Tender

The Provision of an Engagement Monitoring Software Solution

  • UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-003458

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-03a2db

Published 3 February 2023, 2:53pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

BUILDING 37, HIGHFIELD CAMPUS,UNIVERSITY ROAD

Southampton

SO17 1BJ

Email

procurement@soton.ac.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKJ32 - Southampton

UK Register of Learning Providers (UKPRN number)

10007158

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.southampton.ac.uk

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofsouthampton/aspx/Home

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofsouthampton/aspx/Home

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

The Provision of an Engagement Monitoring Software Solution

Reference number

Reference number: 2022UoS-0646

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 48000000 - Software package and information systems

two.1.3) Type of contract

Supplies

two.1.4) Short description

The University would like to be able to monitor the academic engagement of students, whilst partaking in academic activities on campus, off campus or academic activities whilst working online.

Monitoring academic engagement has also been introduced as part of the new immigration system on 5 October 2020 by the Home Office (UKVI). The new academic engagement policy requires sponsors (University of Southampton) to ensure that all sponsored students are academically engaged for the entirety of their course, including activities they consider would indicate academic engagement such as:

• Attending required lectures, seminars, or tutorials

• Undertaking required laboratory work

• Undertaking research or fieldwork

• Submitting essays, assignments and attending examinations

The monitoring needs to be simple for students to use and give visibility to the student of academic engagement information being collected. The university needs to be able collect the data required, use appropriate technology and to be able to report on the data quickly and efficiently.

Our plan is to have the appropriate, technological solution in place for September 2023.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £500,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 31711310 - System for recording attendance

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKJ32 - Southampton
Main site or place of performance

Southampton, Hampshire, UK

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

To procure and implement a new engagement monitoring system for all students across the university to ensure that the data which is collected is consistent across all faculties and schools and it is fully inclusive.

The system would need to:

• Be a cloud-based SaaS solution.

• Have an end-to-end solution operating over Wi-Fi or Mobile Data connections requiring no hardware such as beacons or card readers.

• Be accessible from mobile device, tablet or laptop or university owned device.

• Have the ability for staff to manually amend the record where students do not have any IT device access for the class.

• Be compliant with Student visa/Tier 4 reporting requirements and have recent proven acceptance from the Home Office.

• Integrate with other University systems such as student records, timetabling, VLE, Lecture Capture, Library Management, Reading list software, Blackboard and MS365.

• Provide a comprehensive range of reports which can be used in visualisations for different audiences such as Student Hub, Visa Compliance, Student Engagement.

• Must be able to record several university attendance parameters such as attended/absent/late/left early/not required.

• Have notifications feature to highlight low attendance of a student.

• Able to produce data to enable an email to be sent from the system or from the University CRM.

• Able to extract attendance data from the system to use as part of institutional workflows.

• Ability to add 'adhoc' events directly into the system.

• Be currently used by several UK Universities with a proven track record of providing user groups.

• Be continually developed to adapt to the changing needs of the University.

• Ensure that the University has sufficient oversight of student attendance to instigate an early warning system for unauthorised absent students.

Procurement Process: This procurement process is being conducted as an Open procedure.

Contract Period: The University proposes to enter into a Contract for five years - this will be the maximum contract period, including any potential extensions with the successful tenderer(s).

This will comprise of an initial contract period of three (3) years with an option to extend by a further two (2) 12 month periods subject to satisfactory performance and at the discretion of the University.

Contract Value: The estimated Contract value is in the region of £300,000 - £500,000 GBP (excluding VAT). This is the total available for the full contract term including any potential extensions.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Qualitative Response / Weighting: 75%

Cost criterion - Name: Commercial Response / Weighting: 25%

two.2.6) Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: £500,000

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months

60

This contract is subject to renewal

No

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.14) Additional information

Lots: This contract is NOT suitable for splitting into lots. The risk of dividing the requirement into Lots would render the execution of the contract excessively technically difficult, not cost effective and would undermine proper execution of the contract.


Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information

three.1) Conditions for participation

three.1.2) Economic and financial standing

List and brief description of selection criteria

To support the financial assessment, the University will obtain a Business Risk Report for all Tenderers and every organisation that is being relied on to meet this procurement, using an independent company called Creditsafe.

The University reserves the right to exclude a Tenderer or request provision of further assurances such as parent company/bank guarantee or performance bonds where a Tenderer's Business Risk Score is: "Moderate Risk"; "High Risk"; "Very High Risk"; or "Not Rated", based on the rating provided by Creditsafe

Where a Business Risk Score from our external system is not available, then an alternative method of assessing financial standing will be used. This method is detailed within the Invitation to Tender document set.

Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required

Tenderers are advised that a requirement of this procurement is to have in place, or commit to obtain prior to the commencement of the contract, the following minimum insurance levels:

Employers (Compulsory) Liability: £10 million GBP per occurrence.

Public Liability: £10 million GBP per occurrence.

Product Liability: £10 million GBP per occurrence and in aggregate

Professional Indemnity Insurance: £5 million per occurrence (this cover must include cyber security/data breach liability. If this is not available a separate Cyber security indemnity of £5 million should be held).

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

List and brief description of selection criteria

As stated in the tender documents


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

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

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

6 March 2023

Local time

12:00pm

four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

English

four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

Duration in months: 4 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

6 March 2023

Local time

12:01pm


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: Yes

Estimated timing for further notices to be published: This is likely to be re-procured in 2029

six.2) Information about electronic workflows

Electronic ordering will be used

Electronic invoicing will be accepted

Electronic payment will be used

six.3) Additional information

E-Tendering Portal: The University is utilising an electronic tendering tool, In-Tend (https://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofsouthampton/aspx/Home ) to manage this procurement and to communicate with potential suppliers and/or tenderers (as appropriate).

All documentation in relation to this tender can be downloaded from In-Tend.

Potential suppliers/tenderers are advised that there will be no hard copy documents issued and all communications with the University, including the submission of Selection Stage and/or Invitation to Tender responses will be conducted via In-Tend.

Regular monitoring of the portal is the responsibility of the potential supplier/tenderer.

If you are not already registered as a supplier with the University of Southampton, you will need to register in In-Tend in order to access the procurement documentation.

Once you have logged in as a supplier: click on 'Tenders'; locate the relevant project; and click 'View Details'. Once you are in the project screen, you will be able to register your organisation against the project and access all documentation by clicking 'Express Interest'.

Potential suppliers/tenderers are advised that formal expressions of interest in the project must be by way of completion and return of the relevant documents via In-Tend.

Further instructions for the submission of responses are below:

To submit your return:

1. Log in

2. Click 'Tenders'

3. Locate the relevant project

4. View details

5. Click on the tab relating to the relevant project stage (e.g. 'Invitation to Tender')

6. Click on the 'Attach Documents' button and upload your return.

7. Check ALL your response documents are uploaded and displayed in the 'My Tender Return' panel. The system will only permit your organisation to make one return.

8. Click the red 'Submit Return' button.

Please note, to preserve the integrity of the procurement, all communications with the University must be made via the correspondence function within In-Tend.

Publication of Award Details: In accordance with Regulation 50, paragraph (2) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and subject to Article 5 and Annex 5, Part D (13) of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (if applicable), the University intends to publish the value of any resulting contract at the award stage, and reserves the right to do so. By submitting a response, potential suppliers/tenderers are consenting to publication of this information unless otherwise agreed in advance with the University.

Costs and Expenses: Potential suppliers/tenderers are solely responsible for their costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation and submission of responses and participation in this and all future stages of this procurement. Under no circumstances will the University be liable for any costs or expenses borne by potential suppliers/tenderers or any of their supply chain, partners or advisers in this procurement process.

The University is not liable for any costs in the event of the cancellation of this procurement process.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

University of Southampton

Southampton

United Kingdom

SO17 1BJ

Email

procurement@soton.ac.uk

Country

United Kingdom