Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Money and Pensions Service
120 Holborn
London
EC1N 2TD
Telephone
+44 1159659570
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en
Buyer's address
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Economic and financial affairs
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Longitudinal Study on Debt Advice
Reference number
23-011
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 73110000 - Research services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
MaPS published the results from a two-year quantitative pilot longitudinal study (PLS) of debt advice in October 2022. The pilot has demonstrated solid evidence that doing a large-scale longitudinal study successfully is feasible and likely to produce valuable insight. The reports, including pilot methodology and test of the key parameters, can be found at this link Understanding the long-term impact of debt advice.
Given the encouraging results, MaPS wants to undertake a two-phase quantitative longitudinal study to measure the impact of debt advice on client outcomes. The design includes a randomised encouragement component by using a stratified random process to create a counterfactual group, where a treatment group is encouraged to seek debt advice, and a control group is not.
There are two main changes from the PLS. 1) The criteria used by MaPS to define people in need of debt advice have changed. From previous surveys, we estimate that the old and new definitions of people in need of advice will provide a similar eligibility rate but that will be tested in the first phase of the study. 2) We have a new design and structure to be used for the randomise encouragement component. Also, to be tested and improved in the development phase.
MaPS will facilitate a session to engage interested bidders on this workstream. This will take place on 22nd February 2023 over MS Teams. To register your interest to attend this market engagement session please send an email to : commercial@maps.org.uk
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £1,500,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Longitudinal study on debt advice clients
High-level objectives are the following:
Phase 1
• to successfully run the developing phase, recruit participants online in need of debt advice;
• create the experimental allocation (using a stratified random process);
• evaluate the encouragement design aimed at creating a robust counterfactual group; and
• calibrate the key parameters (such as eligibility, attrition and response rate) for the large scale longitudinal.
Phase 2
• to successfully run a large-scale randomised encouragement design longitudinal study;
• create the experimental allocation (using a stratified random process);
• successfully implement the encouragement design;
• to keep comparable and sizeable treatment and control groups during the duration of the project over four waves; and
• to measure the impact of debt advice on improving the outcomes of people.
Insight:
• to understand the causality of debt advice has with debt and wider financial well-being indicators within the debt journey over the short, medium and long term. This includes analysing complex journeys into and out of debt over time and the causes;
• to identify the immediate effects of receiving debt advice, the sustainability of the solutions and the long-term consequences of clients’ decisions; and
• to identify what works and what doesn't work to increase motivation for advice seeking behaviour, which is one of the most challenging objectives in the debt advice sector.
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2.14) Additional information
This is not a tender, this is a prior information notice for an upcoming opportunity.
two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice
30 April 2023
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions
Money and Pensions Service – Tenders on Longitudinal Studies
MaPS published the results from a two-year quantitative pilot longitudinal study (PLS) of debt advice in October 2022. The pilot has demonstrated solid evidence that doing a large-scale longitudinal study successfully is feasible and likely to produce valuable insight. The reports, including pilot methodology and test of the key parameters, can be found at this link Understanding the long-term impact of debt advice.
Given the encouraging results, MaPS wants to undertake a two-phase quantitative longitudinal study to measure the impact of debt advice on client outcomes. The design includes a randomised encouragement component by using a stratified random process to create a counterfactual group, where a treatment group is encouraged to seek debt advice, and a control group is not.
There are two main changes from the PLS. 1) The criteria used by MaPS to define people in need of debt advice have changed. From previous surveys, we estimate that the old and new definitions of people in need of advice will provide a similar eligibility rate but that will be tested in the first phase of the study. 2) We have a new design and structure to be used for the randomise encouragement component. Also, to be tested and improved in the development phase.
MaPS has a considerable existing evidence base relating to debt advice customers, but most of this relates to the environment pre-pandemic and before the recent increases in the cost of living.
Phase 1: Development of encouragement component recommended in PLS and baselining parameters for Phase 2
The purpose of Phase 1 research is to implement and test the suitability of the encouragement component recommended by the pilot, and if necessary recommend an alternative method if the encouragement design proves not to be feasible. Any alternative method must allow the comparison of people in need of debt advice who receive debt advice with similar people in need of debt advice who do not receive advice. This is to provide quantitative estimates of the impacts of debt advice. The control and treatment groups are created by using a stratified random process.
In addition, the research in Phase 1 shall estimate the key parameters for the longitudinal study implementation. It will also identify the most effective tailored definition of “in need of debt advice” for this study. Adopting a tighter definition of “in need of debt advice” could be beneficial to increase the impact of the encouragement component.
Phase 1 is expected to run over a maximum of two financial years.
Phase 2: Longitudinal study phase
The purpose of Phase 2 is to run a longitudinal study to research the nature of people’s complex journeys into and out of debt over time and the causes and consequences of the variation in these journeys. The study will measure the impact of debt advice on improving the outcomes of people. The analysis will include people who are reluctant to engage with debt advice and those for whom debt advice has had a lesser impact. In this phase, we will also evaluate the impact of the updated encouragement component recommended in the previous phase. This phase consists of four quantitative survey waves, three qualitative interviews (for a small sample set of specific cohorts), a stratified random approach to generate the control and treatment groups and an encouragement component.
Phase 2 is expected to run over four financial years.
Please note the following descriptions are high level and each item will be specified in detail later in the process.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
Timescales
MaPS expects the ITT to be published in March with work to begin in May. Specific timings will be published alongside the ITT documents.
Supplier engagement session
MaPS will facilitate a session to engage interested bidders on this workstream. This will take place on 22nd February 2023 over MS Teams. To register your interest to attend this market engagement session please send an email to : commercial@maps.org.uk
Questions for potential bidders
Our ITT documents will set out the requirement in more detail. To help us gauge interest, please answer the following questions by 15th February 2023 to this email commercial@maps.org.uk (quoting Longitudinal research project as a reference).
1. Do you feel you have the capability to deliver the research area and want to bid for it? Yes / No
2. Do you have any concerns about recruiting the sample size needed to successfully deliver the objectives of this study? (PSL estimates a recruited sample of c. 3,500 for phase 1 and c. 6,000 for phase 2) Yes / No
3. If you have any concerns, what would help?
4. Capacity: would you be able to commit the resources needed to work in this research area for over 5 years and complete it by the end of March 2028? Yes / No
5. MaPS is seeking to get advice from a working group of stakeholders and academics providing expert advice during the project. Do you have any concerns about this type of collaborative approach? Yes / No
6. If you have any concerns, what would help?
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Department of Work and Pensions
London
Telephone
+44 1159659570
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
Money and Pension Services
London
Telephone
+44 1159659570
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
Money and Pension Services
London
Telephone
+44 1159659570
Country
United Kingdom