Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
UK
Contact person: Jess Roberts
E-mail: jess.roberts@education.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
I.3) Communication
Access to the procurement documents is restricted. Further information can be obtained at:
https://education.app.jaggaer.com/
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://education.app.jaggaer.com/
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
I.5) Main activity
Education
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
15,000,000
II.1.2) Main CPV code
80000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Regular attendance at school is vital for children’s education, wellbeing, and long-term development. Improving attendance is a priority. Support for pupils who are persistently absent was also the subject of a recent education select committee enquiry: Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils - Committees - UK Parliament. The Department is currently piloting a 3-year intensive mentoring programme in 5 priority education investment areas (PEIAs), delivering attendance mentoring support for pupils in areas with high levels of persistent absence. We are now looking into options to expand this pilot programme into more PEIAs.
The Department for Education is seeking to appoint a Supplier to deliver targeted, responsive, one-to-one support for at least 10,800 persistently and severely absent pupils across 10 Priority Education Investment Areas (PEIA). The successful Supplier would be expected to train mentors to be able to support pupils and families on a one-to-one basis with the intention of understanding barriers to the pupils attendance and supporting the pupil and family to resolve this. This support should be responsive to the individuals needs and may be delivered in the school, or in the pupil’s home. Depending on the pupil need, trained practitioners may also be expected to work with external local agencies to ensure all support to a particular family or pupil is aligned and drives towards overcoming attendance barriers. Mentor work could also involve working closely with families to support better engagement in education. The successful Supplier will also need to work with evaluators to evidence the impact of the support throughout the project lifecycle.
The initial contract period is for 29 months for delivery over 2 academic years plus the set up period, assuming that the contract will be signed in June 2024, to allow for implementation and mobilisation activities ahead of delivery commencing in October 2024 and conclude in October 2026. This initial contract period may vary slightly in duration if contract signature is delayed for any reason. There will be an option to extend for a further 12 months at the Department’s sole discretion.
Continuation of the contract into academic years 2 and 3 will be subject to satisfactory performance. The maximum contract length would be 3 academic years of delivery plus the set up period.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
15 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
80200000
80310000
80532000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
To register your interest to tender and view the tender documents, you will need to be registered as a supplier on the DfE Jaggaer eTendering portal, available at
https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
Once registered the information will be accessible via the ‘View Opportunities’ link on the Homepage. Select the Opportunity Notice for Attendance Mentors Pilot Expansion; (ITT_2848) and this will take you directly to the live tender. The closing date for submitting your tender is 2pm 25th March 2024.
A Bidder Engagement Event will be held on Tuesday 5th March 2024 14:30 - 15:30 to provide an overview of the procurement requirements. This will be an online event hosted on Microsoft Teams. To register for the event please confirm the name of your organisation, name of attendee and email address via the Jaggaer messaging forum by 12pm NOON 4th March 2024. The invite will be circulated the day before the event.
If you cannot / or do not intend to attend the Bidder Event, we would welcome your comments/questions via Jaggaer by 4th March, 12pm. Please use the Jaggaer e-procurement system https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html to submit any questions you may have about the requirements and tendering procedure at this time.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
15 000 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
12/06/2024
End:
30/10/2026
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
The contractual term is set to expire in October 2026 with a possible extension of up to one year. Any extension will be subject to satisfactory performance during the initial contract term, please refer to the Award Form of the Contract for further information
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
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
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2023/S 000-034747
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
25/03/2024
Local time: 14:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 6 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
25/03/2024
Local time: 14:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strands
London
WC2A 2LL
UK
VI.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:
The Authority will incorporate a voluntary minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on the award of the Contract is communicated to Potential Suppliers. Potential Suppliers who are unsuccessful shall be informed by the Authority as soon as possible after the decision has been made as to the reasons why they were unsuccessful. If any clarification regarding the award of the Contract has not been successfully resolved, The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015 No. 102) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by breach of the regulations to take legal action
Any such action must be brought within the applicable limitation period. Where a contract has not been entered into, the Court may order the setting aside of the award decision or order the Authority to amend any document and may award damages.
If a contract has been entered into the Court may, depending on the circumstances, award damages, make a declaration of ineffectiveness, order the Authority to pay a fine, and/or order that the duration of the contract be shortened. The purpose of the voluntary standstill period referred to above is to allow the parties to apply to the Courts to set aside the award decision before the Contract is entered into.
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
22/02/2024