Social and other specific services – concessions
Prior information notice
Section I: Contracting
authority/entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Qualifications Wales
Q2 Building, Pencarn Lane, Imperial Park
Newport
NP10 8AR
UK
Telephone: +44 1633373205
E-mail: Procurement@qualificationswales.org
NUTS: UKL2
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.qualificationswales.org
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA41978
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
The development, delivery & award of building services & construction qualifications
Reference number: QW181913
II.1.2) Main CPV code
80000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
This is a call for competition to commission an awarding body or consortium of awarding bodies to develop a suite of Building Services and Construction qualifications (the Qualifications) to meet the needs of learners in Wales from age 16 upwards and address the issues raised during the Qualifications Wales' sector review 'Building the Future'.
https://qualificationswales.org/media/3176/building-the-future.pdf
These qualifications must be ready for first teaching in colleges and work-based learning environments from September 2021.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
8 262 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
80210000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKL2
Main site or place of performance:
Centres (further education colleges and work-based learning providers) across Wales
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Chapter 13 of 'Building the Future', the report on the sector review of Qualifications and the Qualification System in Construction and the Built Environment (“the Report”), sets out the options for reformed qualifications and proposed assessment methods.
The qualifications we are proposing to commission under this concession contract are:
Foundation qualification in Building Services
Foundation qualification in Construction
These qualifications will be designed to be taken by learners aged 16-19 as the main qualification on the first year of a full-time FE building services or construction programme. The qualifications will provide learners with broad-based knowledge and understanding about the building services or construction industry as a whole, will develop softer-skills and will enable them to begin to develop practical skills in a chosen trade or trades, while also having some experience of at least one other trade.
Progression qualification in Building Services
Progression qualification in Construction
These qualifications will be designed to be taken by learners aged 16-19 within FE who have completed the Foundation Qualification in either Building Services or in Construction. These qualifications will enable learners to develop their knowledge and skills either in a single trade or in more than one trade in line with the National Occupational Standards. The aim is to increase their readiness to enter an apprenticeship after two years in further education.
The Progression qualifications will include an online assessment of core knowledge and understanding.
We are working on the basis that both the Foundation and Progression Qualifications will be at Level 2.
Apprenticeship qualification in Construction
Apprenticeship qualification in Building Services
The level 3 Apprenticeship qualifications (with a number of different trade-specific endorsements) will be designed to provide a framework for the assessment of apprentices at the end of their apprenticeship.
Assessment for the Apprenticeship qualification comprises a work-based project, an externally assessed professional discussion and an online test. In order to take the assessment, the employer must sign-off the apprentice’s completion of the apprenticeship by performing against all core National Occupational Standards (or equivalent) for the trade. Employer sign-off is not part of the qualification but is a pre-requisite for taking the assessment.
Note: Within Building the Future we also discussed proposed qualifications for learners aged 14 to 16 mainly in schools and those aged 16 to 19 primarily for progression to higher education. These qualifications are not within the scope of the concession contract. We are proposing to develop approval criteria with a view to approving one or more versions of these qualifications – a GCSE and a GCE AS/A Level in Built Environment - for use in Wales. Awarding bodies, including those participating in the procurement process, will also be at liberty to submit qualifications for approval in line with the approval criteria.
II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT:
8 262 000.00
GBP
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Start:
01/07/2019
End:
31/08/2033
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.2) Conditions related to the contract
III.2.2) Contract performance conditions
Only awarding bodies recognised by Qualifications Wales will be able to deliver this contract therefore interested parties must either already be recognised awarding bodies or achieve recognition by Qualifications Wales within 30 working days from the notification of intention to award a contract.
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
07/12/2018
Local time: 17:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
The estimated value of the contract has been calculated by estimating fees per qualification as stated in the background document provided with the procurement documents on etenderwales. The fees do not take into account centre registration fees or re-sits.
The total contract value is based upon the restricted approved qualification period of seven years when the successful bidder will have the exclusive right to deliver the Qualifications.
Duration:
Contract start to 31 August 2021:Development & implementation.
1 September 2021 to 31 August 2028: Exclusivity period
1 September 2028 to 31 August 2030: Run off period for Foundation & Progression Qualifications (option to extend for up to a further 2 years in line with the Apprenticeship Qualification).
1 September 2028 to 31 August 2032: Run off period for Apprenticeships.
1 September 2032 to 30 August 2033: Option to extend for up to a further 12 months.
Qualifications Wales is undertaking a multi-stage procurement process via etenderwales to include a selection / outline solution stage and competitive dialogue followed by final bids.
We reserve the right to review whether the contract will be divided into lots following the Dialogue stage prior to inviting final bids.
Instructions for submitting an expression of interest / completing the outline solution / selection questionnaire:
1. Interested organisations should register on etenderwales at https://etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk
2. Once registered, you must express an interest as follows:
a. login to etenderwales
b. select ‘ITT’
c. select ‘ITTs Open to All Suppliers’
d. access the listing relating to the ITT: itt_71066 — Commissioning of building services and construction qualifications
e. click on ‘Express Interest’ button
f. once you have expressed interest, the ITT will move to ‘my ITTs’ where you can download and where you
can construct your reply.
g. you must publish your reply using the ‘publish’ button
h. for any support in submitting your ITT, please contact the etenderwales help desk on 0800 3684852
i. A pre-recorded webinar is planned to be issued on 13 November 2018 to organisations that have expressed an interest in bidding on etenderwales to explain the process. Further
details will be provided via etenderwales.
NOTE: The authority is using eTenderwales to carry out this procurement process. To obtain further information record your interest on Sell2Wales at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/search_switch.aspx?ID=86630
Under the terms of this contract the successful supplier(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits in support of the authority’s economic and social objectives. Accordingly, contract performance conditions may relate in particular to social and environmental considerations. The Community Benefits included in this contract are:
We will use open book contract management to identify surpluses from the contract revenue the use of which Qualifications Wales will agree with the contractor to benefit learners, qualifications and / or the qualifications system in Wales.
(WA Ref:86630)
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Qualifications Wales
Q2 Building, Pencarn Lane, Imperial Park
Newport
NP10 8AR
UK
Telephone: +44 1633373205
Internet address(es)
URL: http://www.qualificationswales.org
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
29/10/2018