II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM95
Main site or place of performance:
The main place of performance and delivery of the requirement will be FCDO priority countries across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa. This will include a range of development and fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS) and humanitarian settings. At least 40% of innovation projects should be in FCAS countries.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
FCDO is seeking a supplier to deliver an 84-month contract of up to 15900000 GBP from April 2022 until April 2029 for the What Works to Prevent Violence: Impact at Scale - Research and Evaluation programme.
The timeframe may be extended by up to an additional 42 months beyond the original 84 month term until October 2032 subject to satisfactory performance of the supplier, continuing need, availability of funding, and the agreement of the supplier and FCDO, utilising a negotiated procedure.
There is provision to scale up by up to an additional 7950000 GBP in cases where the programme has demonstrated a strong impact and has the potential to yield additional results. The Mid-Term Review point will be used as an opportunity to consider extending the length and value of the contract to extend the geographic focus or increase the scale of the programme. The estimated value includes all applicable taxes.
Please note that the estimated total value of 23850000 GBP represents a maximum, including scale up options, and FCDO expects competitive tenders based on the full Terms of Reference (Volume 3 of the ITT Pack).
HMT Approval to spend beyond June 2027 will be required. FCDO will process this requirement in good time. In the event that funds are not secured, there will be no liability for FCDO beyond the approved period to 30 June 2027. An amendment will be required to confirm progression to the final phase of the contract.
The main recipients of the services will be women, girls and boys experiencing and/or at risk of violence in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Indirect recipients are expected to include low- and middle-income country governments, multilateral and bilateral agencies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders designing, implementing and investing in policy and programming on VAWG and VAC prevention.
Delivery may require visits to both fragile and non-fragile regions with the supplier(s) responsible for the Duty of Care of all personnel and any third part supply partners.
The expected outcomes of the overall programme, as defined in the Business Case, are as follows:
i. A measurable reduction in VAWG and VAC in the development and humanitarian contexts in which the programme operates, including for the most marginalised women and girls. Of projects subject to an impact evaluation, we expect the majority to show an appreciable reduction in violence attributable to the project.
ii. An expanded global base of knowledge and evidence on what works to prevent VAWG and VAC across development and humanitarian contexts, including how to achieve this at scale.
iii. Strengthened capacity and will of FCDO, governments, other donors and civil society (including Southern-based organisations) to use evidence to design, implement and evaluate effective violence prevention strategies.
iv. Effective evidence-based violence prevention strategies developed and implemented (new and/or strengthened) by the UK Government, developing country governments, and the international community, demonstrated for example by the use of evidence in policies and programmes, new budget allocation for violence prevention, and increased attention to violence prevention in policy.
The objective of this Research and Evaluation Contract is clearly primarily to deliver outcome (ii) in this list of outcomes (i.e., a strengthened evidence base for VAWG prevention at scale): but the Supplier is expected to work closely with the ISD-managed implementation programme to contribute to the achievement of outcomes i, iii and iv, too.
The expected outcomes will be delivered through the provision of:
• Design, lead and manage a coherent portfolio of research and evaluation activities which address critical gaps in existing knowledge to provide policy-relevant insights and reflect analysis of national and international stakeholders and policy cycles.
• Conduct research into the nature of VAWG and VAC and what works in prevention. The Supplier will deliver the majority of the studies and evaluations (accounting for c. 70% of the £15.9 million research and evaluation contract budget) using skills and resources from within the RPC (i.e., c. £11.13 m).
• the Supplier will design and manage a research grant competition (one or more windows) to identify the best researchers and proposed approaches for the remaining impact evaluations and studies. These competitively-sourced evaluations and studies will have contract values which total c. 30% of the contracted budget for the research and evaluation contract (i.e., c. £4.77 m).
• Develop a strategic and flexible strategy for research uptake and impact
A contract for Programme Design and Implementation of the innovation and scale-up interventions has been procured separately. The two contracts will be coordinated by FCDO to ensure complementarity of the programme’s intervention and research components. The Supplier must fully understand the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Programme Design and Implementation contract and be able to work effectively with the organisations delivering the the Design and Implementation component.
An independent evaluation will also be separately commissioned by FCDO to assess the programme’s performance and provide regular, rapid feedback on management and impact to improve learning and performance during the programme’s lifetime.
A hybrid payment by results model will be used for effective implementation of the support to the What Works to Prevent Violence: Impact at Scale - Research and Evaluation Contract and will link achievement of agreed performance areas and milestones to an agreed payment schedule.
An FCDO standard service contract will be awarded.
Scale up/down is provided for in ToR and contract clauses to allow flexibility to respond to emerging needs.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Technical knowledge & strategic understanding
/ Weighting: 18
Quality criterion: Research approach & methods
/ Weighting: 17
Quality criterion: Team composition & experience
/ Weighting: 15
Quality criterion: Contributing to social value through contract delivery
/ Weighting: 10
Cost criterion: Commercial
/ Weighting: 40
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
15 900 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 84
This contract is subject to renewal: No
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
Envisaged minimum number: 5
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:
As set in the tender pack.
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
The contract includes an extension of up to an additional 42 months beyond the original term of 84 months. The contract includes an option for additional services of the same type to be provided.
There is an option to increase the contract by up to an additional 7950000 GBP over and above the original financial limit of the contract up to a maximum financial limit of 23850000 GBP.
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
II.2.14) Additional information
The supply chain eligibility in relation to both the What Works to Prevent Violence: Impact at Scale. Research and Evaluation and the Programme Design and Implementation Contracts and their respective grant funds is as follows:
• An organisation cannot be a Lead Supplier for both this Contract and the Programme Design and Implementation Contract.
• An organisation cannot be a sub on both this Contract and the Programme Design and Implementation Contract.
• An organisation cannot be a sub on this Contract and a Lead Supplier on the Programme Design and Implementation Contract, or vice versa.
• Organisations that are Lead Suppliers on either this Contract or the Programme Design and Implementation Contract cannot bid for grant funds under either Contract.
• Organisations that are a sub on either this Contract or the Programme Design and Implementation Contract cannot bid for grant funds under either Contract.