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What is Perfect Circle?

Perfect Circle is a limited company, operating as an incorporated joint venture. It is jointly and equally owned by three Shareholder Partners – Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM. Its Board of Company Directors is made up of 2 Directors from each of the Shareholder Partners and the Perfect Circle Chief Executive Officer.

Who delivers services for Perfect Circle?

Along with the three Shareholder Partners - Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM - a number of tier 1 Preferred Partners can lead commissions. All Partners can work with an extensive supply chain of sub-consultants pre-qualified and managed by Perfect Circle.

What is SCAPE?

SCAPE is a public sector owned, limited company, governed by Public Law. It is a local authority-controlled company whose shareholders are Derby City, Derbyshire County, Gateshead, Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County and Warwickshire County Councils.

Its shareholders nominate directors to the Board and have reserved rights under the Shareholders’ Agreement. SCAPE was formed by its shareholders in 2006 under the powers contained in the Local Government Act 1972, Local Government Act 1983 section 95 and the Local Government Act 2000. Its role as a Contracting Authority and Central Purchasing Body was established at the point of its formation. SCAPE has a legal personality, and as such can trade with any organisation. However, as a public sector owned and operated organisation, its main objective is to support the efficient delivery of public sector.

What suppliers can we use?

Perfect Circle has an existing approved supply chain of over 500 pre-qualified suppliers that offer the full range of consultancy services and resources at all project stages of the life cycle for a commission. Additional suppliers may be added should they satisfy Perfect Circle’s compliance requirements. 

Can you run tender competitions for suppliers?

If a procurement strategy requires a tendering process, Perfect Circle can do this for selected parts of the project team, or for example if seeking to use specific local suppliers. 

Perfect Circle will work to develop sub-consultancy packages for services beyond the Prime Core services of Project Management and Cost Management which will be provided by the Contract Lead Partners.

How does an organisation become a Perfect Circle supply chain partner?

A step-by-step process is on the supply chain partner hub.

Suppliers can register interest by completing Perfect Circle’s contact form or by contacting a Regional Lead for more information.

What insurances and warranties will be required to become a supply chain partner?

The Insurances required will vary depending on the services offered by the supplier and will form part of the approval journey and completion of the supply chain pre-qualification process, in line with the Common Assessment Standard and other system requirements. Please contact a Regional Lead for more information.

What is meant by social value?

We recognise that we have a responsibility to the environment, the communities within which we work, our own people, our supply chain and society. Perfect Circle’s governance is fully aligned with the Public Services Act 2012, Procurement Reform Act 2014 and the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2015 including the PPN updates to these Acts.

Social Value is an integral part of Perfect Circle’s approach and operations. Perfect Circle collect data in the following areas as part of our business-as-usual activities.

  • Local spend on projects, reporting on spend within 20 miles of commissions.
  • Spend with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), targeting greater engagement of SMEs in our supply chain - our target is 45% of spend with our supplier chain to be SME suppliers.
  • Fair payment, ensuring we pay our supply chain within 30 days of receipt of valid invoices.

In addition to these core areas of impact for every commission we undertake, we work with clients to identify additional benefit activities that we can support. All activities are captured through our PC Hub with integrated measures against each activity evidenced with the value add to the local community.

How do we voice any concerns over performance?

Where there are any concerns, clients should contact their Perfect Circle contact in the first instance. In the event this does not satisfy your concerns, then please contact the Development Director, Nigel McCarthy.

We have a client satisfaction survey, why is this needed?

Perfect Circle monitors all Partners in the delivery of services and actively seeks feedback. It is important to Perfect Circle to know where improvements to the service can be made and equally to know what is working well. 

Perfect Circle sends out satisfaction surveys at the end of every commission and encourages clients to give open and honest feedback for the benefit of all its clients.

If a client satisfaction survey has not been received, then please contact the Development Director, Nigel McCarthy.

What is SCAPE Consultancy?

The SCAPE Consultancy frameworks are a fully compliant procurement solution that offer a an accelerated, competitively tendered option for a wide range of built environment, infrastructure and place shaping consultancy services to the public sector.

Perfect Circle was appointed to SCAPE Built Environment and Infrastructure Consultancy Services frameworks in January 2021 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has been providing extensive services offering value for money for hundreds of public sector clients through the SCAPE frameworks since 2016.

In April 2024 Perfect Circle was also appointed to the SCAPE Utilities Consultancy Services framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, alongside the SCAPE Utilities Consultancy Services framework for Scotland. 

These frameworks can significantly reduce the time needed for brief preparation and procurement procedures, enabling earlier delivery of projects and programmes. Simple commissioning of Perfect Circle on the SCAPE Consultancy Services frameworks provides clients with access to an extensive supply chain, combining the strongest collaborative team with value for money while amplifying the local economic, environmental and social impact of every project.

Is SCAPE Consultancy compliant? How is the framework procured?

For more than a decade, SCAPE has partnered with nationally recognised and local construction companies, civil engineering companies and consultancy organisations to deliver fully compliant framework services across the UK. Its frameworks are procured via a two stage ’restricted’ process which fully complies with Regulation 28 of the Public Contracts (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2015.

The procurement process is run entirely as an eProcurement, using Delta e-Sourcing. An evaluation team is formed comprising representatives from SCAPE, the public sector including their local authority Shareholders, independent industry experts and legal advisors. The evaluation team read and score bids at Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) and Invitation to Tender (ITT) stages as appropriate. 

A team then participate in and score the interview stage. Tenders are evaluated based on the most economically advantageous tender in accordance with Regulation 67 based on both cost and quality. The qualitative and commercial submissions for SCAPE Consultancy were weighted in the ratio of 70% for quality and 30% for price. 

On completion of the process, suppliers are selected and awarded contracts for each of SCAPE’s frameworks. 

How long does it take to get contracts and agreements set up?

Engagement with Perfect Circle is fast and efficient, allowing for the set-up of a service delivery contract within 2 to 20 days, depending on the scope and complexity. Perfect Circle significantly reduces the time needed for brief preparation and procurement procedures, ensuring the service delivery starts as soon as it is needed.

The frameworks allow a number of contract options under NEC4 and NEC3 – which option best suits the client’s needs?

The five Model Delivery Agreements available are:

  • NEC4 Professional Service Short Contract (PSSC) - For low risk, low value, simple commissions.
     
  • NEC4 Professional Service Contract (PSC) Option A - Priced Contract with Activity Schedule - A lump sum priced contract, in which the risks of being able to provide the service at the agreed prices in the Activity Schedule are largely borne by the Consultant.
     
  • NEC4 Professional Service Contract (PSC) Option C - Target Contract - A target fee contract incentivised to achieve value for money, in which the financial risks (savings or over-spend) are shared by the client and the consultant.
     
  • NEC4 Professional Service Contract (PSC) Option E – Cost Reimbursable Contract – where the consultant is paid on an open book basis of all defined costs plus overheads and profits percentage.
     
  • NEC3 Professional Services Contract Option G -Term Service Contract - Provides the flexibility to agree a long-term call-off arrangement using Task Orders. This type of contract lends itself to a programme of works where the same contract terms apply for all orders.

Who determines how Perfect Circle delivers the service?

Where a client approaches Perfect Circle, we will select the most appropriate Partner to deliver the commission based on experience, capability, expertise and capacity.

How do we appoint a consultant Partner?

To use the SCAPE Consultancy frameworks, clients must sign an Access Agreement with SCAPE. A Partner will then develop a Service Request Proposal (SRP) with the client which outlines the scope of services and the fee proposal. Once agreed, an NEC Contract (termed a Delivery Agreement) is drawn up incorporating those terms from the SRP for signature by both the client and Perfect Circle.

What is the contracting arrangement?

Perfect Circle is the company contracted with SCAPE to hold the frameworks, therefore the headline contract (Delivery Agreement using NEC3 or NEC4) must be between the client and Perfect Circle.  There is then a step-down contract with back-to-back terms for Partners to deliver the consultancy services.

Perfect Circle and all Partners hold the levels of Public liability insurance (PL), Professional indemnity insurance (PI) and Employers liability insurance (EI) mandated under the Framework Agreement with SCAPE.

What are the benefits of procuring more than one service?

Clients enjoy the benefit of managing a single provider for a number of services, across all stages, which in turn offers greater efficiencies. An A-Z of services is available on request.

As these are multidisciplinary service frameworks, can we pick and choose specific services?

Yes, clients can pick and choose specific services - the full scope of Prime and Core services are set out in Schedule 3 of the Framework Agreement.

What if we require the Cost Management or Project Management services to be separate from the design or engineering team?

This can be achieved through consultation with Perfect Circle as part of the Pre- Procurement Engagement. The benefit of Perfect Circle is that different services can be provided by different organisations or teams for complete project assurance.

Can we novate Perfect Circle’s design team to a Works Contractor?

This must be with the agreement of Perfect Circle, and any such novation would fall outside the framework agreement through a separate contract negotiated with the specified contractor.

Who will invoice the client?

The Framework Agreement is between SCAPE and Perfect Circle JV Ltd. Invoices are issued to clients by Perfect Circle JV Ltd and not directly by the service provider.

How do we know we’re getting value for money?

The commercial rates that underpin the SCAPE Consultancy Services frameworks were competitively tendered based upon the high volume of work anticipated from the Contract Notice value.

For each commission, we prepare a bespoke fee proposal that demonstrably links back to these commercial rates, giving the client complete transparency that they are benefitting from economies of scale, no matter how small their requirement may be. Perfect Circle ensures supply chain efficiency with competitive benchmarked market rates, delivering true value for money. 

Need more support?

Please contact our Development Director, Nigel McCarthy at nigelmccarthy@perfectcircle.co.uk