contract for the completion of the mobile libraries by T B F THOMPSON (GARVAGH) LIMITED as they hold legal title to the partly completed vans and therefore Norfolk County Council was not able to compete this requirement. Additional information: This is a notice under regulation 32(b)(ii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) as the Council was unable to compete the procurement for the partially completed mobile libraries for technical reasons, those reasons being that the title of the vehicles belongs to TBF Thompson (Garvagh) Ltd and not Norfolk County Council, and the roadworthiness of the vehicles will need to be certified by TBF Thompson (Garvagh) Ltd before the purchase can be completed. Furthermore, due to global market forces, delays in the supply chain of vehicles and inflation, the price of purchasing new chassis would add approximately 20% to the original purchase value, and a further year to completion of the mobile libraries. This would therefore have added considerable delay and cost to the acquisition of new mobile libraries for use by the residents of Norfolk. Therefore, in order to not further delay the process and achieve the best value for money the Authority has awarded the contract for completion of the mobile libraries to the owner of the vehicles.