Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Nottinghamshire County Council
County Hall, Loughborough Road Westbridgford
Nottinghamshire
NG2 7QP
UK
Contact person: Mrs Katie Greenhalgh
Telephone: +44 1159774761
E-mail: katie.greenhalgh@nottscc.gov.uk
NUTS: UKF15
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Specialist Education Framework Phase 1 – Independent Non-Maintained Special Schools Round 3
Reference number: DN756213
II.1.2) Main CPV code
80340000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Nottinghamshire County Council (the Council) is seeking to add further Independent non-maintained Special Schools (INMSS) to a new Framework Agreement under which the Council are looking to commission INMSS and Post-16 (where the provision is delivered in house by the school) provision of specialist school placements for pupils who are not attending mainstream or maintained special schools and who have an Education Health Care (EHC) Plan. This will replace the current Independent / non-maintained special schools Approved Provider List for Nottinghamshire (NAPL).
All Providers currently delivering or intending to deliver services detailed within the updated Specification (Part 4 – Specification) must apply to be on the new Framework Agreement as the current provider list (NAPL) will come to an end on the 31st of December 2024.
This initial phase of the framework will have two lots under which the Council can make specialist school placements (See paragraph 5 below for further details). In Lot 1 commissioners will put in place block contracts with providers and Lot 2 will see the establishment of an approved INMSS provider list
This process is the reopening of the framework for new providers to bid to join the new INMSS framework and is the third tender round. This tender round is only open to bid to join the INMSS Approved Provider List which is Lot 2 of the Framework Agreement. The Council are not re-opening Lot 1 Block Contract in this tender round. Any providers who were unsuccessful in the previous tender rounds (1 and 2) for Lot 2 can reapply in this tender round (3).
ANY PROVIDERS WHO HAVE ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED IN PREVIOUS TENDER ROUNDS AND HAVE BEEN AWARDED A PLACE ON THE FRAMEWORK DO NOT NEED TO APPLY AGAIN IN THIS TENDER ROUND.
To register your interest in this tender and to view the tender documents, the tender is
published on https://www.eastmidstenders.org/
Reference DN756213
The closing date for all tenders is the 28th of January 2025 at 5.00pm.
Please note that a standstill period of 10 days will commence from the notification of the
contract award.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
Yes
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
250 000 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
Lot No: 2
II.2.1) Title
Lot 2 Approved INMSS Provider List
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
80000000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKF15
UKF16
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) 'the Council' ran an open tender process in accordance with the light touch regime of the Public Procurement regulations 2015 to establish a new framework for Specialist Education.
This lot will see the addition of further approved INMSS to the INMSS provider list for placements. This provider list became effective from the 1st of January 2025 from which placements can be commissioned.
Bidders that are successful in demonstrating that they are able to meet the Council’ standards, as set out in the service specification, will be added to the Approved INMSS Provider List and will be subsequently invited to offer places that match the needs of the children and young people.
The term of the framework agreement will be for a period of 5 years and will commence from 01 January 2025 to the 31 December 2029. There is potential to extend this Framework Agreement for up to a further 6 years in increments of 24 months.
The tender was published on https://www.eastmidstenders.org/: Reference DN756213
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Service Delivery
/ Weighting: 30
Quality criterion: Resilient Workforce
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Service Improvement
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Physical and Sensory Environment
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Preparing for Adulthood and Transitions
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Social Value
/ Weighting: 10
Price
/ Weighting:
0
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
Yes
Description of options:
There are three optional extensions to the framework agreement each of 24 months, a total of 6 years
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
There are three optional extensions to the framework agreement each of 24 months, a total of 6 years.
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
In the case of framework agreements, provide justification for any duration exceeding 4 years:
The initial term of the framework agreement is for five years and will end on the 31st December 2029. There is potential to extend this Framework Agreement for up to a further six years in increments of twenty four months. This process is a competitive procurement conducted in accordance with the Light Touch Regime Regulations 74 to 77 of the Public Procurement Regulations 2015, the subject matter is Specialist Education for children and young people with special education needs who have an Education Health Care Plan and the extended duration of the Framework Agreement is justified due to the type of service being sourced and the nature of the market. This is to ensure continuity in the provision of specialist education school places for the children and young people and to minimise disruption to the children and young people
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
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2025/S 000-002657
Section V: Award of contract
Lot No: 2
Contract No: DN756213
Title: Specialist Education Framework Phase 1 – Independent Non-Maintained Special Schools Round 3
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
30/06/2025
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 5
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received from tenderers from EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 5
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
Yes
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Autism East Midlands
Unit 31, Crags Industrial Estate, Morven Street
Creswell
S80 4AJ
UK
NUTS: UKE3
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Esland North Limited
Milford
Belper
DE56 0RN
UK
NUTS: UKF13
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Witherslack Group Ltd
Lupton
Cumbria
LA6 2PR
UK
NUTS: UKD
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Woodside Group
Mountsorrel
Leicestershire
LE12 7AT
UK
NUTS: UKF
The contractor is an SME:
Yes
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot:
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 250 000 000.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
The Royal Courts of Justice
The Strand
London
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
10/09/2025