Probation services

Tender description

Following publication of Contract Notice ref 2013/S 183-315991, successful bidders acquired the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and contracts were awarded on 5.12.2014 for the delivery of probation services, with contracts entered into on 18.12.2014. The contracts were for a 7-year initial term with an option to extend for a further 3 years. The contracts are due to expire on 4.12.2020, following service of termination notices in December 2018. The GBP (£) figures quoted within the original contract award notice were the maximum anticipated, total, real value of the contracts if the contracts had been extended to the fullest amount allowed under the contract and payment by results had been paid at the maximum level in all periods, including all extensions. This notice relates to modifications to the Lot 12: The Warwickshire and West Mercia Community Rehabilitation Company Ltd (“CRC”) contract (the Contract). The Authority considers the modifications of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice is permitted by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR) and Directive 2014/24/EU. The contract was modified in accordance with Regulation 72(1)(b)/article 72(1)(b) on 5.3.2019 and accordingly does not in the Authority's view amount to the award of a new contract and/or an unlawful substantial change. The modification does not alter the overall nature of the contract, and the increase in price does not exceed 50 % of the value of the original contract, namely 173 000 000,00 GBP as stated in the Contract Award Notice ref: 2015/S 027-045770. It is necessary for the additional services to be taken on by the Contractor because a change of contractor to an economic operator who is not an existing CRC cannot be made for economic and technical reasons and would cause significant inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs for the Contracting Authority. In combination with the relative shortness of the extension period and requirement for the additional services, there is a very high level of human, operational and technical infrastructure required to operate a CRC, requirements of interoperability with the Contracting Authority and CRCs existing equipment. The Contracting Authority’s exercise of its right to extend the Contract beyond 4.12.2020 to expire on or before 30.6.2021 will help to ensure safe and stable transition and mobilisation of probation services. A modification notice has been published simultaneously on OJEU.