Bristol Council asks Cambridge MC to review an existing Concession Agreement
Combining years of procurement expertise with legal advice to get the expected returns
The Council had placed their extensive telecoms duct infrastructure into a formal Concession Agreement with the expectation that the revenues due the Council, would power the city’s growth towards being ‘a city of hope and aspiration where everyone can share in its success’.
A few years into the agreement, the Council felt that it wasn’t getting the returns it had expected under the Agreement or that the Concession was delivering on the promises made to the Council at the time of the tender process.
The Council were looking for a review to confirm or allay their concerns, as well as assistance and guidance on managing any issues found.
Download the Full Case Study
Contact Form - Technology Practice
The
Strategy
In early 2018, the team brought its years of procurement and contracting knowledge to bear on the challenge by providing:
- A review of the Agreement and an assessment of the Concessionaire’s performance against its obligations under the Concession Agreement
- Advice for the Council’s legal team that, commercially, there was a challenge to be made against the Concession Agreement. The Council chose to issue a Notice of Default against the Concessionaire
- A concise calculation of monies owed to the Council by interpreting the terms of the Agreement and matching that back to the records of activity on the network
- Support for the Council throughout the review meetings with the Concessionaire, providing technical and commercial knowledge to the discussions and advising the Council on possible resolutions
- Stakeholder management by providing inputs and reviewing reports to the Council’s management team and in briefings to their legal team (both internal and external)
- A model for an industry-based method and level of charging for the Council’s fibres, used by the Concessionaire outside of the Concession Agreement
Knowledge & Skills
- Contract interpretation and understanding of contract law
- Understanding of the Government Tendering process
- Understanding of the UK regulatory regime for telecoms
- Knowledge of the telecoms infrastructure (duct and fibre) market in the UK
- Cost Management and financial interpretation of contracts
- Contract negotiations
- Stakeholder management both within the Council and with the Concessionaire
Outcomes & Results
01
Clear road map
While the process to resolve the issues with the Concessionaire are still ongoing, the Council has a clear road map as to how to proceed and a plan for what may eventuate.
02
Continue to support
Cambridge MC’s resources continue to support our client through the process.
Get in touch with Our Consultants today
Just some of our clients
Amazon
Audi
Post Office
BA
BP
A little bit about Cambridge MC
Cambridge Management Consulting is a specialist consultancy drawing on an extensive network of global talent. We are your growth catalyst.
Our mission is to help our clients make a better impact on the world.
Industry insights
SMEs make up 99% of UK businesses, three fifths of employment, over 50% of all business revenue, are in everyone's supply chain, and are exposed to largely the same threats as large enterprises. How should they get started with cyber security? Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) are not immune to the threat of cyber attacks. At the very least, if your business has money then it will be attractive to criminals. And even if you don’t have anything of value, you may still get caught up in a ransomware campaign with all of your data and systems made inaccessible. Unfortunately many SMEs do not have an IT team let alone a cyber security team. It may not be obvious where to start, but inaction can have significant impact on your business by both increasing risk and reducing the confidence to address new opportunities. In this article we outline 5 key questions that can help SMEs to understand what they need to do. Even if you outsource your IT to a supplier these questions are still relevant. Some can’t be delegated, and others are topics for discussion so that you can ensure your service provider is doing the right things, as well as understanding where their responsibilities stop and yours start. Q1: What's Important & Worth Defending Not everything needs protecting equally. In your personal life you will have some possessions that are dear to you and others that you are more laissez-faire about. The same applies to your digital assets, and the start point for any security plan needs to be an audit of the things you own and their importance to your business. Those ‘things’, or assets, may be particular types of data or information. For instance, you may have sensitive intellectual property or trade secrets; you may hold information about your customers that is governed by privacy regulations; or your financial data may be of particular concern. Some of this information needs to be protected from theft, while it may be more important to prevent other types of data from being modified or deleted. It is helpful to build a list of these assets, and their characteristics like the table below:
Explore the rise of edge AI: smaller data centres, faster networks, and sustainable power solutions. See why the future of digital infrastructure is distributed and intelligent | READ FULL ARTICLE
Craig Cheney | The conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) in Government has shifted in recent years. The publication of the UK Government’s AI Playbook represents more than just updated guidance — it signals a huge shift in the government's approach to AI.
Discover why short-term thinking on sustainability risks business growth. Explore how long-term climate strategy drives resilience, valuation, and trust | READ FULL ARTICLE
The UK’s AI ambitions face gridlock. Discover how power shortages, costly electricity, and rack density challenges threaten data centre growth – and what’s being done | READ FULL ARTICLE
Delaying cybersecurity puts startups at risk. Discover how early safeguards boost investor confidence, customer trust, and long-term business resilience | READ FULL ARTICLE
An in-depth look at AI risk and governance: OECD frameworks, EU AI Act, and UK/US strategies reveal how nations balance innovation with safety and accountability | READ NOW
