The Contract will encompass the undertaking of Day to Day Responsive and Voids Repairs, Planned Maintenance (covering kitchen/bathroom refurbishment including associated electrical upgrading, electrical rewires, disabled aids and adaptations, window and dwelling entrance door replacement, roofing and internal/external wall insulation) and Cyclical Maintenance (external and communal area redecoration and any associated pre-decoration repairs) to social housing individual dwellings, schemes and offices, owned or managed by Estuary.

Key characteristics of the contract are likely to be, but are not limited to:

– an initial term of 5 years, with an option for Estuary to extend year by year for up to a further 5 years, subject to annual performance reviews;

– payment mechanism incorporating contractor incentives, based on schedule(s) of rates, basket rates and or agreed schedules with provision at Estuary's option, at some future date (most likely after 2 years min.), to convert to fixed annual price per property in respect of responsive and void repairs;

– IT software / system integration and full interfacing including CRM, asset management systems, real time working, data collection and reporting;

– provisions requiring delivery of a customer focused service and showing commitment to providing value for money to Estuary and its residents, leaseholders and all other customers and must be responsive to achieve collaborative working practices, innovation and continuous improvement;

– provisions for regular monthly, quarterly and annual performance meetings reviews; early termination and also meeting, maintaining and improving on Key Performance Indicators and the development of year on year efficiency savings;

– provisions requiring commitment to social value, delivery of community development initiatives and apprenticeship/trainee programs;

– provisions at Estuary's option enabling, at some future date (most likely after 2 to 3 years min.), conversion of the contract to an alternative delivery model such as Joint Venture arrangement;

– provisions at Estuary's option, at some future date, for co-location of Estuary's and the appointed contractor's call centre functions and or transfer of Estuary's call centre function across to the appointed contractor;

– the transfer, at some future date, of Estuary's Technical Services Team (TST) workforce to the appointed contractor. TST is Estuary's own small Direct Labour Organisation that currently undertakes all repair and maintenance work at a 700 unit estate.

Economic operators are advised that the terms of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) may apply to the existing workforce employed by the incumbent contractors in relation to the works to be performed by the successful economic operators under the proposed new contract.

Further information relating to the TUPE details of the incumbents and also Estuary's own workforce will, if and to the extent available, be provided at the tender stage of the procurement process.