Gloucestershire County Council - Arle Court Transport Hub Café Concession

Description

Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) is seeking to award a concession contract to operate the café area within the Arle Court Transport Hub. In 2023 construction commenced on Arle Court Transport Hub, creating a vital transportation facility in west Cheltenham. Conveniently located near the A40 in Cheltenham, Arle Court Transport Hub began operation in July 2024. Arle Court Transport Hub is of strategic importance to the council. The facility plays a key role in reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality in Cheltenham. It is also a key element of the current Gloucestershire Local Transport Plan 2020-2041, and to serve the new hub, a concessionaire is required to operate the café area that has been provided within the transport hub. The facility offers state-of-the-art facilities including: a brand-new multi-storey car park with 860 spaces, bus station, passenger hub, real time passenger information, toilets, including Changing Place and baby change facilities as well as 100 Electric Vehicle Charging Points (EVCP). Local Bus operators servicing Cheltenham and national coaches operate at the station. In addition to the multi-storey car park, there is a west car park that has 140 car parking spaces and coach parking facilities, camper van parking, taxi rank and rapid EVCP charging points. The car parks also serves as parking for direct local business employees Tenure will be by way of a lease arrangement which will attract an annual fee to be paid monthly. The café's construction and size provides a base for a 'panini' type coffee shop offering, hot food preparation is limited to toasting and warming products. The area is of block construction with a serving counter separating the café from the hub. Separate power, water and overhead lighting are provided, with a large preparation/ store room area. The café requires fitting out to the contractor's electrical design and layout requirements which must be submitted with the tender, suitable wall lining materials are available for fitting. The site provides further income opportunities from vending points. GCC have a cold vending provision that can be replaced as part of the concession, further, there are water, power and drainage services available to add a hot vending machine in the waiting area, adjacent to the cafe. There are shared GCC welfare facilities for staff. The contract will operate for 10 years with the option to extend by a further 5 years, subject to the contract's terms and conditions in relation to performance and termination events. The successful concessionaire must provide end-to-end café design and installation of the facilities and operational services including, but not limited to, design, installation and compliant electrical and extraction works and the provision of hardware in accordance with the lease, customer payments and interfaces and all associated maintenance and café operational activity. The concessionaire must be capable of delivery of all elements and have fully controlled contract management of its supply chain. GCC's estimated total value of the concession over its maximum possible term takes account of the following factors and opportunities: • The investment and funding provided by the contractor • The potential installation and management of a cold vending facility. • The potential installation and management of a hot vending facility. • Certain assumptions about use of the café by existing site users detailed in the procurement documents • Certain assumptions about use of the café by new site users as both marketing, events and coach company use expands detailed in the procurement documents. Estimated contract value of £6,000,000 to £8,000,000 including anticipated turnover and expanding income opportunities Lot 1: The Council will use a competitive procedure to evaluate bidders' proposals to ensure the solution procured meets the needs of Gloucestershire. The Council will carry out this competitive process in accordance with the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016. The process will have a selection and a tender stage: respondents to this notice will be invited to complete a Selection Questionnaire (SQ); bidders selected further to evaluation of SQ responses will be issued with an Invitation to Tender and invited to submit a tender response, which will be evaluated by GCC on the basis set out in the procurement documents. An award of a concession contract will be made on the basis of the criteria stated in the procurement documents. Subject to compliance with the Concession Contracts Regulations and as set out in the procurement documents, GCC will reply to requests for clarification in respect of any aspect of the procurement. The full details of the procurement procedure are set out in the procurement documents found on the Councils e-tendering portal https://www.supplyingthesouthwest.orq.uk/ (https://www.supplyingthesouthwest.orq.uk/) using project reference DN757670 to view the opportunity and register your interest. The UK Government published the Devolution White Paper on 16 December 2024 which set out the government's statement of their plans to reform local government. This includes proposals which may result in the creation of one or more unitary councils and/or a strategic authority (for example through a Combined Authority or Combined County Authority) which may take on responsibility for functions that are currently the responsibility of Gloucestershire County Council. If a new organisation is created, this concession contract will be transferred to and managed by such an authority.