Room 405 [email protected] 70 Whitehall www.cabinet office.gov.uk , SW1A 2AS

Wil Huskisson By email: [email protected]

FOI Reference: FOI2021/05560 13/04/2021

Dear Wil Huskisson

I refer to your request where you asked:

“Dear Crown Commercial Service,

1. Was Corporate Social Responsibility assessed during the procurement process for framework RM3786?

2. Was an appraisal carried out at the midpoint of RM3786, if so please provide a copy of this.

3. Please provide the procurement scores for all tenders submitted for RM3786. If these need to be anonymised that is fine.

4. Please identify whether any of the persons involved in the scoring process had ever:

(a) worked at; or (b) in the previous 5 years received any gifts or hospitality from any of the Tier 1 firms listed below:

• Burgess Salmon LLP • LLP • DAC Beachcroft LLP • Mills & Reeve LLP • UK and Middle East LLP • LLP • DLA Piper UK LLP • PwC Consortium • (International) LLP • TLT LLP • Gowlings WLG (UK) LLP • Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP

5. Please provide a record of the decision to increase the framework value. Who made this and when?

6. Will framework RM3786 be let again in the next two years?”

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that some of the requested information is held by the Cabinet Office, including the Crown Commercial Service (CCS).

Our response is as follows:

1. Corporate and social responsibility was not assessed at the framework stage.

Nevertheless, the Government expects suppliers to adhere to the UK Corporate Governance Code or follow equivalent good corporate governance principles underpinned by robust processes. We also expect our suppliers to be good corporate citizens by upholding the values of the Supplier Code of Conduct, taking into consideration social value legislation in delivering goods and services and supporting key government corporate social responsibility policy areas such as diversity and inclusion, sustainability, prompt payment, small and medium sized enterprise engagement, the Armed Forces Covenant, apprenticeships and skills development and addressing the gender pay gap.

Further information about the supplier code of conduct can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supplier-code-of- conduct

2. There was no requirement to carry out a midpoint appraisal throughout the lifecycle of this framework agreement, and subsequently one has not been conducted.

3. The final stage 3 price/quality scores for each anonymised bidder (Tier 1 suppliers and unsuccessful suppliers only) for the RM3786 framework agreement is below.

Tier Supplier Name Stage 3 Stage 3 Stage 3 Final Quality Price Score Score Score Tier 1 [REDACTED] 63.63 17.17 80.8 [REDACTED] 59.63 21.01 80.64

[REDACTED] 60 19.04 79.04

[REDACTED] 65.88 8.02 73.9

[REDACTED] 54.38 13.78 68.16

[REDACTED] 45.13 22.33 67.46

[REDACTED] 53.88 13.31 67.19

[REDACTED] 49 16.06 65.06

[REDACTED] 47 17.61 64.61

[REDACTED] 47.38 16.75 64.13

[REDACTED] 49.88 11.65 61.53

[REDACTED] 41.25 16.92 58.17 Unsuccessfu [REDACTED] 40.13 9.71 49.84 l [REDACTED] 22.75 22.32 45.07

[REDACTED] 26.00 17.56 43.56

[REDACTED] 27.38 14.77 43.15

[REDACTED] 23.13 17.6 40.73

[REDACTED] 25.13 12.65 37.78

4. No persons involved in the scoring process had either worked for any of the named tier 1 suppliers when the procurement scoring process commenced or has received any gifts from any supplier in the last five years.

5. The framework total contract value increased between the issuance of the first (issued 03/03/2016) and second Prior Information Notice (issued 18/08/2016). This was actioned following extensive engagement with stakeholders by the project team involved in the original award of the RM3786 framework agreement. The final contract notice specified a “total value of contract of £400,000,000”.

6. Information concerning the replacement commercial arrangement (Legal Advice Services, reference number RM6179) is published on the CCS website at the following link: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6179

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact the FOI Team quoting the reference number above.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request or wish to request an internal review, you should write to:

Rachel Anderson Head of Freedom of Information Cabinet Office 70 Whitehall London SW1A 2AS email: [email protected]

You should note that the Cabinet Office will not normally accept an application for internal review if it is received more than two months after the date that the reply was issued. If you are not content with the outcome of your internal review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by Cabinet Office. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

FOI Team Cabinet Office