Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
West College Scotland
Renfrew Road
Paisley
PA3 4DR
UK
Contact person: Claire Earnshaw
Telephone: +44 3006006060
E-mail: procurement@wcs.ac.uk
NUTS: UKM83
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.westcollegescotland.ac.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00465
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/esop/pts-host/public/pts/web/login.html
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/esop/pts-host/public/pts/web/login.html
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
Framework Agreement for Provision of Online Training Courses with Learner Management System
Reference number: WCS 20/155
II.1.2) Main CPV code
80420000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
This Framework Agreement for the provision of online training courses with learning platform will include the following;
- provision of suitable approved online training courses with supplementary learning materials where relevant;
- sourcing and enrolling eligible learners for the College; and
- an effective, user-friendly Learner Management System to track progress and encourage learners to submit their initial assignment
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
6 000 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
80530000
80521000
80531000
80510000
48931000
72212931
80500000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKM83
Main site or place of performance:
This requirement is to be delivered online.
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
West College are looking to appoint a number of Service Providers to a multi-supplier framework agreement for the provision of online training courses with learning platform.
This requirement is anticipated to include:
- assisting the College to source and enrol eligible learners
- providing approved online learning resources (with supplementary learning materials where relevant)
– providing a Learner Management System to track progress and encourage learners to submit their initial assignment
Service providers are also expected to provide the following services as part of the contract:
- Promotion of the College portfolio of online courses to appropriate target audiences
-Sourcing learners from the West Region of Scotland
-Ensuring learners are tracked through the College enrolment process
-Engaging learners through welcome and introduction activity
–Ensuring that learners are inspired to continue beyond the initial learning milestones
-Tracking learner progress throughout learner journey and liaise with the College
-Liaising with the College on agreed target audiences to ensure planned and effective marketing and promotion campaigns
- Management of payment information to staff marking courses
- E-certification system built in for all courses to include creation, dissemination and reporting on certification process
- A system that includes API Integration Functionality. This should supporting bi-directional integration (via open API) to enable real-time updates between the Learning Management System and the College’s Management Information System (MIS), including:
Inputs: Automatic syncing of student enrolments from the College’s MIS into the LMS
Outputs: Submission of learner progress, attendance, and assessment records to the College’s MIS for compliance and reporting
A wide range of courses is required as detailed in section 3.1 of the Specification of Requirements.
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement with several operators.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: As detailed in the ITT documents
/ Weighting: 60
Price
/ Weighting:
40
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
6 000 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 24
This contract is subject to renewal: Yes
Description of renewals:
West College Scotland reserves the right to extend the Framework Agreement twice, for a period of up to 12 months each time, subject to satisfactory performance and continued Authority requirements.
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
II.2.14) Additional information
Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions:
Where it is required, within a bidder’s country of establishment they must confirm which authorisation or memberships of the relevant organisation(s) are required in order to perform this service.
Bidders must confirm if they hold the particular authorisation or membership.
III.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria:
Bidders will be required to have a minimum yearly “general” turnover of (1,000,000) GBP for the last 3 years.
Bidders who cannot meet the required level of turnover will be excluded from this tender.
It is a requirement of this contract that bidders hold, or can commit to obtain prior to the commence of any subsequently awarded contract,
the types and levels of insurance indicated below:
Professional Risk Indemnity: GBP 2 Million
Employer's (Compulsory) Liability: GBP 5 Million
Public Liability: GBP 5 Million
3rd Party Motor Vehicle Insurance
A valid motor vehicle certificate must be held in the company name or (where there is no fleet but rather the company permits its employees to use their personal vehicles for business purposes), a letter signed by a person of appropriate authority - confirming that the company has ongoing arrangements in place to ensure their employees' vehicles are appropriately insured and maintained.
III.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria:
Bidders are required to provide 3 examples of services carried out in the past 5 years that demonstrates they have the relevant experience to deliver the services described in the Contract Notice. The services must be of a similar size and scope that demonstrate delivery of service spread of curriculum areas.
Unsatisfactory experience will result in exclusion from the tender process.
