Decisions

At the 12th November 2024 MCA Board, SYMCA secured delegated authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with Mayor Ros Jones - in her position as the Portfolio Lead for Housing & Infrastructure – to provide OBC in principle approval.

Option 1 – Approve the recommendation

At the 12th November 2024 MCA Board, SYMCA secured delegated authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with Mayor Ros Jones - in her position as the Portfolio Lead for Housing & Infrastructure – to approve the project.

Option 1 – Approve the recommendation

In March 2023 the MCA Board approved the revised Assurance Framework. The revised Assurance Framework provides for a one-stop governance process. This change was designed to improve the pace at which schemes can be developed and delivered. Strategic Business Cases are undertaken within authorities with Outline Business Cases undertaken at MCA Board level.

The Framework allows for schemes that are accepted into the programme to access development funding. Development funding is a key component in supporting the development of quality schemes at pace and is distributed on conclusion of the Strategic Business Case. Accordingly, there was an unintended discrepancy where the intention for a one-stop process was undercut by the need to seek separate approvals for development funding release and OBC approvals.

Therefore, in July 2023 the MCA Board granted approval to delegate authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with Portfolio Leaders and the Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to approve the release of development cost funding in line with the Assurance Framework to enable schemes to progress as efficiently as possible.

Option 1 – Approve the recommendation

The Digital Infrastructure Team is a partnership between the local authorities of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. The existing team has been hosted by Barnsley Council but it works on behalf of all partners. It was established in 2014 to improve the availability of digital infrastructure as superfast broadband was rolled out.
The SY Digital Infrastructure Team is currently funded by SYMCA to the end of 2025/26 using Openreach superfast contract clawback.

This request is to recycle additional superfast funds to deliver accurate mapping of the actual coverage and end user experience of mobile connectivity in South Yorkshire.

Option 1 – Approve the recommendation

A one-off Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) of up to £2.5m from treasury management windfall was established by the Combined Authority in August 2023, to support innovative transport projects in South Yorkshire.

TIF funding is intended to support innovative transport-related proposals that demonstrate the potential in the future to offer a more efficient means of supporting individual and community mobility than the current approach. In discussions with Leaders, there is a strong appetite to pilot trials of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) across the region to investigate whether this offers a more cost effective way of serving areas that struggle to maintain a timetabled bus service.

These proposals are to be delivered and evaluated by the end of March 2025 and if successful, could offer an innovative way of reducing pressure on the tendered services budget.

Therefore, in February 2024 the MCA board approved delegated authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with Mayor Coppard – in his position as the Portfolio lead for Transport – for consideration of the Transport Innovation Fund pilot schemes, and delegated authority to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with the Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to enter into legal agreements for the schemes.

Option 1 – Approve the recommendations

On the 13th August 2025, as part of an Open Tender procurement process, invitation to tender (ITT) documents were uploaded on ProContract for the Engineers Consultancy Framework, which will run from 2025 to 2029.

The new framework will comprise of 5 Lots as follows:

• Lot 1 – Highway/ Park and Ride/ Interchange
• Lot 2 – Light Rail
• Lot 3 – Heavy Rail
• Lot 4 – Facilities Management and Sustainability
• Lot 5 – Strategy and Policy

Tenders were received on Wednesday 2nd October in the prescribed manner as instructed on the ITT documentation. A total of 17 companies submitted bids in total, with most going for more than one Lot. 9 companies opted to apply for Lots 1, 3 and 4 and 8 companies opted for Lots 2 & 4.

The estimated contract value of each Lot over the 4-year period is as follows:

• Lot 1 - £2,000,000
• Lot 2 - £5,000,000
• Lot 3 - £500,000
• Lot 4 - £750,000
• Lot 5 - £750,000

The basis for selection of the Engineering Consultants for all 5 Lots involved an evaluation based on 70% quality and 30% price.

Tenderers were required to pass the standards set for technical and professional ability and economic and financial standing. They also needed to achieve a minimum quality mark of 60, to continue the evaluation process to factor in the tender price. Representatives from Projects Delivery, Rail and Tram teams were involved in the evaluation process. Overall, the quality of the submissions was excellent, and the final selections for each Lot were decided by very small margins.

Two tenderers (All Lot 4) failed to meet the minimum quality threshold of 60.

A key difference with the new framework compared to the existing
framework will be the ability to award directly to the highest scoring
provider in each lot for call-offs estimated at below £50,000. The previous threshold was £25,000. It should be noted that this is not a guaranteed route and SYMCA has reserved the right to hold mini competitions between all the providers on a lot.

The published ITT documents stated that SYMCA would like to appoint a maximum of 4 consultants in each of Lot. The outcomes of the evaluation process are set out below:

Lot 1 – Highway/ Park and Ride/ Interchange

Table included on PDF document.

Lot 2 – Light Rail

Table included on PDF document.

Lot 3 – Heavy Rail

Table included on PDF document.

Lot 4 – Facilities Management and Sustainability

Table included on PDF document.

Lot 5 – Strategy and Policy

Table included on PDF document.

SYMCA is not bound to use the framework for appointments. The approval requested by this report has no financial implications on its own. Approval to make appointments using this framework will be sought in line with the requirements of SYMCA Contract Procedures.

To approve the appointment of the following Consultants to the Engineering Framework Contract (2024 – 2028) for Lot’s 1 to 5 as detailed below:

Lot 1 – Highway/ Park and Ride/ Interchange

1. Pell Frischmann Consultants Ltd.
2. Ove Arup and Partners Ltd.
3. Sable Leigh Consultancy Ltd
4. Mott MacDonald Ltd.


Lot 2 – Light Rail

1. Ove Arup and Partners Ltd.
2. Pell Frischmann Consultants Ltd.
3. Mott MacDonald Ltd.
4. WSP UK Limited.

Lot 3 – Heavy Rail

1. Pell Frischmann Consultants Ltd.
2. Sable Leigh Consultancy Ltd
3. Ove Arup and Partners Ltd.
4. Baker Hicks Limited.

Lot 4 – Facilities Management and Sustainability

1. Ove Arup and Partners Ltd.
2. Pell Frischmann Consultants Ltd.
3. Sable Leigh Consultancy Ltd
4. Mott MacDonald Ltd.

Lot 5 – Strategy and Policy

1. Ove Arup and Partners Ltd.
2. Pell Frischmann Consultants ltd.
3. Mott MacDonald Ltd.
4. Steer Davies Gleeve.

SYMCA has been working with Arup, Swarco and Northern PowerGrid to deliver the pantograph charging infrastructure at RTI. Unfortunately, delays to the implementation of a new substation at the interchange has meant that the pantographs are not yet in operation, and they are unlikely to be in operation until the end of this financial year (current forecast).

Rather than reduce service levels and provide a poorer service for customers, including reputational risk for SYMCA, Stagecoach have implemented an inefficient vehicle schedule to allow charging at the depot.

Stagecoach have provided details that without the pantograph chargers a number of buses have to be returned to depot. This requires additional staff time as a direct result of the delays to the SYMCA project. This report seeks approval to fund these additional costs.

The funding approval required for this revenue cost is £45,850.00 covering the additional costs until 31 August and all the cost through to 01 March 2025. Previous approvals of £17,000 (not part of this paper) take the final total approval value to £61,950.00.

Further background information due commercially sensitive information is redacted and included in the Transport Directorate Leadership Team approval papers dated 12 November 2024.

Recommendations approved. Total cost of awards is £45,850.00.

Previous approvals of £17,000 (not part of this paper) take the final total approval value to £61,950.00