Information regarding facilities management tenders

Date published: 20/05/2025

I hope you are well. I am writing to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding facilities management, estate management and/or commercial building maintenance tenders undertaken by your organisation.

Specifically, I would like to request the following information:

Tender Process

Anticipated return to market dates for any relevant tender notices or advertisements and the expected platforms to be used.
Any minimum requirements (financial, professional, or otherwise) that bidders will have to meet.

Contract Award Details

The name of the successful contractor(s), along with the total contract value and duration detailing if these are fixed service costs or reactive and project works / combined.
The contract commencement date, duration and potential extensions, if included.
A summary of the services included in the contract.
A record of any significant changes or variations to the scope of works, contract value, or timeframe since contract award.

Documentation

Copies of the tender return documents for the current service provider that are not exempt from FOI requests.

Please provide the information in accessible electronic formats where possible (e.g., PDF or Word documents, spreadsheets for numerical data). Should any part of my request be exempt under the Freedom of Information Act, please provide me with the relevant exemption(s) and clarify your reasoning.

Tender Process

Anticipated return to market dates for any relevant tender notices or advertisements and the expected platforms to be used. – April 2025

Any minimum requirements (financial, professional, or otherwise) that bidders will have to meet.- PPM (all in accordance with HVAC SFG20) to all installed plant and equipment associated with the mechanical and electrical systems as detailed in this specification,

Contract Award Details

The name of the successful contractor(s), along with the total contract value and duration detailing if these are fixed service costs or reactive and project works / combined. – Current contract us Emetec

The contract commencement date, duration and potential extensions, if included. – New commencement date would 31/10/25, duration would be 3 years with a 12-month optional extension

A summary of the services included in the contract. 
Planned preventative maintenance (PPM), to all assets listed in the attached registers.
Reactive maintenance.
Provide regular handyman attendance to each building on an agreed rota.

A record of any significant changes or variations to the scope of works, contract value, or timeframe since contract award. – LED fitted in Lowden and Optima building. Total cost £127k.

Documentation

Copies of the tender return documents for the current service provider that are not exempt from FOI requests.

We are unable to provide the tender return documents as this is deemed to be commercially sensitive and as such exempt under section 33 (1)(b) of the Act.

If we were to release the information requested, which would include the pricing element, it would likely give bidders an unfair advantage if they were to have a copy of the winning bidders tender. This would severely undermine the tender process, which has be undertaken in a fair and even manner.

If the tender process is undermined it would substantially prejudice the commercial interests of SQA as it would be difficult to have the trust of potential tenderers and it could lead to tenders not being able to be completed.

When an authority applies a section 33 exemption, it must undertake a public interest test.

Whilst we appreciate that knowing the winning bid details, for an organisation, it is important that the commercial interests of companies involved in the tender process and the process itself are not substantially prejudiced by the release of bid information into the public domain. If the information was released it would lead to a loss of confidence in the tender process.

It is important that tenders are able to be carried out in a fair and equitable manner and release of the requested information would prevent that.

Having considered the public interest, we have concluded that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the requested information.