Cheshire East Borough Council - Contract for Household Waste Recycling Centre Services

Description

Cheshire East Borough Council (the "Authority”) wishes to procure a medium-term contract for the operation, management and maintenance and repair of the Authority owned Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Facilities including all vehicles, equipment and assets, and the delivery of associated waste management services to the Authority (the “Contract”). The scope of the services is anticipated to include (without limitation) the management, operation and maintenance of the Authority’s HWRC Facilities; the haulage of residual waste received at the HWRC Facilities to a specified delivery point; and, the haulage, treatment and re-use, recovery and/or disposal of all other waste received at the HWRC Facilities (as more fully described in the procurement documents). The scope of the services also includes works to modify the HWRC Facilities, although such Works are currently expected to be relatively minor. To access this competition and selection questionnaire, please visit www.the-chest.org.uk, project ID DN715688. Further details of the Authority’s requirements are contained in this Contract Notice at section II.2.4. This Contract Notice is published to advertise and invite expressions of interest from organisations wishing to enter into a contract with the Authority for the provision of HWRC Facilities services and works. The Authority is conducting this procurement under the Competitive Dialogue procedure pursuant to Regulation 30 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the “2015 Regulations”). The aim of the Competitive Dialogue process is to identify and define the means best suited to satisfy the Authority’s needs and requirements. In accordance with the 2015 Regulations the Authority is conducting the procurement in successive stages to reduce the number of Solutions and Bidders throughout the process. The first stage of the procurement process for the Contract is this Selection Questionnaire (SQ) stage. Organisations responding to this SQ stage of the procurement process who wish to participate in this procurement exercise may access the SQ descriptive document, SQ response document and DRAFT procurement documents via the Chest e-tendering portal (the “Portal”). Applicants must ensure that all clarifications, queries, communications, and the submission of all documents and application forms that may form part of their SQ Response are submitted via the Portal. Following submissions of the completed SQ responses, the Authority will apply the selection criteria in the SQ. The Council intends to select the highest scoring FOUR (4) economic operators to progress from the SQ stage to the invitation to submit detailed solutions and participate in dialogue stage (subject to selected economic operators meeting the Authority’s Minimum Standards set out in the SQ). Following the submission and evaluation of detailed solutions, the Authority intends to invite all bidders to detailed dialogue sessions. Once the Authority identifies the solution capable of meeting its needs, dialogue will be concluded, and bidders invited to submit a final tender before a preferred bidder is selected that represents the most economically advantageous tender. The Authority reserves the right to add stages or revise this process without reverting to an earlier stage. The deadline for clarifications to be submitted to the portal at this SQ stage is 12 noon (12:00 pm), on 31st May 2024. The Authority is seeking responses to this call for competition in advance of the deadline of 12 noon (12:00 pm), on the 10th June 2024. Applicants who do not submit a response to this call for competition by 12 noon (12:00 pm), on the 10th June 2024 may not be eligible to participate in proceeding stages of this procurement. Lot 1: Context and Contract Services The Authority is a unitary local authority that provides waste collection and disposal services to some 406,500 residents. All waste disposal authorities, including the Authority, must provide facilities for the disposal of household waste. Under Section 51(1)(b) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 it shall be the duty of each waste disposal authority to arrange for Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC Facilities) to be provided at which persons resident in its area may deposit their household waste. There must therefore be provision for household waste to be disposed of in Cheshire East whether in its current form or some other sustainable form. The Authority currently owns seven HWRC Facilities that are located within the Cheshire East Administration Area. The Authority are looking to enter into a Contract for (without limitation): • the management, maintenance, repair, and operation of the Authority’s HWRC Facilities in line with the Specification and the successful Contractor’s Service Delivery Plans which set out, as appropriate, how the successful Contractor proposes to provide the Services; • the receipt and acceptance of residual household waste received at the HWRC Facilities by the Contractor; and the haulage of residual household waste to the Authority’s Transfer station located at Cledford Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire East, CW10 0JW. The treatment, recovery and/or disposal of residual household waste shall be carried out under a separate Authority waste management contract. • the receipt, acceptance, haulage; and, the re-use, recycling, treatment, recovery and/or disposal of all other wastes (with the exception of residual household waste) that are received at the HWRC Facilities; • the sale of all process outputs to end markets and disposal of any treatment residues; • obtaining, maintaining and complying with all consents which may from time to time be required for the performance of the Services; and, • the procurement and management of works to modify the HWRC Facilities. Potential Changes within Procurement Documents Committee Decision on number of HWRC Facilities On 27th February 2024 at Full Council (all Councillors meeting together), the Authority approved the Medium-Term Financial Strategy that included: i. 72 – Emergency reduction of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) to four core sites: Temporary Emergency reduction of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) to four core sites at Alsager, Crewe, Knutsford and Macclesfield from 1 April 2024 in advance of the formal HWRC review being presented to Committee in September 2024. ii. 96 – Review of Household Waste Recycling Centres Permanent rationalisation of HWRC provision within the borough, as identified through the outputs from the now established HWRC Review, the scope of which was confirmed by the Environment and Communities Committee in September 2023. Further to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, the Authority is undertaking a review on the number of HWRC Facilities required to deliver the Services in the Cheshire East Administrative Area. The Authority has identified and is considering the feasibility of 4 scenarios for the future delivery of the Contract. Economic operators are to note that the Authority intends for Detailed Solutions to be sought from Bidders on the basis of all 7 HWRC Facilities, but Bidders will also be asked to price for each scenario as part of its commercial submission. A Committee decision is expected in September 2024 on the scenario that will form the basis of service delivery under the Contract. Following this decision, Bidders will be invited to detailed dialogue with the Authority and submit their Final Tenders on the chosen scenario only. Further information on this process will be made available to Bidders in the draft procurement documents. Other Matters Subject to Consultation There are several requirements within the draft Specification (Document 3) that are subject to consultation, including (but not limited to) the number of HWRC Facilities, the HWRC Facilities Opening Hours, the inclusion and scope of booking systems, and accessibility arrangements for non-car users. A formal committee decision on the HWRC Strategy and scope of HWRC services to be included within this upcoming HWRC Services Contract is expected to be made at the Committee Meeting in September 2024. Prior to Competitive Dialogue and call for Final Tender, the Authority shall provide bidders with clarity regarding the scope of services, specifically the matters that are subject to consultation. It is our intention to discuss during dialogue solutions across the scope of the service requirements to identify efficiencies, service improvement opportunities, waste reduction and increased recycling that could be included in the final Contract Documents The full description of the scope of Services can be found within the procurement documents at www.the-chest.org.uk ,project ID DN715688. Contract Works As a comparatively small part of the contract, the Authority will require the Contractor to specify and undertake works at the HWRC Facilities. Further details about the potential scope of works required and financing arrangements being considered by the Authority are set out in the draft procurement documents. ANSA Environmental Services Limited For the purposes of this procurement, the Authority is the contracting seeking to procure the Services and will be the counterparty to the Contract with the successful contractor. The Authority’s wholly owned company, Ansa Environmental Services Limited, provides environmental services on behalf of the Authority, including in respect of waste management and the HWRC Facilities. Economic operators are to note that it is anticipated that Ansa will undertake certain management functions under the Contract on behalf of the Authority. Further information will be provided in the draft procurement documents. Anticipated Changes The contracting authority reserves the right to introduce anticipated changes to the Services that are foreseeable during the Contract term. These include (without limitation) the closure of a HWRC Facility, the replacement of a HWRC Facility and a change to the delivery point that receives residual household waste. Please refer to the draft Contract for further information.