Decision details

In February 2023, following the completion of competitive tender exercise (using the Crown Commercial Framework), Grant Thornton UK LLP Limited were appointed to co-develop the outline business case for a Bus Franchising Scheme at an original contract price of £753,551.

In November 2023 a variation to the contract of £760,000 was approved for provision of additional work which was to agree a capped level of cost for the time and materials aspect of the contract, facilitating ongoing Senior Management review discussions.

Approval is now sought to extend Grant Thornton’s contract from £1.5m by a further £380,000 in order to facilitate the Independent Audit and responses to the reviewers’ questions about the assessment.

This could not originally be contracted in the absence of an MCA decision on whether to progress an Independent Audit. That decision has now been taken on 12 March 2024

The £3m budget for this work was approved at the 4 March 2022 MCA meeting

Option 2

1. Not to agree the variation to the contract and risk ineffective response to reviewers’ questions.

2. Approve the variation to contract with Grant Thornton UK LLP.