Right to Challenge process
4. Procurement process
If we accept (even with modification) an expression of interest
for a service, then we will carry out a procurement exercise to
select the most appropriate service provider. The minimum period
between the date of our decision to accept an expression of
interest and the date on which the procurement exercise will begin
is 4 weeks. The maximum period is 26 weeks.The time between the
expression of interest acceptance and the procurement process
starting provides additional time for the groups who submitted
expressions of interest to prepare to compete in the procurement
exercise. This is one of the main benefits of Right to
Challenge.
To allow this extra time we are obliged to delay the start of
the procurement exercise for a reasonable time to allow the
successful organisation time to prepare for procurement. We will
publish the exact timescale in our Expression of Interest Register once an
expression of interest has been accepted.
The procurement process will comply with the Public Sector and
EU procurement rules. This process is open to competition and
involves other potential providers (including private sector), not
just those submitting the original expression of interest. The
Social Enterprise Coalition offers a useful
procurement and commissioning guide. Procurement processes can
take some time to complete, and potential providers will need the
resources and financial flexibility to continue engaging throughout
the process.
The Social
Investment Business provides advice on grant funding which is
available. We are also looking at how we can make our procurement
processes more accessible to the voluntary and community sector as
well as small and medium size businesses.
The Public
Services (Social Value) Act requires us to consider best
value (including social, economic and environmental) in our
procurement processes; the Voluntary and community sector may be
particularly good at demonstrating this.
It is worth remembering that the Right to Challenge does not
allow for a service to be run for a trial period. If an expression
of interest is accepted a procurement process will take
place.