3.18 The Authority should agree a detailed timetable with the PPP contractor at an early stage, whether the contract dictates this or not. This will include deadlines by which the PPP contractor is to provide benchmark and/or market testing data and for responses by the public sector client.
3.19 Additional time will be needed if the contract specifies that market testing should follow from an unresolved benchmarking. Sufficient time should be allowed for a number of iterations of the data and for negotiation. The timetable should also have sufficient flexibility to ensure that, if necessary, deadlines can be renegotiated by agreement.
3.20 In the event of a market test, the timetable needs to include sufficient time for prospective bidders to visit the project site, review the documentation and seek clarity or additional information, if required. The public sector client may also wish to visit sites where prospective bidders are providing similar services.