Decision details

East Sussex County Council has been taking action to provide sufficient places for the increase in pupils with Special Education Needs (SEN) and particularly the demand for special school places and high cost independent placements. The authority has a strategy of inclusion and is working with partners to encourage more children to be supported in mainstream schools.

The Council has identified, as part of the High Needs Block Funding Review, the need for more specialist facilities at primary and secondary mainstream schools. These facilities will cater for a broad range of lower level SEND needs where pupil’s requirements could be met in a specialist facility that includes appropriate access to mainstream provision.

It was decided that this contract should be awarded to Baxall Contractors Ltd as a result of a mini competition via the Use of the Orbis Construction Framework (Option 1) as they were the Most Economically Advantageous Tender received.

Option 2 – Open Tender: This would be a single stage procedure open to all interested organisations who wish to bid for the project. This is not the strategy we would use for this type of project.

Option 3 – Use of another construction framework: Access either by direct award or mini competition a framework established by public sector organisation or consortia. Whilst other frameworks are available this is not the Councils chosen route to market for construction contracts.

Option 4 – Do nothing: if we did not undertake a procurement project would not progress and the outcome would not be met.