Issue details

Procurement of an organisation to deliver inward investment services for Kent

To seek approval of the award contract for delivery of inward investment described below to the winning bidder of a tendering exercise.
The tender proposal can be viewed on the council’s procurement portal but includes the following delivery targets:
• Securing investment into the county of Kent that will create jobs
•Monitoring investment activity and tracking investment plans of companies in target sectors in order to build and convert a pipeline of prospective investment projects that in turn helps create and maintain jobs in the County of Kent
•Promoting the county to target markets and high value sectors
•Competing with other locations being considered by the investor and developing compelling reasons why the company should invest in Kent
•Maintaining close contact with Kent’s investors through its aftercare programme
•Attracting potential investors and providing key information to help decision making.
•Developing a wide range of key private sector contacts in its networks locally, nationally and internationally
•Working closely with key partners in the county and internationally in collaboration with UK Trade and Investment

Financial Implications:
£625,000 per annum, for 3 years, with option to extend for further 3 years
Legal Implications:
None
Equality Implications:
Equality requirements were included as part of the tender specifications

The matter is referred to in the Divisional Business Plan or Medium Term Capital Programme

 

Decision type: Key

Reason Key: Expenditure or savings of more than £1m;

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Division affected: (All Division);

Notice of proposed decision first published: 18/11/2013

Decision due: Not before 30th Dec 2013 by Leader and Cabinet Member for Health Reform

Lead director: David Cockburn, Barbara Cooper

Department: Strategic & Corporate Services

Contact: Wayne Gough, Head of Directorate Business & Planning Tel: 01622 221960 Email: wayne.gough@kent.gov.uk.

Consultees

The coming to an end of the previous SLA with Locate in Kent (which ran from April 2010 –March 2013) was discussed at Economic Development Cabinet Committee in November 2012, and the option to extend that SLA for a year, while more permanent arrangements were made was discussed at Economic Development Cabinet Committee on 6th March 2013

A report is scheduled for Economic Development Cabinet Committee on 3rd December 2013 outlining; the current SLA arrangements, and the procurement process followed to identify a supplier to deliver the services from April 1st 2014, this will include the specification of the service that we tendered for.

Following that discussion, the Cabinet Member will take the decision to award the contract once the tendering process is complete, and contract negotiations have been completed with the successful bidder. This will not be before 16th December 2013

Financial implications: Wayne Gough Economic Development Manager Tel: 01622 221960 Wayne.Gough@kent.gov.uk

Legal implications: 13/00079

Equalities implications: Financial criteria exceeded

Decisions

Documents