A REVIEW into the awarding of a Council contract worth £200,000 to a newly formed company found "no issues" - a committee was told.

Bradford Council officers had been asked to review the procedures that led to a £200,000 contract being awarded to a Community Interest Company set up by the President of the Council for Mosques.

At a meeting of the Bradford West Area Committee on Thursday, members were told there were no serious issues raised by the review, but members said the situation raised serious transparency issues.

Last June Bradford Council was awarded funding, though the Test and Trace Service Support Grant, to develop and implement tailored local Covid outbreak plans. These would provide information to hard to engage groups, and develop communications strategies to help keep these communities up to date with issues such as test and trace and vaccinations.

Bradford Public Health officers awarded contracts to Community Action Bradford & District and Race Equality Network to do some of the work.

The Council for Mosques had been engaged on previous campaigns that required communications with Bradford's Muslim community.

The CFM was asked to carry out work such as offering advice and support to the Muslim community, deliver home testing kits and get involved with local test and trace.

Council for Mosques defends creating Urban Reach CIC for Covid campaign

The CFM informed the Council that it was unable to take on the £200,000 contract, as it was unincorporated.

President Zulfi Karim set up a not for profit community interest company, Urban Reach, to carry out the works that the Council for Mosques were unable to provide.

This arrangement was heavily criticised at a meeting of the Committee in February, with Chair Mohammed Amran calling for a public inquiry into the handling of the contract.

Footage of Cllr Amran making these comments went viral on social media shortly after the meeting.

At Thursday's meeting of the Area Committee Joanne Hyde, strategic director of Corporate Resources, said the review had found the proper procedures had been in place.

A report to members said: "officers of the Council have reviewed the procurement process and due diligence as a result of which Urban Reach were appointed and have found no issues in the procurement of the contract and that due diligence was satisfied."

When the company was set up Mr Karim and two other names, seemingly not linked to the Council For Mosques, were listed as directors on Companies House. Mrs Hyde said the board of directors for Urban Reach was being replaced so it was made up entirely of Council for Mosques members.

Directors would not have access to any of the CIC's financial assets, members were told.

Councillor Richard Dunbar (Lab, Thornton and Allerton) asked if the review should have been independent.

Mrs Hyde replied: "I don't think the outcome would have been any different."

Councillor Sarfraz Nazir (Lab, Manningham) questioned how a newly created company could be awarded a contract like this with no track record.

Mrs Hyde said the company was linked with the Council For Mosques, which Bradford Council had worked with in the past.

Councillor Kamran Hussain (Lab, Toller) said the Council for Mosques had done "fantastic" work in Bradford over the years, but added: "Would this contract have been offered to a company that had no background and was standing on its own?"

Chair Mohammed Amran (Lab, Heaton) said: "We don't have a problem with the Council for Mosques. What our issue was is that a new company has been set up. The Council for Mosques has their own trading company that they could have used, but they set up this Urban Reach, that is what rang alarm bells in the community and led to people asking us questions about this company.

"We're not saying they had done anything right or wrong, we're talking about our own procedures in the Council when we are awarding public funds."

The Committee asked Urban Reach to attend a future meeting to discuss the work it had done.