Concession award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
authority/entity
I.1) Name and addresses
University of Keele
Procurement Office, Finance Department, Innovation Centre 2, Keele University Science and Innovation Park, Keele
Staffordshire
ST5 5BG
UK
Contact person: Darren Pearce
Telephone: +44 1782734124
E-mail: d.pearce@keele.ac.uk
NUTS: UKG24
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.keele.ac.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofkeele/aspx/Home
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
I.5) Main activity
Education
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Concession Contract for Online Programme Management Partner
Reference number: KU/257/DP/HO/2019
II.1.2) Main CPV code
80300000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Tenders are invited for an online programme management partner (the ‘OPM Partner’) for the University of Keele in accordance with the invitation to tender (ITT) documentation. The services required under the contract are specified in the scope of services in Section 2 of the ITT.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
5 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
12 000 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
80430000
80420000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKG24
Main site or place of performance:
University of Keele.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The University of Keele (the ‘University’) requires an Online programme management Partner (the ‘OPM Partner’) to work in partnership to develop a suite of online/blended Master’s programmes, targeted at the post-experience working professional market in the UK and worldwide. The programmes are to be fully online, but with a possible design that caters for students to attend optional face to face delivery.
The adoption of a highly scalable partnership to target a diverse audience of adult learners across the globe will positively impact a number of the aims of the University’s Strategic Plan. These include increasing diversity, widening participation, improving student satisfaction, increasing completion rates and diversifying income.
The contract for the online programme management partner is a services concession contract. Tenderers should therefore note the following critical contract requirements:
(i) the consideration (payment) to the appointed OPM Partner (‘Concessionaire’) will consist solely in the right to exploit the services that are the subject of the contract. There will be no payment from the University to the concessionaire;
(ii) the University will transfer to the concessionaire the operating risk in exploiting the services.
Your financial model must adhere to the critical contract requirements detailed in ‘i’ and ‘ii’ above. Any tenderer who submits a financial model on a different basis that fails to meet these critical contract requirements will be deemed to have submitted a non-compliant tender and will not be considered further.
The concession contract for the online programme management partner will have an initial 7-year guaranteed term with an option to extend for a further 3-year period. The estimated total value of the concession contract over its duration (including the extension option if this is taken up) is 5 000 000,00 GBP excluding VAT. The University gives no guarantee whatsoever as to the level of business that will be achieved by the appointed OPM Partner (Concessionaire) under the concession contract.
Given the need for one OPM Partner (Concessionaire) to coordinate the delivery of all of the services required, the concession contract has not been divided into lots.
The University is undertaking this procurement in accordance with the 'Light Touch Regime' ('Social and other specific services') — Regulation 19 of the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016 (CCR16).
The tender evaluation is divided into 2 stages — the selection stage evaluation and the award stage evaluation as detailed in the invitation to tender (ITT) documentation.
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Duration in months: 120
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Form of procedure
Award procedure with prior publication of a concession notice
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2019/S 192-467619
Section V: Award of contract
Title: Concession Contract for Online Programme Management Partner
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
07/01/2020
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Higher Ed Partners Ltd
8 Devonshire Square
London
EC2M 4YF
UK
E-mail: steve.hill@higheredpartners.co.uk
NUTS: UKG24
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the concession and main financing terms (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot/concession: 5 000 000.00 GBP
Total value of the concession/lot:
12 000 000.00
GBP
Any other details relevant to the value of the concession according to Art. 8(3) of the directive:
Note: please note that the Total value of the concession is in the range 5 000 000,00 to 12 000 000,00 GBP.
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
Tenderers remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from the tenderer in connection with taking part in this procurement, regardless of whether such costs arise as a direct or indirect consequence of any amendments made to the procurement documents by the University at any time.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court of England and Wales
Royal Courts of Justice, Strand
London
WCA2 2LL
UK
Telephone: +44 2079477882
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.justice.gov.uk
VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
University of Keele
Procurement Office, Finance Department, Innovation Centre 2, Keele University Science and Innovation Park, Keele
Staffordshire
ST5 5BG
UK
Telephone: +44 1782734124
E-mail: d.pearce@keele.ac.uk
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.keele.ac.uk
VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
Any review proceedings should be promptly brought to the attention of the Director of Finance of the University at the address provided above, and will be dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016 (CCR16). Any review proceedings must be brought within the timescales specified by the applicable law, including without limitation, CCR16. In accordance with CCR16, the University will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period from the date information on the award of the contract is communicated to tenderers.
VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
University of Keele
Procurement Office, Finance Department, Innovation Centre 2, Keele University Science and Innovation Park, Keele
Staffordshire
ST5 5BG
UK
Telephone: +44 1782734124
E-mail: d.pearce@keele.ac.uk
Internet address(es)
URL: https://www.keele.ac.uk
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
19/02/2020