The purpose of this preliminary market consultation (PMC) is to obtain any questions and comments that potential suppliers may have about our current specification and key performance indicators (KPIs) for this intended procurement.

The PMC will provide an opportunity for Wolverhampton City Council (WCC) to obtain an insight into whether potential suppliers find our current specification and key performance indicators (KPIs) to be: 1. clear, understandable and unambiguous - subject to any questions or comments you may send us; 2. fair, reasonable and vendor neutral - subject to any questions or comments you may send us; and 3. acceptable in respect of containing a reasonable level of remedy for minor (not material) failures to meet our proposed KPIs, in the form of proportionate and appropriate deductions, to be determined by us in our sole discretion, acting reasonably, up to a maximum limit of 10% of the monies due to providers (although some deductions might occasionally be waived for goodwill).

Potential suppliers will not be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this PMC.

Potential suppliers must also note that a response to this notice does not guarantee an invitation to participate in any future procurement that WCC may conduct.

Any procurement exercise will be carried out strictly in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

Please note that this notice is for conducting a PMC exercise and is not a call for competition.

It does not formally begin the procurement process or constitute any commitment by WCC to undertake any procurement exercise or form any contractual relationship.

This PMC is a soft market testing exercise in advance of an intended procurement: it is not a procurement itself.

We intend to issue a formal invitation to tender at the end of May 2021.

Neither the intention nor the purpose of this soft market testing exercise is to confer any advantage upon its participants in the expected future invitation to tender process.