This contract is for the Teacher Recruitment Support Service (TRSS), an advisory service that supports both candidates to apply to initial teacher training (ITT).
United Kingdom-Manchester: Education and training services
2016/S 050-082107
Contract notice
Services
Directive 2014/24/EU
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name and addresses
Piccadilly Gate, Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail: Niche.PROGRAMMES@education.gsi.gov.uk
NUTS code: UKInternet address(es):Main address: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
I.3)Communication
I.4)Type of the contracting authority
I.5)Main activity
Section II: Object
II.1.1)Title:
Teacher Recruitment Support Service (TRSS).
II.1.2)Main CPV code
II.1.3)Type of contract
II.1.4)Short description:
This contract is for the Teacher Recruitment Support Service (TRSS), an advisory service that supports both candidates to apply to initial teacher training (ITT) and teachers to return to the profession.
The Provider will offer a personalised service based on the specific needs of each enquirer, to be delivered through inbound calls, webchats, outbound calls, one-to-one advisory services, and via an email and SMS CRM programme.
Each enquirer will be encouraged to convert their initial interest in teaching to an application for teacher training or returning to teaching. The service will provide information on routes into initial teacher training and returning to teaching, and recommend activities that may increase the chance of a successful application.
The service requirements may change over time in response to Government policy.
Estimated value exc VAT: 9 000 000 GBP to 12 000 000 GBP across the 3 year primary contract term (15 000 000 GBP to 20 000 000 GBP including any extension period).
II.1.6)Information about lots
II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)
II.2.3)Place of performance
England.
II.2.4)Description of the procurement:
The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) is an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Education (DfE). Its purpose is to improve the quality of the education and early years workforce and to help schools to help each other improve.
NCTL is responsible for ensuring that enough high quality trainees enter initial teacher training (ITT) and early years teacher training to meet the needs of the sector. It also supports qualified teachers returning to the profession or those who have been awarded qualified teacher status and not gone into teaching.
The new contract.
NCTL is seeking one national provider (or consortium) to support and motivate people to enter teaching careers, either through ITT or through returning to the profession, by providing:
— A first point of contact and advice for anyone interested in a teaching career, via telephone and webchat.
— One-to-one support from dedicated advisors for eligible candidates who want to train to teach shortage subjects.
— A targeted advisory service for qualified teachers looking to return to the profession in designated subjects.
— A database of those who have registered their interest in training or returning to teaching. NCTL will issue targeted emails and request outbound calls to registered candidates as part of its marketing campaign, delivered through the service provider.
— Support for the School Experience Programme (SEP) through an online portal that gives potential trainee teachers easy access to schools offering classroom experience.
— Social media support for NCTL recruitment and marketing activity, responding to online enquiries and encouraging candidates to register with the service.
— Support to school leaders for applications to become designated as a Teaching School or System Leader
The service will give NCTL a means of providing accurate, impartial and consistent messages about ITT and teaching; this enables candidates to then explore which ITT provider or school they wish to apply to. It also enables NCTL to highlight government priorities and messaging to drive teacher recruitment, particularly in shortage subjects.
The indicative value range for the primary contract term (3 years) is 9 000 000 GBP to 12 000 000 GBP inclusive of all expenses but exclusive of VAT. It is anticipated that the contract would be awarded in June 2016, with delivery of the contract commencing from 1.9.2016. The primary term would run from September 2016 to August 2019. Subject to satisfactory contractor performance; ministerial agreement; and availability of funding, there will be an option to extend the contract for up to 2 academic years. Any extension would run from September 2019 to August 2020 for 1 year, and from September 2020 to August 2021 for a further year.
The service is provided to support candidates who are interested in applying for teacher training at English training providers and schools, and teachers who are looking to return to the English state school sector. This includes taking enquiries from candidates who are not domiciled in England. The service does not support recruitment to teacher training outside of England.
The annual volume of people using the service is high; detailed indicative volumes are listed in the Specification document.
Channel Indicative volumes
Inbound Calls 81 000
Decision Maker Contacts 61 000
Webchats Handled 34 000
The service makes an important contribution to boosting the number of successful applicants in shortage subject areas. From September 2014 to August 2015 it enabled 4 027 candidates to gain school experience prior to submitting an application to ITT. Over the same period, one-to-one advisors supported 7 761 candidates in hard to fill subjects.
NCTL will be looking for innovative proposals in line with government expectations in securing greater value for money.
