Introduction
The world experienced its hottest day ever recorded in July 2023, breaking the global average temperature record previously set in 2016. As recently reported, four other records have been broken in July 2023: the hottest day on record, the hottest June on record globally, extreme marine heatwaves and record-low Antarctic sea-ice. World records are often thought of as impressive positive achievements. In this instance they are certainly impressive: positive, they are not, and certainly not to be proud of. As well as causing numerous environmental damage, they are causing catastrophic fires across the globe, including the UK. Our Fire and Rescue Services know this only too well.
With the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Procurement Hub shortly entering its eighth year after being established in 2016, it has evolved in line with external global, national and local demands and focus; evolving and re-aligning its strategic aims and priorities accordingly. These are captured in a set of Home Office Fire Priorities that set out how deliverables and outcomes will be achieved, measured and continuously improved. The development of a national strategy for the Fire Estates represents one of the Home Office Fire Priorities.
Call-off Contract Background Information
Since June 2022, members of the FM & Construction National Strategic Task and Finish Group have been working towards adopting a more seamless, cohesive and coordinated approach in their efforts to adhere to national net zero targets and decarbonise the UK Fire Sector estate, as well as creating a central repository of data, analytics, tools and guidance documents to assist in the development and implementation of a national decarbonisation strategy, in line with the Home Office Fire Priorities for the FM & Construction category.
More specifically, the members of the Task and Finish Group have been exploring various methods of improving the UK Fire Sector’s success in accessing central government funding opportunities, namely the Salix Low Carbon Skills Fund (‘LCSF’) and the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (‘PSDS’).
Following an extensive engagement process with internal and external stakeholders, the Task and Finish Group approved the commissioning of a National Decarbonisation Consultancy Services call-off contract by way of a Direct Award for a period of 2+1 years to Faithful+Gould under Lot 1 (Complete Service Solutions) of the Pagabo Professional Services in Construction and Premises Framework Agreement (https://pagabo.co.uk/frameworks/professional-services-framework).
Faithful+Gould are already world leaders in the provision of sustainability advisory services. From asset data collection, developing decarbonisation roadmaps, whole life carbon assessments, authoring business cases and funding applications through to multi-disciplinary services in implementing the proposed low carbon technology, to mention only a few.
Faithful+Gould are therefore well versed in supporting organisations with large and small portfolios of building and fleet assets, on both a national and local footprint, as well as supporting organisations that have arrived at very different stages of their decarbonisation journey; some in their infancy, others more mature.
Further information on Faithful+Gould can be found on their website: Engineering Project Management Consultancy – Faithful Gould (fgould.com)
Call-off Contract Key Deliverables
The contract has been structured across three (3) delivery tiers:
- Tier 1 – Energy data and carbon emissions analysis, decarbonisation planning, feasibility assessments, and modelling of decarbonisation and energy efficiency opportunities;
- Tier 2 – End to end consultancy support in the preparation and submission of funding applications; and
- Tier 3 – End to end consultancy support in the design and delivery of decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects.
Interested Bluelight client organisations will be able to enter into individual ‘Work Orders’ directly with Faithful+Gould. All Work Orders will be subject to the same contract terms and schedule of rates, which have been agreed with the appointed consultant at a national level, therefore satisfying the Home Office Fire Priority for greater spend aggregation.
A national operating decarbonisation model will be designed by Faithful+Gould, whose purpose will be to ensure that the methodology in identifying decarbonisation interventions, their prioritisation, identification and selection of funding routes, through to the procurement and engagement of local (where possible) technical specialists, as well as the management of supply-chain partners are all done in a joined-up, informed and transparent process.
The NFCC National Decarbonisation Consultancy Services Contract will be managed at a national level by a newly formed Programme Management Office (‘PMO’). The PMO will also be responsible for maintaining a national decarbonisation dashboard, which will be available to access by all Bluelight organisations who sign up to the contract.
The dashboard will enable the Home Office, the NFCC and client organisations to access key management information (including but not limited to geographical locations and types of decarbonisation projects, level of government funding received to date on a per region basis, carbon footprint metrics and examples of best practice (as well as lessons learned) with the view of increasing transparency across the Bluelight sector informing the production of a wider Bluelight Sector decarbonisation strategy.
Faithful+Gould are very excited to exercise both our technical expertise and passion to support NFCC, NFEG, the Task and Finish Group, as well as the wider blue-light sector in delivering National Energy Consultancy Services. The aim of our appointment is to provide expert advice, guidance as well as the structure and governance in the planning and delivery of professional consultancy services. We are to become the one Faithful+Gould and Fire Sector / Blue Light programme team to decarbonise the estate through reducing energy consumption, changing user behaviours and improving sustainability measures.
Faithful+Gould’s organisation purpose is to: ‘Create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to design, deliver and operate the most complex projects’.
Our vision is to: ‘Engineer a better future for our planet and its people’.
This programme sits squarely in what we strive to do as an organisation, and we are delighted to contribute and be part of the Fire & Rescue Services’ and the wider Bluelight sector’s journey.
Organisations such as our Fire & Rescue Services and the wider blue-light sector can make a significant positive impact to the public sector’s decarbonisation journey, by focussing on what is on our doorstep; our estate. With buildings responsible for 40% of global carbon emission, our national decarbonisation programme demonstrates how we can tackle such a global challenge, and to do so on a large collaborative scale. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which our programme has already demonstrated by partnering with Faithful+Gould under our National Decarbonisation Consultancy Services Contract.
Call-off Contract Documents
The main Call-off Contract and associated supporting documents, as well as the call-off process flowchart can be found below. Schedule 2 and Schedule 4 of the Call-off contract contain commercially sensitive information and shall be provided upon request.
Decarbonisation Supporting Documents
- Faithful+Gould – ESESG – Success Criteria and PMO Presentation – 10.05.2023 – V1.0 – 2.72 mb
- Faithful+Gould – Kick-off Session with FR – NSTFG – January 2023 – ISSUED – V1.2 – 2.79 mb
- Fire Sector Energy Engagement Questionnaire (National Consultancy Comtract) June 2022 – Template – 0.05 mb
- Fire Sector Energy Questionnaire July 2022- Summary of Results – 0.04 mb
- NFCC PSDS Workshop 27 09 22 – Avon FRS Case Study – 4.23 mb
- NFCC PSDS Workshop 27 09 22 Bedfordshire FRS Case Study – 0.07 mb
- Pagabo Professional Services Framework 2020 User Guide – 0.94 mb
- Pagabo Professional Services Framework Agreement (Main Body and Schedules) v7 – 0.58 mb
- Faithful+Gould – ESESG – Success Criteria and PMO Presentation – 10.05.2023 – V1.0.pptx – 2.62 mb
- NFCC Decarbonisation Call-off Contract – Current Governance Structure – 1.18 mb
- NFCC PSDS Workshop 27 09 22 Greater Manchester FRS Case Study – 3.48 mb
- NFCC Decarbonisation Call-off Contract – PMO Dashboard Screenshot Examples (dummy data) – 0.36 mb
- NFCC-FMC-623 National Decarbonisation Contract Regulation 84 Report v0.2 (FINAL) – 0.15 mb
- NFCC-FMC-623 National Decarbonisation Contract – Strategic Briefing Note v0.1 (F) – 0.27 mb
Final Decarbonisation Contract Pack
- NFCC-FMC-623 Decarbonisation Consultancy Services Call-off Contract v0.6 FIRE (FINAL – SIGNED) – 0.34 mb
- NFCC-FMC-623 Decarbonisation Consultancy Services Call-off Contract v0.6 FIRE (FINAL – SIGNED) – 1.06 mb
- NFCC-FMC-623 National Decarbonisation Consultancy Call-off Process Flowchart v0.7 (FINAL) – 0.96 mb
- NFCC-FMC-623 National Decarbonisation Consultancy Contract – Schedule 1 (Scope of Services) (FINAL) – 0.21 mb
- NFCC-FMC-623 Schedule 1 – Annex A Professional Services Framework Specification – 0.31 mb
- NFCC-FMC-623 Decarbonisation Consultancy Services Call-off Contract v0.5 (FINAL – OTHER BLUELIGHT) – 0.32 mb
For any questions relating to the content of the contract documents and the call-off process, interested Bluelight organisations are requested to contact the FM & Construction National Category Lead by sending an email to elli.nikolaou@nfcc.org.uk
For any questions relating to setting up an initial workshop meeting with Faithful+Gould, completing the Work Order template or any other queries relating to the project management, data management, technical and financial aspects of the contract, interested Bluelight organisations are requested to contact the Faithful+Gould Programme Lead (Daniel Jermin) by sending an email to daniel.jermin@fgould.com
How to Express an Interest
Interested Fire and Rescue Services and other Bluelight organisations may contact Daniel Jermin (email address as above) for the purpose of organising an initial workshop and introduction to the NFCC decarbonisation call-off contract.
Please note that guidance relating to Phase 3c of the Salix Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (due to open for funding applications in Autumn 2023) have been published by Salix Finance. Any queries can be sent to email address phase3cpsdsgrants@salixfinance.co.uk