Preliminary Market Engagement - Repairs & Maintenance Support Staff and Ancillary Services - Portsmouth International Port

Descriptions

INTRODUCTION Portsmouth International Port (the 'Port'), a directorate of Portsmouth City Council (the 'Council'), is undertaking preliminary market engagement (PME) concerning the provision of repair & maintenance support staff and ancillary services that include for gas servicing and water control services. The Port requires a core number of support staff to be supplied, to meet its reactive environment and to ensure the positive customer experience is maintained. This provision currently has a value of approximately £250,000 - £400,000 per annum (including materials). It is envisaged that the contract shall commence on the 1st April 2026 for an initial term of a 3-year contract, extendable by a further 7-years in increments to be agreed at the time by both parties. The Port is undertaking a PME exercise to gather insights from the market ahead of a future procurement process to award a contract for delivery of the above services. The procurement process will commence in August 2025 with award targeted for December 2025 to allow for mobilisation and commencement of services on 1st April 2026. CURRENT ARRANGEMENTS & SCOPE REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE SUPPORT STAFF The Port currently has two contracts in place that are part of a larger Council contract held by the Housing and Neighbourhood department, which are due to expire on 31st March 2026. Provision of repairs & maintenance support staff is via a contract held with Mountjoy Ltd and provision of gas servicing & water services is via a contract held with Liberty Group. Under the existing contracting arrangements, the supplier's support staff cover the entire Port estate, which includes: - Portsmouth Cruise and Ferry Port, - Camber Quay, The supplier's support staff are supplementary to the Port's own, directly employed Technical Services Group who carry out repairs and maintenance across the Port's estate. This team and the support staff are managed by the Port's Maintenance and Facilities Manager. To cater for the dynamic work requirements, it is envisaged that the supplier's support staff will be required to carry out a range of different jobs, which includes a range of trades (this is not an exhaustive list): • Carpentry • Plumbing • Decorations / Painting • Groundwork • Horticultural At times works outside of the core team will be required such as: • Glazing • Roofing The current repair & maintenance support staff supplier, Mountjoy, supplies the Port several permanent support staff, these are: - 1x Full time, supervisor (also a plumber) - 1x Full time, groundworker - 1x Full time, painter - 1x Part time, handyman These support staff are recruited and employed by the supplier who are expected to be qualified and have extensive experience within the trade specified. The supplier's support staff are on site at the Port Monday - Friday, between the hours 8:00 - 17:00. Any planned absence by the permanent support staff is covered by the supplier, who ensures the support staff cover are trained to work on site. Equipment to carry out the jobs is supplied, maintained, and stored by the supplier. The supplier carry's out their own training, risk assessments and safe systems of work, method statements for the equipment. The supplier provides an out of hours call out facility, which is provided 24 hours, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year. This operates outside the days and hours the support staff are at the Port. When a call out is made, the supplier shall be at the Port to rectify the issue within 2 hours. On a monthly basis the supplier sends an Excel spreadsheet for the support staff labour hours, including the applicable rates and a separate spreadsheet for the materials purchased by them. The jobs and frequency vary, the Port does not commit to providing the supplier any guarantee of number of jobs or that the trades will be required. The Port's annual spend on repair and maintenance services covered under the current contract is approximately between £250,000 and £350,000 per annum (including some materials that are purchased by the supplier up to a given value). An all-inclusive set hourly rate for each of the trades is provided. Rates for each of the trades are provided for a standard working day, weekend and call out. Any overtime, work required outside of the of the normal working days and hours, the supplier requires the Maintenance and Facilities Manager prior approval. If support staff are not required on site or absent from site, then no charge is made to the Port. The material purchases by the supplier are costed at invoice cost plus an agreed mark up. ABCILLARY SERVICES Other services provided via a separate existing contractual arrangement held by the Council which may form part of the future procurement process are for water control and gas services, these are currently provided by the supplier Liberty Group. The supplier is responsible for providing staff who are qualified and have extensive experienced; and are equipped with the required equipment, plant, and materials to carry out the services. The services are carried out between the hours 08:00 - 17:00, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays). It is the supplier's responsibility to ensure that all staff working at the Port meet the required standards and training requirements. All site visits are booked in advance with the Port's Maintenance and Facilities Manager. The annual services are costed at an agreed rate per service type and the reactive repairs is costed per job. The Port's current spend on water control services is between £8,000 - £12,000 per annum with spend on gas servicing & repair between £2,000 - £3,500 per annum. CONTRACT SCALING The Port is a dynamic environment and may require the supplier to be able to scale up their workforce by up to two thirds of the current core team over the life of the contract, either on a flexible temporary or long-term basis which will impact the value of the contract. FURTHER INFORMATION In addition to the information contained within this Notice the Port has also made available a detailed Preliminary Market Engagement Brief and additional information in respect of the site, scope, demand and draft specifications via the Council's e-sourcing system, In-tend CONTRACT DURATION & TERMS The Port envisages entering a 3-year contract, extendable by a further 7-years in increments to be agreed at the time by both parties. The full scope of the services will formally commence on the 1st April 2026. The Port is currently reviewing options for contract terms and conditions which may include for bespoke arrangements or use of industry standard forms such as JCT Measured Term Contract 2024 and will be seeking input from the market via this preliminary market engagement process. ENVISAGED PROCUREMENT PROCESS & PROGRAMME The Port is considering running a competitive tending procedure in accordance with the 'Open Procedure' as defined within the Procurement Act 2023. The Port envisages undertaking the future procurement process in line with the following draft summary procurement programme, however it should be noted that the dates below are purely indicative and may be subject to future change. • Issue Tender Notice - 11th August 2025 • Issue procurement documents via In-tend - 11th August 2025 • Clarification deadline - 11th September 2025 12:00 • Tender submission deadline - 25th September 2025 12:00 • Tender evaluation period completed - 23rd October 2025 • Contract Award Notice issued - 17th November 2025 • Completion of standstill period - 27th November 2025 • Contract Details Notice issued - 19th December 2025 • Contract mobilisation commences - 1st January 2026 • Commencement of services - 1st April 2026 PROCUREMENT ADMINISTRATION The Port will administrate the procurement process using the Council's e-sourcing system, In-tend, which will be used for: • Access to and issue of procurement information and documentation • Pre-tender submission clarification requests and response • Tender submission • Tender opening & access to responses • Post-tender submission clarification requests and response • Award decision notification and feedback The In-tend system can be accessed free of charge via the following web link: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/Home ENVISAGED EVALUATION WEIGHTINGS The Port is considering an evaluation percentage split focused on quality of service, which may include for a 60/40 ratio in favour of quality.