Watford Community Housing Trust (the Trust) is seeking expressions of interest from suitably interested and qualified Water Testing and Treatment Contractors who can undertake the testing for temperature, contamination and cleaning to control the spread of Legionella and other bacteria and responsive repairs to existing domestic and communal residential water systems including single and communal tanks, associated system pipe work and equipment to tender for the provision of these services and the like in all properties owned or managed by WCHT, described in brief below.
WCHT’s properties include (but are not limited to) social dwellings, sheltered schemes, supported and special needs housing, community centres and other properties. The current level of the Trust's housing stock stands at approximately 4 823 properties of the above mentioned properties 674 are known to be attached to 16 communal boiler houses, with substantial storage tanks etc. There are further properties in blocks of flats with “communal” CW tanks as well as storage in single dwellings, all covered by the current ACoP.
The majority of the Trust’s properties are located in the Watford Borough Council area, with some stock in neighbouring Three Rivers District Council, both in South West Hertfordshire. All of the stock is within 6 miles of the centre of Watford.
The contract will be for a period of 3 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years, subject to satisfactory performance, on a one year by one year extension basis, to a maximum of 5 years overall.
The contract shall comprise the following, which the successful contractor will be required to provide:
(i) Annual cleaning and chlorination to domestic properties, sheltered schemes, community centres and our main office including water sampling and analysis reporting from an independent laboratory;
(ii) Shower Clean and De-scaling, Hot Water Temperature Monitoring, Rotational Tap Temperature Monitoring, Down Service Chlorination, Cold Water Storage Tank Temperature Monitoring, Cold Water Tap Temperature Monitoring and risk assessments;
(iii) Providing and operating a daytime, working week dedicated telephone number for direct contact by the Trust’s residents concerning servicing appointments;
The contract shall also require contractors to provide a Schedule of Rates for Consequential Works. Consequential Works shall cover planned preventative maintenance on current Trust owned installations, such as new ball valve or valves, tanks and tank lids, replacement of damaged pipework, installation of boarding, and lighting to loft spaces and remedial works to provide safe access (communal ladders etc.), following a formal risk assessment.
The award of Consequential Works shall not be exclusive to the successful contractor, but is subject both to price and delivery timescales at the time of request. However, the successful contractor may be requested by the Trust (on a job-by-job basis) to undertake such further work, by reference to its Schedule of Rates submitted (although not evaluated) as part of this procurement process.
The Trust shall reserve the absolute right to go out to quotation and award this further work to alternative providers on a job-by-job basis (based on the same specifications and requirements as will be set out in this tender), depending on, amongst other things, ability to meet timescales and best price.
The successful contractor will be required to provide a customer focused service in line with the Trust’s role and objectives as a Community Gateway. The successful contractor must also demonstrate commitment to providing an effective service that provides value for money to the Trust and its tenants. The evaluation criterion will be that of Most Economically Advantageous Tenderer as determined by the award criteria and sub-criteria set out in the Invitation to Tender.
The Trust reserves the absolute right to withdraw from this procurement procedure at any time and for whatever reason without awarding a contract. Applicants shall be responsible for the costs and expenses they incur as a result of participating in this procurement process. The Trust and or its advisors shall not be liable for and will not pay any costs in respect of the preparation of any prequalification or subsequent tender submission of any applicant or bidder whether they are successful or not. This shall equally apply in the event that the procurement process is postponed, cancelled or abandoned by the Trust at any stage and for whatever reason. Applicants shall be deemed to have unequivocally accepted this as a condition to precedent to participate in this procurement process.