II.2.5)Award criteria
II.2.6)Estimated value
II.2.7)Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Subject to satisfactory contractor performance; ministerial agreement; and availability of funding, there will be an option to extend the contract for up to 2 academic years. Any extension would run from September 2019 to August 2020 for 1 year, and from September 2020 to August 2021 for a further year.
II.2.10)Information about variants
II.2.11)Information about options
II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
II.2.14)Additional information
Contract period 39 months (from award of contract (anticipated June 2016). Should the optional extension be taken up (subject to satisfactory contractor performance; ministerial agreement; and availability of funding) the duration would be to August 2021, or 63 months in total from the date of the award; although this may be subject to change in accordance with the Terms and Conditions.
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1.1)Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
Bidders can be a Company, Prime Contractor, Joint Venture, or Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). In the event that a consortia bid is successful the Authority will anticipate the creation of an appropriate legal vehicle/SPV to provide satisfaction on capacity.
If the potential supplier bidding for the requirement is part of a consortium joint venture or SPV, the Authority will require full details of the consortium joint venture or SPV.
Potential suppliers should provide details of the actual or proposed percentage shareholding of the constituent members within the consortium in a separate attachment. If a consortium is not proposing to form a corporate entity, full details of alternative proposed arrangements should be provided in the attachment. Please note that NCTL reserves the right to require a successful consortium to form a single legal entity once they have been awarded the contract, in accordance with regulation 19 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015).
The Authority recognises that arrangements in relation to consortia may (within limits) be subject to future change. Potential consortia should therefore respond in the light of the arrangements as currently envisaged. Potential consortia are reminded that any future proposed change in relation to consortia must be notified to the Authority so that it can make a further assessment by applying the selection criteria to the new information provided.
If an SPV formed by a single organisation to separate liabilities from the parent company then NCTL would require a parent company guarantee.
III.1.2)Economic and financial standing
III.1.3)Technical and professional ability
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
IV.1.8)Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
IV.2.1)Previous publication concerning this procedure
IV.2.2)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
IV.2.4)Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted:
IV.2.7)Conditions for opening of tenders
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1)Information about recurrence
VI.3)Additional information:
NCTL reserves the right in its absolute discretion to abandon, terminate or suspend any or all of this procurement at any time. Further:
— NCTL does not bind itself to enter into any contract(s) arising out of the procedures envisaged by this contract notice;
— no contractual rights express or implied arise out of this contract notice or the procedures envisaged by it;
— NCTL reserves the right to vary its requirements and the procedure relating to the conduct of the award process; and
— NCTL reserves the right to amend dates and deadlines and to update the procurement timetable. Applicants and Tenderers will be notified as appropriate.
Bid costs — Applicants shall be fully responsible for and liable for all costs associated with and arising out of or in connection with responding to this contract notice. In no circumstances shall NCTL be responsible for or liable to any applicant for any cost incurred by such applicant in responding to this contract notice, any pre-qualification questions or any tender howsoever incurred.
Contract Period.
This notice pertains to the award of a contract with a maximum duration of 63 months expected to be from contract award in June 2016, subject to contract negotiations and subject to the agreement of DfE Ministers. The contract will include initial set up phase following contract award ahead of the service delivery date of 1 September 2016.
NCTL/DfE reserves the right to terminate, or reduce the scope of, any agreement should funding be withdrawn, changed or there is a significant change in government policy relating to the delivery of the programme and outputs required as part of this contract, by giving 3 months’ notice.
Registration for the procurement.
This procurement will be run through an e-procurement system named REDIMO2. REDIMO2 is NCTL’s e-procurement system, used for contracting for most works, goods and services that are awarded following an electronic competitive tendering process.
To participate in this procurement (RFX137) you will need to register on REDIMO2 (If you are not already). Please register at: https://www.gov.uk/nctl-e-procurement-system-Redimo2
Please e-mail our helpdesk commercial.admin@education.gsi.gov.uk if you have any queries with registering your details on REDIMO2.
Once the Invitation to Bid is launched it will be visible for bidders to respond.
This Invitation to Bid will be launched on 10.3.2016.
All Tender documentation will be made available from REDIMO and Bidders should ensure that they have read all documentation prior to submitting a response.
All bidders will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement before certain sensitive/in confidence documents can be released via REDIMO.
Where appropriate, the successful bidder will be required to deliver a Deed of Guarantee at the same time as the execution of the Agreement.
VI.4.1)Review body
Manchester
M1 2WD
UNITED KINGDOM
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice: