Perthshire for news, events, listings, tourism and other issues that
may or may not be going on in Perthshire.
Perthshire Business Publications
Perth & Kinross Council Contracts row escalates
A row over tenders for materials to promote Perthshire in the run up to the G8 Summit at Gleneagles this summer is intensifying. Several people got in touch to express concerns and yesterday The Courier revealed that facts obtained under the freedom of information act proved that Perth and Kinross Council had not awarded a single tender to any local firm for 2 years. Despite the charge of double standards – claiming to promote the Perthshire area on one hand while handing out contracts to non local firms on the other, Perth and Kinross Council hotly denied any impropriety. Lewis Rose of Perth based UK Built was among those to tender for the the glossy GS Summit Perthshire Publication document. He is one of several business people insisting the deadline was put back and believes that was done purely to accommodate the companies in the central belt. Mr Rose claimed the move may even be contrary to Eropean tender law.
“After reading stories in The Courier concerning the G8 Perthshire Publications I wish to add comment.” He said.
“My company UK Built (Perth) submitted a tender for the project on time…but the deadline was put back by nearly a week to allow one of the tendering companies to complete their proposal.
“Under European tender law it is clear that if a company cannot make the deadline, their tender is to be ignored,” Mr Rose conitnued. The legislation is unclear as to whether a local authority like Perth and Kinross Council can change a tender deadline to accommodate individual companies. Although the tendering process appeared to be fair, if the company that won the tender was the same company that orchestrated a need for the deadline to be delayed, then serious question need to be asked.
”Mr Rose said it was “disappointing” that a company from outwith the Perthshire area was providing a flagship publication to promote Perthshire. He went on to back councillor John Lloyd’s suggestion for a seminar to help clarify Perth and Kinross Council’s position.
“Part of the UK Built tender concept was ‘Perthshire is for People’ – I would expect Perth and Kinross Council to actively promote local business,” he continued.
“We were told that one of the large design agencies approached needed extra time to prepare their bid. This should never have been allowed in a tender process – a deadline is a deadline. We are trying to get an answer from Perth and Kinross Council as to whether this deadline was put back to accommodate the company that won the contract – as yet they have not come back with a reply.”
The Courier Wednesday March 2 2005
Dave Lord