Bidders are required to confirm whether they intend to subcontract and, if so, for what proportion of the contract.
Bidders who intend to subcontract more than 25% to any individual organisation must ensure the SPD (Scotland) - Subcontractors Supplier Response is completed and uploaded at question 2D.1.2 of the qualification envelope.
Please provide details of the environmental management measures which the bidder will be able to use when performing the contracts:
Bidders will be required to provide assurance that their organisation has taken steps to build their awareness of the climate change emergency and how they will respond. Accepted evidence includes but is not limited to:
- a completed copy of the Bidder ‘relevant contract’ Climate Change Plan Template, including planned projects and actions to reduce the bidder’s carbon emissions.
III.2) Conditions related to the contract
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement with several operators.
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 3
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:
2025/S 000-003726
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
15/05/2025
Local time: 16:00
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: 3 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
15/05/2025
Local time: 16:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
Yes
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
Estimated timing for further notices to be published:
March 2029
VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
VI.3) Additional information
Quality Management Procedures
1. The bidder must hold a UKAS (or equivalent) accredited independent 3rd-party certificate of compliance in accordance with BS EN ISO 9001 (or equivalent) or a documented policy regarding quality management, see attachment at SPD question 4D.1.
H&S Procedures
1. The bidder must hold a UKAS (or equivalent), accredited independent 3rd-party certificate of compliance in accordance with BS OHSAS 18001 (or equivalent) or have, within the last 12 months, successfully met the assessment requirements of a construction-related scheme in registered membership of the Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) forum.
OR,
4a The bidder must have a regularly reviewed and documented policy for Health and Safety (H&S) management, endorsed by the Chief Executive Officer, or equivalent. The policy must be relevant to the nature and scale of the work and set out responsibilities for H&S management at all levels within the organisation. The policy must be relevant to the nature and scale of your operations and set out your company’s responsibilities of health and safety management and compliance with legislation.
Note - Organisations with fewer than 5 employees are not required by law to have a documented policy statement.
4b. A documented process demonstrating the bidder’s arrangements for ensuring that H&S measures are effective in reducing/preventing incidents, occupational ill-health and accidents. This must provide details of the arrangements for H&S management that are relevant to the nature and scales of the requirement.
Environmental Management Procedures
1. The bidder must hold a UKAS (or equivalent) accredited independent 3rd-party certificate of compliance in accordance with BS EN ISO 14001 (or equivalent) or a valid EMAS (or equivalent) certificate or the bidder must have a regularly reviewed documented policy regarding environmental management, see attachment-SPD question 4D.2.
Data hosting
If the data is to be hosted in a Country out-with the EEA, and is not included in the ICO’s ‘adequate’ list, the relevant safeguards must be in place. Detail of where the data is to be hosted and any safeguards (if required) must be provided. If the bidder does not demonstrate that the relevant safeguards are in place (if required) their bid will be non-compliant and not proceed any further.
Alignment to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA Standard or newer
Full accessibility across the system is required to meet the most up-to-date WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) minimum of 2.2 AA Standard as well as the latest UK Government Guidance on the accessibility requirements for public sector bodies or evidence (statement) of working towards those regulations. Bidders who cannot evidence this through provision of a relevant Accessibility Statement will fail. Their bid will be deemed non-compliant and not proceed further.
Awarding Bodies
Bidders must state all Awarding Bodies they will work with for the delivery of these requirements. Where a bidder has a plan to work with an Awarding Body they must provide a timeline to achieving the relevant accreditation.
If the bidder does not clearly confirm this their bid will be non-compliant and not proceed any further in the evaluation.
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 59043. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
A sub-contract clause has been included in this contract. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2363
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
Please see the following examples of acceptable Community Benefits:
- Internships on Digital learning
- Work experience in relevant industry
(SC Ref:797026)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Glasgow Sheriff Court
PO Box 23 1 Carlton Place
Glasgow
G5 9DA
UK
VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
Glasgow Sheriff Court
PO Box 23 1 Carlton Place
Glasgow
G5 9DA
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
28/04/2025