Award criteria are used to determine which bidder is best placed to deliver a contract. You can decide what award criteria to use but questions you ask at this stage cannot repeat questions you asked at the selection stage. This is because at this stage, suppliers are being assessed on the merits of their tenders rather than their suitability to tender.
The award criteria should allow you to compare tenders fairly. They should be published in advance (in the procurement documents) and not discriminate against or favour potential contractors. Below are some examples of questions specific to user enhancement that you may wish to include as award criteria:
‘Please describe how you involve the users of your service to contribute to its design and delivery to find opportunities to enhance health and wellbeing.’
‘Please describe how you will successfully introduce healthy alternative products in the delivery of this service.’
‘What arrangements will you make to ensure that all risks to health and wellbeing are identified and managed?’
‘How will you design your offer to improve the health and wellbeing of the users of your product/service?’
‘Bidders are required to provide a risk assessment for the services, including what resources will be allocated to manage the risks identified.’
‘Please identify any health risks, such as high levels of noise or exposure to harmful substances and describe how these will be managed’
‘Please describe what health improvements you intend to make during the performance of this contract through changes to equipment, products or working methods.’
In the example of a framework agreement for the supply of re-used furniture to individuals in crisis, the health and safety of the end user of the procured goods were paramount considerations to the contract. The following statement was therefore included in the specification:
‘Contractor(s) will be required to ensure sufficient quality and safety of products supplied and services delivered […] The contractor must ensure that items are prepared for re-use in an appropriate manner, involving checking, cleaning or repairing items so that they can be re-used for their original purpose without further processing. This shall include the collection and transportation of items, sorting of items into those that are suitable for re-use or recycling, preparing them for re-use and training of staff.’
