Quote Originally Posted by chordie View Post
I have been informed that the following questions have been lodged with Steve Barron, Director of Housing & Property at Highland Council who has indicated that he's the man to answer them:

1) Was the award of this contract a direct result of a tendering process ? If so, was this tender notice reference number: HC/CHaP/CEX/Operator/062009 as published on the Public Contracts Scotland website on 03/07/2009 ? If not, could you please inform me of where I may obtain the original tender notice.

2) If this contract was tendered, how many responses were there to the tender ?

3) If this contract was tendered, what was the exact wording of the stated evaluation criteria in the tender notice ? Was any part of the following statement published as tender evaluation criteria ?

"As an absolute minimum, organisations must: 1) Demonstrate that they have the relevant experience to design, build, operate, manage, maintain and administrate a district heating scheme and 2)that they have the financial resources to invest in the initial scheme and to maintain delivery of a community heating scheme for a period of up to 25 years without subsidy from the procuring Highland Council.
Failure to provide satisfactory evidence of the above two questions will result in automatic disqualification."

4) Can you confirm that the company awarded the contract to be service provider for the Caithness Heat and Power project is Ignis Energy Ltd, registered office 55 Station Road, Beaconsfield, HP9 1QL, company registration number 06623320 ?

5) Assuming that the contract was tendered, and that Ignis Energy Ltd was one of the tendering organisations, could you clarify how Ignis Energy Ltd met the evaluation criteria of the tender evaluation.

6) At the time of the award of this contract to Ignis Energy Ltd, the published accounts of this company showed that it had: £2,000 in cash; £69,000 in accounts receivables; £419,000 in short term liabilities; £577,000 in long term liabilities. Can you provide an explanation as to how this orgnisation was therefore considered to be financially fit to be awarded this contract, given the very high level of debt relative to the very low level of current assets and working capital ?

7) What is the duration of the contract that has been awarded to Ignis Energy Ltd ?

Will let you know the answers if they get passed on to me.
I am the person who was asked to contact the council and was the author of the letter quoted above.

The reply is:
1) "No contract has yet been awarded."
2) "There were 25 expressions of interest in the original advert and 6 bidders were then invited to submit online solutions."
3) "This wording is that which appeared in the both the PCS and the OJEU."
4) "No contract has yet been awarded."
5) "I am unable to answer this question as we are still in negotiation with the preferred bidder."
6) "I am unable to answer this question as we are still in negotiation with the preferred bidder."
7) "No contract has yet been awarded."

So Ignis Energy Ltd have not yet been awarded the contract, although they are expected to be awarded it by 31st March. I shall ask questions 4, 5, 6 & 7 again after 31st March.

I hope this information is of some help to someone in the meantime.