Award

ID 3976745 DAC 172/21 DfE - Review of Further Education Delivery Model

  • Department for the Economy

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2022/S 000-000274

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-0307a7

Published 6 January 2022, 8:35am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Department for the Economy

39-49 Adelaide Street

BELFAST

BT2 8FD

Email

SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

Buyer's address

https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

one.5) Main activity

Education


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

ID 3976745 DAC 172/21 DfE - Review of Further Education Delivery Model

Reference number

ID 3976745 DAC 172/21

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The Department for the Economy is awarding a 4-5 month Direct Award Contract to carry out an evidence gathering exercise in relation to Further Education (FE) to inform a review of the FE delivery model in Northern Ireland (NI). The estimated value of this DAC is £250,000 for the period 17 January 2022 - 31 May 2022.

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)

Value excluding VAT: £250,000

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKN0 - Northern Ireland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Further Education sector is currently operating within a rapidly evolving strategic and economic environment and needs to be able to adapt quickly to meet the changing skills needs of the economy and of learners. It is clear that the FE delivery model, constrains the sector’s ability to adapt to meet those requirements mainly due to changing economic, demographic and skill requirements . As a result, the Department is undertaking a review of the current Delivery Model and as part of the initial stage of that review, is seeking to engage a contractor to carry out an assessment of the current performance of the sector in order to inform the Department’s consideration of how Further Education should be delivered in the future. The assessment will build on the VfM benchmarking study which was carried in 2018. It will provide an evidence base around the respective financial performance of colleges and of the sector as a whole, providing relevant metrics in relation to efficiency and effectiveness which will facilitate benchmarking both within the sector and externally, in order to identify examples of good practice which can help to inform the direction of travel for the Further Education Sector.

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Negotiated without a prior call for competition

  • Extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable for the contracting authority

Explanation:

Compliance with Regulation 32 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) for reasons connected with the protection of exclusive rights, including intellectual property rights (regulation 32(2)(b)(iii)); in cases of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseen or attributable to the contracting authority, where the time limits for the open, restricted or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be compiled with (regulation 32(2)(c)); and Regulation 32(9) exemption for services which repeat similar ones entrusted to the economic operator.

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes


Section five. Award of contract/concession

Contract No

1

Title

ID 3976745 DAC 172/21 DfE - Review of Further Education Delivery Model

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

5 January 2022

five.2.2) Information about tenders

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire

Tribal Consulting

Kings Orchard, One Queen Street

BRISTOL

BS2 0HQ

Email

hello@tribalgroup.com

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKG - West Midlands (England)
Internet address

www.tribalgroup.com

The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

No

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £250,000


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

The UK does not have any special review body with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures in public procurement. competitions. Instead any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 amended

As above

Country

United Kingdom

six.4.3) Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures

The Public Contract Regulations 2015 provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). The authority incorporates a standstill period (i.e a minimum of 10 calendar days) before this contract is awarded.