II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ
UKK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
South Hampshire College Group
Adult Skills Funding Subcontractor Procurement (Adult Skills Core non-devolved only)
We are pleased to confirm the start of our open procurement for the period October 2024 through to July 2025. Our approach is aligned with recent changes made to subcontracting requirements by the ESFA. The procurement is following the light-touch regime outlined in regulations 74 to 77 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015.
Contracts will cover one academic year (2024/25) Our focus is predominantly on localised delivery within Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, where provision is either significantly different to qualifications already offered by the College or bridging gaps between existing qualifications offered by the College. Provision should be wholly aligned to the following Sector Subject Area's, with those sectors identified as a high priority to the College being scored more favourably:
• Accounting & finance
• Administration
• Building & construction (high priority)
• Business management
• Child development & wellbeing (high priority)
• Crafts, creative arts & designs
• Engineering
• Environmental conservation
• Foundations for learning & life
• Health & social care (high priority)
• Hospitality & catering
• ICT for users (high priority)
• ICT for practitioners (high priority)
• Law & legal services
• Manufacturing technologies
• Marketing & Sales
• Media & communications
• Preparation for work (high priority)
• Public services
• Retailing and wholesaling
• Science
• Sport, leisure and recreation
• Teaching and lecturing
• Transportation operations and maintenance (aviation, maritime and rail focused only) (high priority)
• Travel and tourism
• Warehousing and distribution
• English, English as a second language or maths only where this provision is offered as a secondary qualification alongside any of the provision listed above
The College has a particular interest in subcontracting provision that compliments rather than duplicates provision delivered at its own campuses, or through its online provision. Where delivery would take place outside of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, the College will consider provision that duplicates that delivered by its own campuses or online provision.
The College is seeking to procure up to five suitable training providers to deliver non-devolved Adult Skills Core funded training in line with our subcontracting policy and the ESFA's published guidance.
The maximum aggregate value of funds available will be up to £825,000 for the 2024/25 academic year in line with the timings stipulated in our ESFA allocation breakdown (August-March and April-July).
The timeline for the procurement is as follows:
• 05th August 2024: Procurement Launch at 12.00pm
• 16th August 2024: Closing date for PQQ/EOI and Due Diligence Check List returns. All submissions must be received no later than 6pm.
• 19th August 2024 to 23rd August 2024: Initial shortlisting and scoring.
• 23rd August 2024: Outcome of initial shortlisting and scoring to be confirmed. Up to 10 organisations will be shortlisted to progress to the next stage of the procurement process.
• 26th August 2024 to 13th September 2024: Interview Panels, Due Diligence document submissions and financial health scoring for organisations on the initial shortlist.
• 16th September to 19th September 2024: Final shortlisting and scoring.
• 20th September 2024: Procurement Conclusion and awards.
• 23rd September 2024 to 04th October 2024: Standstill period (10 working days)
• 07th October 2024: Contracts to be issued electronically for signing
• 08th October 2024: Contracts start date for 2024/25
Key procurement requirements
• We are only seeking to subcontract provision that is wholly aligned to the Sector Subject Areas (SSA's) stated above. Procurement submissions for subject areas outside of our stated specialism will be excluded and not scored.
o Providers with a current full inspection (within the past 3 years) outcome of 'outstanding' or 'good' will score higher.
o Monitoring visit judgements of 'reasonable' and 'significant' progress will also score positively.
o Providers whose most recent full inspection outcome is 'inadequate' or whose most recent monitoring visit report includes one or more 'insufficient progress' judgments will be excluded from this procurement process.
o We will consider training providers with no standing Ofsted grade.
• Though Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are our key target areas for delivery and will score more favourably than provision outside of these geographic areas, procurement submissions for provision to be delivered in our neighbouring counties (Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex) will also be considered. Provision delivered beyond those counties will only be considered if delivery is undertaken online or in line with our policy.
• The College will retain 20% of the funding drawn down against the provision to be delivered. This figure represents the total cost that the College incurs in effectively identifying, selecting and managing all subcontracted provision. This figure also includes the minimum amount of quality management that the college would attach to the lowest possible risk subcontractor. Our intent is to only collaborate with the best training providers who share our commitment to excellence, and whose curriculum is aligned to the stated Sectors Subject Areas (SSA's) and regional demands.
• However, contracts will have a clause that will allow us to increase the level of funding retained should our costs increase due to subcontractor underperformance. This fee increase will be a result of subcontractor underperformance which will result in a formal notice to improve (NTI) being issued. An NTI will trigger College intervention which will increase our expected costs of managing the contract.
• Successful organisations will be required to spend their allocation in prescribed stages across the academic year, while adhering to targets in both spend and learner recruitment numbers.
• The College expects that all learners funded via a subcontract will have started their learning no later than June 30th 2025.
• The College will not be procuring for Tailored Learning, funding for innovative provisions or Free courses for jobs (FCFJ). This procurement is for Adult Skills Core provision only.
• We are looking for entry level, level 1 and level 2 qualifications only. The College reserves the right to consider level 3 qualifications only where they are distinctly different to existing College provision, delivered within Hampshire and there is a proven local skills need.
• Successful organisations will need to evidence a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Successful organisations will need to evidence a commitment to environmental sustainability and carbon reduction.
All communications and submissions should be sent to: subcontracting@shcg.ac.uk
II.2.5) Award criteria
Cost criterion: Quality & Compliance
/ Weighting: 25%
Cost criterion: Financial Health
/ Weighting: 25%
Cost criterion: Proposal
/ Weighting: 25%
Cost criterion: Demographics
/ Weighting: 25%
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No