Total Facilities Management Services for Student Accommodation University of Northumbria at Newcastl

Descriptions

Suitably qualified and experienced companies are invited to express their interest in providing the aforementioned services to Northumbria University for a period of four years with an option to extend for a further period of two years. The Services will be delivered in and around the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in the northeast of England and will comprise of the University residential estate. The University residential estate comprises a number of owned and leased property assets located around the city campus. The estate comprises a diverse mix and age range of properties, offering shared bathrooms, en-suite and studio accommodation as well as self-catering and catered solutions, across 2 127 bedrooms. This represents the current portfolio position and the contractor is required to manage any future changes to the portfolio.The University is seeking to outsource a range of existing residential services to provide a more cost efficient and customer focussed service to drive continuous improvement and innovation as part of a ‘Best in Class’ model. The University wish to appoint a partner that will support an exceptional customer experience for all students and visitors and will work with Campus Services to support the Estate strategy and to develop the condition and standard of assets through the delivery of exceptional high quality and cost efficient services.Northumbria University is setting out a radical vision for the future to significantly reposition itself to sit securely within the upper quartile of the UK higher education sector.Northumbria will be known as a research-rich, business focussed professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence.The University strategic vision ‘Vision 2025’ will bring change, seen as an opportunity but also a necessity. The University is entering a vastly challenging environment with greater competition and regulatory pressures, sector diversification, more rapid change and an uncertain outlook.‘Vision 2025’ is underpinned by a 5 year corporate strategy that is measured against the following key strategic outcomes:— Build Global reputation, market position and revenue streams— Grow high quality research and use it to drive excellence in all of the University’s activities— Maximise student and stakeholder satisfaction— Strengthen operational efficiencies and effectiveness and foster a culture of continuous improvementThe appointed supply partner will deliver total facility management Services that are aligned with supporting the University to achieve successful strategic outcomes, with particular focus on the following two key areas:— Maximise student and stakeholder satisfaction— Strengthen operational efficiencies and effectiveness and foster a culture of continuous improvementTUPE will apply as applicable to all services included and any contracts concluded within the tender as a resultof this procurement.The University is a charity within the meaning of Para 1 of Schedule 6 to the Finance Act 2010. Accordingly, the University is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by sections 478-488 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 (CTA 2010) (formerly enacted in Section 505 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 (ICTA)) or section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that such income or gains are applied to exclusively charitable purposes.The University receives no similar exemption in respect of Value Added Tax. Any irrecoverable VAT allocated to tangible fixed assets is included in their cost. Irrecoverable VAT on inputs is included in the costs of such inputs.Based on the current position there are expected to be employees transferring to the private sector providers on the TFM contract. The University is in the process of collating the relevant employee information as it currently stands for inclusion in the tender documents (appendix B). This information will be refreshed at the appropriate stages in the procurement process to reflect any changes in staff profile during the tender process and prior to transfer.All the transferring staff (assuming there are no third party employees transferring) are currently members of the LGPS, but the University is not requiring the bidders as part of the procurement process or contractually to offer membership of the LGPS and to seek admitted body status in respect of the transferring staff. Bidders will be allowed to propose their own pension schemes as long as it meets any minimum statutory requirements and this will be clearly set out in the relevant tender documents.