Departments should always consider the option of using a funding competition

14  When deciding whether a funding competition will improve value for money departments need to consider:

a  the complexity of the project - it will be easier to run a funding competition for a simple well-understood project, but the financial rewards for a complex project may be greater;

b  the capital funding requirement - projects with a significant capital expenditure element offer the potential for greater rewards. The size of the funding requirement will also impact on the number of potential funders interested in providing the project financing;

c  whether the PFI procurement process was competitive, including a consideration of the elapsed time between the appointment of the preferred bidder and financial close;

d  the experience and qualifications of the public sector project management team, the department's advisers and the preferred bidder who will be conducting the competition.