Secure English Language Testing Services for the Home Office

The Home Office is seeking organisations to act as Concessionaires to provide Secure English Language Testing Services which assess a Candidate’s competency in reading, writing, listening and spoken English between levels A1 to C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

United Kingdom-London: Test and evaluation

2014/S 195-344982

Contract notice

Services

Directive 2004/18/EC

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)

Home Office
2 Marsham Street, 4th floor, Seacole Building
Contact point(s): seltprocurement@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
For the attention of: Moira Barrett
SW1P 4DF London
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 2081964306
E-mail: seltprocurement@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)

Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)

Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)

I.2)Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local sub-divisions

I.3)Main activity

General public services

I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: no

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1)Description

II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:

Secure English Language Testing Services.

II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Services
Service category No 27: Other services
Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: Globally.
NUTS code

II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)

II.1.4)Information on framework agreement

II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

The Home Office is managing a competitive procurement conducted in accordance with voluntary Open Procedure under the Public Contracts Regulations 2006.
The Home Office is seeking organisations to act as Concessionaires to provide Secure English Language Testing Services which assess a Candidate’s competency in reading, writing, listening and spoken English between levels A1 to C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
The scope of the requirement is to provide a service for approximately 400 000 applicants per year either in the United Kingdom or worldwide to be able to take a secure English language test before applying for Entry Clearance from outside the United Kingdom and Islands to enter the UK or Leave to Remain to stay in the United Kingdom. These services include but are not limited to: undertaking original and ongoing
in-depth research into the design and structure of its English language test(s); secure/assured provision of facilities and English language tests; ensuring they are delivered safely and securely in terms of both test environment and test result; undertaking rigorous analysis and assurance measures to identify risks/ issues and reporting these to the Home Office; providing a good level of customer experience to those taking the English language test.

II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

73430000, 75100000, 75130000

II.1.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): no

II.1.8)Lots

This contract is divided into lots: yes
Tenders may be submitted for one or more lots

II.1.9)Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: no

II.2)Quantity or scope of the contract

II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:

The Authority has divided the Service Requirements into those that are required to be delivered in the United Kingdom (UK) and those that are required to be delivered in the Rest of the World (ROW). Bidders will therefore be given an opportunity to bid to deliver the Services in either or both of these locations.
The Authority anticipates awarding:
— A minimum of two Concession Agreements for Services to be delivered in the UK and
— A minimum of two Concession Agreements for Services to be delivered in the ROW.
A single Bidder may be awarded a Concession Agreement in more than one region (i.e. in the UK and in the ROW).

II.2.2)Information about options

Options: no

II.2.3)Information about renewals

II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion

Duration in months: 60 (from the award of the contract)

Information about lots

Lot No: 1Lot title: Global Selt Requirement Excluding UK

1)Short description

The Home Office is seeking organisations to act as Concessionaires to provide Secure English Language Testing Services, excluding the UK (known as Rest of the World (RoW)).

2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

73430000, 75130000, 75100000

3)Quantity or scope

The Home Office invites organisations to bid setting out how they will deliver Secure English Language Testing in the Rest of the World region. Further details on the global locations where the Home Office expects Concessionaires to operate and other key requirements is contained in the Tender Documents and Tender Data Room.

4)Indication about different date for duration of contract or starting/completion

Duration in months: 60 (from the award of the contract)

5)Additional information about lots

Lot No: 2Lot title: United Kingdom SELT Requirement

1)Short description

The Home Office is seeking organisations to act as Concessionaires to provide Secure English Language Testing Services within the United Kingdom.

2)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

73430000, 75130000, 75100000

3)Quantity or scope

The Home Office invites organisations to bid setting out how they will deliver Secure English Language Testing in the United Kingdom (UK). Further details on the ten key UK locations where the Home Office expects Concessionaires to operate and other key requirements is contained in the Tender documents and Tender Data Room.

4)Indication about different date for duration of contract or starting/completion

Duration in months: 60 (from the award of the contract)

5)Additional information about lots

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1)Conditions relating to the contract

III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:

To be advised in the tender documents; Parent Company Guarantee may be required in appropriate circumstances.

III.1.2)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:

To be advised in the ITT.

III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:

To be advised in the ITT.

III.1.4)Other particular conditions

III.2)Conditions for participation

III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Information and formalities necessary for evaluating the requirements are met: Any Bidder maybe disqualified if any of the circumstance listed in Article 45 of the Public Procurement Directive 2004/18/EC (Regulation 23 of the UK Public Contracts Regulation 2006) apply to their organisation and will be asked to complete an appropriate declaration, as part of the formal Tender.

III.2.2)Economic and financial ability

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: The information and formalities necessary to assess whether a bidder qualifies to receive an invitation to tender (RFP) are contained in the questionnaires.

III.2.3)Technical capacity

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
The information required to demonstrate compliance with the minimum standard for reliability having regard to past performance is set out below.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:
The minimum standard for reliability having regard to past performance is that the Authority is satisfied that the contracts/agreements required on the list to be provided have been satisfactorily performed in accordance with their terms or, where that has not occurred, the reason or reasons why that has not occurred in relation to any such contract/agreement, will not recur in the performance of the Concession Agreement to be awarded. In addition the Authority will also re-assess whether this minimum standard prior to identifying the preferred bidder(s) status, and/or the conclusion of the Concession Agreement.

III.2.4)Information about reserved contracts

III.3)Conditions specific to services contracts

III.3.1)Information about a particular profession

Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession: no

III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service

Legal persons should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service: no

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1)Type of procedure

IV.1.1)Type of procedure

Open

IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

IV.1.3)Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

IV.2)Award criteria

IV.2.1)Award criteria

The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document

IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used: no

IV.3)Administrative information

IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:

IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document

IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

22.11.2014 – 11:00

IV.3.5)Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up

English.

IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1)Information about recurrence

VI.2)Information about European Union funds

VI.3)Additional information

The Concession Agreement will have an initial term of 2 years with extensions for up to 3 further periods each of up to 12 months.

The procurement will be managed electronically via the Crown Commercial Service’s eSourcing Suite. To participate in this procurement, participants must first be registered on the eSourcing Suite. If you have not yet registered on the eSourcing Suite, this can be done on-line athttps://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk by following the link ‘Register for CCS eSourcing’.

Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. Full instructions for registration and use of the system can be found athttp://gps.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/i-am– supplier/respond-tender.

Once registered, organisations wishing to take part must send an email to seltprocurement@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk any time up to, but no later than 11:00 on 31.10.2014.

The email should be entitled SELT Procurement and contain the following details:
your organisation’s name, your contact name, e-mail address and telephone number.
Organisations who have complied with the foregoing will be required to sign and return a Non-Disclosure Agreement prior to receiving details of how to access and complete the on-line Request for Proposal (RFP).
The on-line RFP must be fully completed by 11:00 GMT on 5.11.2014. Any expressions of interest not submitted in the required form (or containing the requested information) may be rejected.
For technical assistance on use of the e-Sourcing Suite contact; Crown Commercial Service

Help-desk: Free-phone: +44 3450103503 email: supplier@gps.gsi.gov.uk

VI.4)Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures

VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals

VI.4.3)Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained

VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:

8.10.2014