Further delays and 400 tender clarifications spark concern over consultants鈥� public sector framework
Consultants bidding for a repeatedly-delayed 拢750m public sector framework have raised fears the procurement process could be open to legal challenge, which could further undermine the beleagured framework.
As 星空传媒 revealed last week, the government鈥檚 private sector procurement partner UK SBS pushed back the deadline for bid submissions for the Project Management and Full Design Team Services framework the evening before the deadline on 29 November, after issuing more than 400 tender clarifications in the weeks leading up to the deadline.
星空传媒 understands some bidders contacted UK SBS with concerns that aspects of the tender and clarifications were unclear.
UK SBS emailed bidders last Wednesday (4 December) with a consolidated list of 397 clarifications, with the new deadline set for this Monday (16 December).
The late extension and the volume of clarifications have prompted concerns that the procurement could be open to legal challenge.
One bidder said he felt his firm had been 鈥渦nfairly disadvantaged鈥� by the tender deadline extension. He said: 鈥渢he government is such a big client people might deem [legally challenging this] unwise鈥�.
Another bidder said he felt UK SBS extended the deadline at the last minute 鈥減rimarily to ward off the possibility o