Is it true that MCC cancelled a contract with Raglan Dairy?
No. The term of an existing framework contract was coming to an end which will have been known to Raglan Dairy. Monmouthshire County Council is legally required to procure our supply through a competitive and transparent tendering process. The previous framework contract was nearing the end of its legal term and needed to be re-tendered.
How was the tender awarded?
The Food Framework is a collaborative approach with 20 other Welsh public bodies, which was recently re-tendered, and the bids were evaluated against 30% price and 70% quality. Work on the new procurement started last year and includes 16 Local Authorities, 2 RSLs, NRW and Mid & West Wales Fire Service. There is also a national lot (i.e. open for all to access). The framework is for three years, with an option to extend for up to a further 1-year period.
Who was the contract awarded to?
Totally Welsh were awarded primary supplier status to provide milk to Monmouthshire. They are a Pembrokeshire company with a distribution depot in Cardiff. It is our current understanding that they use only Welsh Milk that is sourced in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion and they have a bottling plant in Haverfordwest.
What does Primary and Secondary supply status mean?
The framework awards supplier status to two suppliers. Totally Welsh has been designated primary supplier status and Raglan Dairy was awarded secondary status. This means that we have to buy our milk and dairy products from Totally Welsh. However, if they are unable to meet our contractual requirements, we would then be required to use Raglan Dairy.
Why was the tender awarded to a company from another area of Wales?
Given the value of the contract, any company/person who meets the tender criteria is able to tender for the contract. All bids were evaluated against the same criteria and on this occasion Totally Welsh had the highest score and were therefore awarded primary supplier status.
How did you consider the environmental impact in the tender award?
All bidders were asked to provide evidence as to how they would deliver sustainability benefits as part of the award criteria. The specific question referenced, how suppliers would minimise resource use, emissions and waste across their supply chains and how they would reduce their overall carbon footprint in terms of
- Energy use and transport (including food miles).
- Water use and water contamination measures
- Raw material use; and
- Packaging
- Carbon Reduction Policy
- Food Waste Reduction
- Tackling Food Poverty
Was there an offer for Raglan Dairy to continue supplying Monmouthshire County Council?
Raglan Dairy submitted a bid and were awarded secondary supplier status. Totally Welsh sought to agree on an approach with Raglan Dairy. However, an agreement was not reached.
What about the Local Supply Chain?
The Council remains committed to working with local suppliers and is currently investigating its options, including a stand-alone milk and dairy product procurement. We are considering this approach as the Council’s requirements have changed. However, the Council needs to ensure the approach we adopt is legally compliant and that there will be sufficient supplier interest to justify deviating from the all-Wales collaborative approach. If this option is pursued, there will be a lead in time, and there is no guarantee that a local supplier will be successful. Monmouthshire County Council’s desire to buy locally wherever possible is well-known.