Suppliers

Overview

Sanctuary Housing Association (the Group) have a requirement for responsive maintenance/repairs, disrepair, voids, damp and mould services.   We will be seeking a range of suppliers to cover tenanted properties, care homes, student accommodation and supported living facilities across England and Scotland.

It is envisaged that the combined service value will be in excess of £50m per annum.  This will be divided into smaller geographical lots. 

The initial contract period is anticipated to be three years with a maximum of two extension periods of 12 months each.

Bids will be sought from generalist suppliers who will be able to provide the full range of disciplines set out below.  Sub-contracting will be permitted under the contract.

Pricing will be predicated on National Housing Federation Schedule of Rates (SOR) 8

Sanctuary Housing Association

Sanctuary Housing Association are a not-for-profit housing association, providing homes and care for more than 250,000 people in England and Scotland. Every penny made is reinvested in improving homes and services, building new affordable homes and investing in communities. Sanctuary is driven by their charitable and social purpose and values.

Sanctuary work as one team, made up of over 13,500 people across England and Scotland. Sanctuary manages more than 105,000 homes, 115 residential care homes, 650 supported housing schemes and more than 10,000 student rooms.

Further information on Sanctuary can be found on the Group Website.

The Process

Sanctuary intends to conduct a further competition exercise to enable contract commencement on 1st April 2025. 

Sanctuary will be conducting formal bids under the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), specifically via the RM6241 Housing Maintenance & Repair DPS. It is expected that formal bids under the DPS will be requested on 28th October with contract award being early to mid January 2025. 

It is vital that you join the Housing Maintenance DPS if you wish to be considered for this opportunity.  Applications have to have been submitted to the DPS no later than 10th October. Please see details on how to onboard below:

• follow the link to the DPS marketplace and scroll down to the Housing maintenance and repairs DPS
• select ‘access as supplier’ and follow the steps to create an account, and then you will be taken to the selection questionnaire 
• Suppliers should then follow the instructions to register on the system and complete all required documents. Completion is expected to take little more than a working day for many suppliers, including the new FVRA (Financial assessment) sheet.
• DPS Filters
  • Please complete the DPS questionnaire with all services as an organisation you can deliver, inclusive of all locations you can deliver these services in. If you can deliver these services in 'all locations', alongside ticking the 'all locations' box, please ensure you go through and tick all the locations separately too to ensure you are captured in every shortlist.
  • The attached document “Filters Instructions” highlights all the filters you will need to choose to be considered for this opportunity.  If you do not choose the correct filters you may not be able to bid for this opportunity.
• CCS will then assess each submission and will either approve, reach out for further information or reject an application. Reasoning for any rejection will be given.
• Assessment can take up to 10 working days and you are advised to submit any application as early as possible.  Applications must be submitted by 10th October to be eligible for bidding for this opportunity.
• Please note that Cyber Essentials is required for registration on the DPS.  It is important you begin this accreditation as soon as possible therefore if you are planning to bid for this opportunity.

For the avoidance of doubt, this is being procured via the RM6241 Housing Maintenance & Repair DPS.

There is also an additional requirement to register on Sanctuary’s e-tendering portal, in order to participate in the tender opportunity when it is released.

Please note that there will also be a requirement for any successful to supplier to hold a current SSIP accreditation.

If you have any questions about the DPS please contact  rm6241housing@crowncommercial.gov.uk.  Please do not contact Group Procurement concerning DPS queries as this could cause a delay in response.

Description of Work

Works Orders issued under the Contract will be in 4 main categories, these being:-

• Responsive Repairs
• Voids
• Damp & Mould
• Disrepair

Responsive Repairs

These are split into two areas:

Day to Day Responsive Repairs including Emergency Work arising during the normal working hours of the day:

“Day to Day Responsive Repairs” shall mean any responsive day to day repairs and maintenance work (including Emergency Work executed during normal working hours) ordered in accordance with the provisions of the Contract and arising during normal working hours from a customer notifying Sanctuary of an issue. Normal working hours are defined as Monday to Friday, 8.00 to 18.00 hours. It is proposed that there will be a KPI to measure either the suppliers average time to complete or the percentage of works completed within target timescale.

“Emergency Work” shall mean Work that is required by its very nature to be undertaken immediately to safeguard the well-being of tenants and/ or occupiers, the structural stability and integrity of the Property, the health and safety of the general public and works of a similar nature, and which arise during the Client’s normal working hours. There will be response times in the contract for emergency attendance. Overall, emergencies currently account for approximately 20% of all responsive calls received from customers.

