Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2010/085

Contact: Sarah Cullimore, 16-19 Education Service Manager, Tel: (01865) 328089; Sandra Higgs, Strategic Leader, 14-19 Oxfordshire, Tel: (01865) 328546

Report by Children, Young People & Families (CA13).

The report seeks approval for exemption from tendering requirements for contracts for the 2010/11 academic year, for seven 16-19 education contracts passed to the Council from the former Learning and Skills Council (LSC) as part of the Council’s new statutory responsibilities for 14-19 education from April 1st 2010, as specified within the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act, 2009.

Summary of the contracts:

-Three contracts are with colleges (total annual value £36.15m);

-One contract is with a higher education Institution (annual value £498,000); and

-Three contracts are with independent training providers (total annual value £593,000).

The Young Peoples Learning Agency (YPLA) has been set up to support and enable local authorities to carry out their new responsibilities and the YPLA is responsible for providing the Council with the funding for these contracts.

The LSC determined the allocations under its own procurement rules prior to the transfer of responsibilities and the YPLA has named the providers which the Council must contract with for the academic year 2010/11. The Council will be bound by grant conditions issued by the YPLA that will specify these individual allocations.

The exemption is requested under rule 5.4.2: No genuine competitive market can be obtained.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve exemption from the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules (under rule 5.4.2) for the 2010/11 academic year.

Cabinet considered a report that sought approval for exemption from tendering requirements for contracts for the 2010/11 academic year, for seven 16-19 education contracts passed to the Council from the former Learning and Skills Council (LSC) as part of the Council’s new statutory responsibilities for 14-19 education from April 1st 2010, as specified within the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act, 2009.

RESOLVED:                        to approve exemption from the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules (under rule 5.4.2) for the 2010/11 academic year.