Decision taken following resolution of legal challenge by T&T last month
Public sector procurement service UK SBS has announced it will cancel the long-delayed 拢750m consultants framework just weeks after Turner & Townsend agreed to halt its legal challenge against it.
The troubled framework had originally been due to go live in June 2013 but has been dogged by delays and was eventually awarded in June this year.
However, shortly after the winners of the framework were announced Turner & Townsend (T&T) launched a legal challenging alleging that 鈥減rice manipulation鈥� had taken place by some of the bidders.
The cancellation of the Project Management and Full Design Team Services framework comes as a surprise to the industry as only last month sources close to the job confirmed it was set to go live within 鈥渟even-to-ten days鈥�, after the legal dispute was 鈥渟tayed鈥�.
But in a statement today UK SBS said that following consultation with the Crown Commercial Service, part of the Cabinet Office, it had decided that the 鈥渁ppropriate course鈥� of action was to 鈥渘ot proceed鈥� with the framework.
UK SBS said the decision was taken, in part, because the Crown Commercial Service had decided to establish a 鈥満诙瓷缜鴖鈥� category that would 鈥渙ffer a centralised commercial and procurement service for public sector construction projects鈥�.
It said feedback from suppliers on the 鈥渄esign of the agreement鈥� was also a factor.
It acknowledged that the framework had been 鈥渟ubject to significant delay due to a legal challenge鈥�.
UK SBS said: 鈥淲e recognise the significant time and effort put in by all suppliers participating in the competition for PMFDTS. UK SBS also acknowledge and regret that it has not been possible to provide an update until now.
鈥淲e believe that this decision provides the best way forward for ensuring that we are able to obtain the very best value for customers and taxpayers.鈥�
It added that a re-procurement for consultants would happen 鈥渋n due course鈥� and that public sector clients could use the Crown Commercial Service鈥檚 spot buying service in the interim.
More to follow鈥�
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