Issue - meetings

Background:

This report sought permission to commence the procurement of the Recycling Resource Management (RRM) Contract.

The RRM contract had initially been procured through an open tender process, divided into two lots to encourage market competition. The Cabinet had agreed to award both lots to Veolia Environmental Services, with the contract commencing on 1 October 2022 for a duration of two years. The contract had subsequently been extended for two years, up to 30 September 2026.

It was estimated that the RRM contract would process 156K tonnes of recycling over the duration of the current contract. This contract had no further extension options built in and it had become necessary to identify a solution to ensure the continued provision of statutory services provided through this contract.

The report recommended a procurement strategy to ensure a solution would be in place by 1 October 2026 for a period of up to three years with the option to extend for a further three years.

Reasons:

The decision to re-tender this contract is driven by the need to ensure the continued delivery of statutory services, as outlined in paragraph 6.2 of the report.

The preferred procurement route, detailed in paragraph 7.8.9 (Option 8 – Competitive Procurement), has been selected to ensure compliance with legal obligations, encourage market engagement, and provide access to the full supplier market. A competitive tendering process is expected to incentivise suppliers to submit proposals that offer both value and innovation.

The chosen procurement procedure, as set out in paragraph 7.8.9.1 (Open Single-Stage Procedure), is considered the most appropriate for this contract. The clearly defined service requirements make this approach straightforward to manage, while also enabling Medway to retain full control over the procurement process. This method supports transparency, fairness, and adherence to all relevant legal and regulatory standards.