CONTRACT NOTICE – NATIONAL

1 Authority Details

1.1

Authority Name and Address

1.2

Address from which documentation may be obtained

As in 1.1

1.3

Completed documents must be returned to:

As in 1.1

2 Contract Details

2.1

Title

Provision of Paper Based and Online Reading and Numeracy Tests

2.2

Description of the goods or services required

This framework agreement is divided into two lots. Suppliers can submit a tender for one or both lots.

Lot 1 PAPER BASED READING AND NUMERACY (PROCEDURAL AND REASONING)

TESTS IN ENGLISH AND WELSH (FROM YEAR 2 THROUGH TO YEAR 9)

Online Adaptive Reading and Numeracy tests will replace the current Wales National Tests and will be phased in from the 2018/19 academic year, starting with numeracy (procedural), and continuing with English and Welsh reading in 2019/20, and numeracy (reasoning) in 2020/21.

To cover the interim period, Welsh Government wish to procure a full set of paper English and Welsh Reading and Numeracy (procedural and reasoning) tests for use in April/May 2018; Reading and Numeracy (reasoning) tests for use in April/May 2019; and numeracy (reasoning) tests only for use in April/May 2020.

The current National Tests are paper-based tests sat by all learners in years 2-9 in maintained schools in Wales. They are based on the expectation statements set out in the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF). The new tests need to be compatible with previous years’ tests in terms of design and content, to ensure consistency for learners and continuity of data runs and reporting for schools and parents before the move to online tests takes place.

The contractor will be responsible for the development and trialling of the tests; organisation of design, printing and delivery arrangements; establishing a bilingual test ordering system for schools, including a helpdesk; direct liaison with a modified test agency; and analysis of raw scores from the tests and production of look-up tables based on the analysis.

Lot 2

The Welsh Government is keen to put in place tests which provide part of the rich evidence needed to inform learners’ next steps. We believe this is best achieved through online adaptive tests because of the greater accessibility and personalisation they offer and because of the immediate and enhanced feedback they provide.

Based on recommended development time, we aim to introduce national online adaptive tests from the 2018/19 school year as part of a phased implementation programme. The first test to be introduced will be the Numeracy (Procedural) test; the second in 2019/20 will be English and Welsh Reading tests; and the third in 2020/21 will be the Numeracy (Reasoning) test.

The tests will be based on the expectation statements set out in the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF). They will be integrated with the Welsh Government HWB/HWB+ (http://hwb.wales.gov.uk/) and delivered via this interface. They must also be compatible with in-schools recording/Management Information Systems (MIS).

Because of the nature of the data the contractor will hold, they will implement stringent security arrangements, be at least AA compliant and meet government standards for accessibility and usability.

NOTE: The authority is using eTenderwales to carry out this procurement process. To obtain further information record your interest on Sell2Wales at http://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/search_switch.aspx?ID=52090

2.3

Notice Coding and Classification

2.4

Total quantity or scope of tender

This is a framework Agreement divided into two lots. Suppliers can submit a tender for one or both lots. Please see the tender documentation published on eTenderWales for more information.

3 Conditions for Participation

3.1

Minimum standards and qualification required

N/A

4 Administrative Information

4.1

Type of Procedure

Single stage

4.2

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting authority

C282/2015/16

4.3

Time Limits

4.5

Language or languages in which tenders or requests to participate can be drawn up

Welsh

4.6

Tender Submission Postbox

5 Other Information

5.1

Additional Information

A budget range of 4000000GBP-5000000GBP has been allocated for Lot 1 of the framework and 11000000GBP-12000000GBP for Lot 2 of the framework, however any extension periods for contracts exceeding the initial four years would be in addition to these and in line with successful bidder/s' rates provided at tender.

E-TENDER INFORMATION:

https://etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk

- The first person from your Organisation to use the Platform will be required to register on behalf of the Organisation.

- Registration involves accepting a User Agreement, and providing basic information about your Organisation and about the User performing the Registration.

- The User who performs the Registration becomes the Super User for the Organisation.

- On registering on the Platform the Super User will select a Username and will receive a password.

- The Password will be sent by e-mail to the email address that was specified in the User Details section of the Registration page.

- In order to log-in to the Platform please enter your Username and Password.

- Note: If you forget your Password then visit the homepage and click “Forgot your password?”

- Registration should only be performed once for each Organisation.

- If you think that someone in your Organisation may have already registered on this Platform then you must not register again.

- Please contact the person who Registered (i.e. the Super User) in order to arrange access to the Platform.

- Contact the Helpdesk immediately if you are unable to contact the Super User (for example if they have left your Organisation).

- Note: If your Organisation is already registered on the Platform then you must not make any additional registration. Please contact the Helpdesk to gain access to the Platform.

- Tenders must be uploaded to the BravoSolution portal by 2pm

HOW TO FIND THE ITT:

- Once logged in you must click on ‘ITT’s Open to all Suppliers’

- The etender references for this contract are: Project_34221 and ITT_56840

- Click on the title to access summary details of the contract. If you are still interested in submitting a tender, click the ‘Express an Interest button’. This will move the ITT from the ‘Open to all Suppliers’ area to the ‘My ITT’s’ on the home page.

- You will then see the full details of the ITT in the qualification and technical envelopes along with any relevant documents in the ‘Attachments’ area.

- Should you have any questions on the ITT, please use the ‘Messages’ area to contact the buyer directly – Please do not contact the named person at the top of this notice.

(WA Ref:52090)

Under the terms of this contract the successful supplier(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits in support of the authority’s economic and social objectives. Accordingly, contract performance conditions may relate in particular to social and environmental considerations. The Community Benefits included in this contract are:

Details provided in tender documentation.

5.2

Additional Documentation

5.3

Publication date of this notice