Out of Hours Emergency Service including Out of Hours Emergency Work

“Out of Hours Emergency Service” shall mean the receipt by the appointed Service Provider of notifications from Sanctuary’s Customer Contact Hub emergency call handling service of repair requests received outside of normal working hours and the undertaking of Out of Hours Emergency Work. “Out of Hours Emergency Work” shall mean Emergency Work as defined above, that is required to be undertaken outside of Sanctuary’s normal working hours as indicated in Contract Details. There will be response times in the contract for emergency attendance.

It is expected for out of hours notifications beyond 6pm of an evening that the remit for the supplier will be limited to either isolating services or making safe as appropriate, and for the full repair works to carried out during normal working hours (unless they are of a minor nature and can be resolved at the first visit).

Voids property Works

“Void Property Works” shall mean any repairs, renewals, reinstatement, replacement, internal redecoration, upgrading, cleaning and clearing out ordered in accordance with the provisions of the Contract arising as a result of a change of tenancy.

Sanctuary will carry out a “Void Property Inspections”. This means inspection of the Void Property to establish what works are required. Once scoped and priced the work would then be passed to the Supplier to complete with a target completion date. In addition they would take digital photographs at time of inspection, read meters and forward anything else required to confirm the works required.

Damp & Mould Works

“Damp & Mould Works” covers a range of scenarios, whose end result is that the property doesn’t perform how it should and results in the presence of damp and or mould. These works may be identified via a “Responsive Repair”, “Void Property Works” or a “Disrepair Case”. Sanctuary have separated these types of works as they are required to report them to the Regulator of Social Housing. The works may range from the early identification of an issue and the works are therefore preventative (clearing blocked gutters to avoid water overflow), through to the resolution of damp and mould which is evident in a property and needs to be treated (either directly, or indirectly as a consequence).

Disrepair Cases (England Only)

“Disrepair Cases” are those properties where Sanctuary has failed on their repair obligations required in the tenancy agreement with the customer.

They can take 2 types:

Disrepair

"Disrepair" is where either the customer reports the issue to Sanctuary or Sanctuary identify the case during a visit or inspection of the property. Usually, Sanctuary will send somebody to inspect the property and identify what works are required. Once scoped, the supplier would be issued with that scope to carry out and report back when completed.

Legal Disrepair

“Legal Disrepair” is very similar to the above but the customer has progressed the matter using a legal process, and the disrepair claim is a formal matter. Both parties need to agree the scope, and once agreed there are usually strict timescales to adhere to in completing the work. These would be set out to the supplier, and the supplier would need to regularly update Sanctuary with progress, especially if any issues or delays arise during the works.

Lots and Regions

The contract will be divided into 19 regions/lots as follows, with a minimum two contractors being awarded each lot.  Work will be allocated on a taxi rank basis.  The amount of anticipated work is indicated as a guide only based on current volumes.  There will be no minimum guarantee of work under this contract.

The regions referred to above are as follows: 

Bidding

Bidders will be requested to submit prices as a percentage adjustment against National Housing Federation Schedule of Rates Version 8.

For each lot bid we will be seeking % adjustment for both

• All repairs under this framework, covering Responsive, Voids, Damp& Mould, or Disrepair where the total value of work in a given order does not exceed £25,000; and
• All repairs under this framework, covering Responsive, Voids, Damp& Mould, or Disrepair where the total value of work in a given order exceeds £25,000

We will also be seeking prices for each lot bid in respect of the following:

Non Emergency

• Building Craftsperson
• Electrician
• Plumber/ Heating engineer

Emergency

• Building Craftsperson
• Electrician
• Plumber/ Heating engineer

Out of Hours Call our Charge

• Lump Sum per Call Out "to attend and make safe"

Order Cancellation Charge

• Where works are cancelled after the Service Provider’s Staff have attended at the Property, but no works have been carried out

Inspection Charges

• Void Property inspection Rate
• Client Technical inspection rate

Whilst bids will not be sought until 28th October, this information is shared to allow all potential bidders additional time to consider their pricing in advance of this.  Further pricing information may be required.

Further Information

If you have any further questions about the opportunity, please email Group Procurement.

Download the Filter Instructions PDF (169KB)

Download the Supplier Onboarding Guide PDF (297KB)