Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
UK
E-mail: CommercialQueries.FAMILIES@education.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
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
Delivery Partner Support Contract – Early Years and Wraparound Childcare
Reference number: itt_2654
II.1.2) Main CPV code
73000000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The purpose of this procurement is to provide the requirements for a contract to provide specialist support for local authorities (LAs) to enable them to deliver:
a) their Early Years (EY) and wraparound childcare sufficiency duties;
b) the expansion to the EY entitlements announced at the 2023 Spring Budget; and
c) the wraparound childcare programme announced at the 2023 Spring Budget.
II.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT:
6 850 000.00
GBP
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
No
II.2) Description
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
75100000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
LAs are integral to the delivery of these programmes but require additional support to ensure they are in the best possible position to provide flexible and appropriate childcare in their areas. This tender seeks innovative bids from Potential Suppliers able to provide LAs with the advice, guidance and support they need to implement the reforms in their areas and overcome any challenges that could hinder implementation.
The successful Supplier will support 153 LAs (Unitary, Metropolitan Boroughs, London Boroughs, and County Councils). The contract covers England only.
The Supplier will provide expert support for LAs to support them to increase their capacity and expertise to deliver, supporting LAs to meet delivery milestones. This support will sit alongside support and guidance provided by DfE, to ensure LAs are able to meet their sufficiency duties for the expanded EY entitlements and deliver the wraparound childcare programme. All support provided through this contract should enable LAs to sustain activity beyond the life of this contract (i.e., beyond March 2026).
This support contract sits across both EY and the wraparound programme to ensure LAs receive joined-up support across both areas where required, to better enable authorities and DfE to realise synergies across the programmes, and to mitigate potential workload impacts for LAs. Where possible, and where this will support LAs most effectively, the requirements outlined in this section should be delivered jointly between both programmes.
While most requirements across the two programmes are broadly aligned, they differ with regard to the national monitoring of delivery. The wraparound programme requires a national delivery monitoring function involving the regular collection of LAs’ delivery plans. This is because wraparound is a novel programme requiring potentially new activity for LAs, and regular delivery plan submissions are a condition of their grant funding. However, the related EY requirement differs because DfE already collects significant amounts of data about EY delivery and will therefore monitor national readiness and sufficiency in-house, with support and input from the Supplier.
We welcome innovative bids that go beyond the requirements outlined in this specification where that can more effectively support LAs and have developed our scoring criteria with this in mind.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
08/01/2024
End:
31/03/2026
This contract is subject to renewal: No
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:
Yes
Description of options:
Potential 12 month extension option.
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.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
13/11/2023
Local time: 12:00
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
Tender must be valid until:
13/05/2024
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
13/11/2023
Local time: 12:01
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.3) Additional information
We will be holding a bidder engagement event on Thursday 19th October 12:00 – 13:00. Please register your interest via the Jaggaer portal.
This event will focus on our service requirements, specification and commercial approach.
Attendees will have the opportunity to provide feedback and ask clarification questions.
The event will be recorded and made available to anyone unable to attend on the 19th.
Please register for Jaggaer using the URL link below: https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
Once registered, the supplier event area can be accessed by clicking "View Opportunities" on the main page.
Event joining instructions will be issued following an expression of interest. The Jaggaer reference is itt_2654.
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
The Royal Courts of Justice
Strand
London
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
12/10/2023