FOI Request - School Transport Contract

Request 101003414311

It has been brought to our attention that a school transport contract is currently operating from Moray to Ordiquhill Primary in Aberdeenshire. Please kindly confirm the following:

1. Is there a school transport contract operating from Moray to Ordiquhill Primary in Aberdeenshire? If so, how long has this contract been in place and operating? Please kindly provide the commencement date and the date that the contract is due to end.

2. Is the contract being paid for by Moray Council? What is the cost of this contract to Moray Council? Please kindly provide the annualised cost of this contract to Moray Council.

3. Was this contract tendered to include all suppliers using the regulated formal procurement procedure (PCS or PCS-T)? If not, please kindly explain why?

4. If the contract was not tendered to ensure that all suppliers had the exact same equal opportunity, please kindly confirm if the contract was issued directly, excluding a formal procurement exercise?

5. Was this contract issued as a temporary contract for a short term period? If so, please confirm the short term duration?

6. If the contract was not formally procured for a longer duration following a short term period and direct award, please confirm why the contract was not reissued and tendered through the appropriate and formal procedure to ensure best value for Moray Council, affording equal opportunity to all suppliers and promoting fair competition?

7. Has this contract been issued as a formal contract with a set duration without a fair and proper procurement process?

8. If the contract was procured and tendered to all suppliers through the formal procedure, please kindly provide the date of the tender, the deadline and award dates, the method of tender and the tender reference?

Response 09-11-2023

1. Yes, since August 2023 and end date to be confirmed.

2. Yes it is paid for by Moray Council. The Council does not disclose contract costs to third parties as this information is commercially sensitive and therefore exempt under section 33(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002- Commercial Interests and Economy.

3. Work is awarded as a variation on an existing contract reflecting those suppliers already on our framework.

4. As question 3.

5. A decision will be taken before the next round of retendering whether to issue the specification as master contract and subcontract OR as two separate contracts.

6. Work is awarded as a variation to an existing contract offering best value to the authority using those operators in our framework.

7. No, the work is awarded as a variation to a contract.

8. As per 7 above.