Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
Rachael6.DAVIES@education.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
560000.00
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 71356300 - Technical support services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
It is the Department for Educations intention to undertake a procurement exercise to appoint a suitably experienced organisation to deliver on behalf of the department a 2 year and 0 month contract from 1st October 2023 to 30th September 2025 to deliver an Advocacy ‘Safety Net’ Helpline Service offering advice to looked after children and care leavers.
The National Advocacy Helpline and "safety net' service will offer advice to looked after children and care leavers. The services are intended to signpost looked after children to local advocacy support or help those who have been denied local advocacy to make representations and pursue complaints. The service will be active in referring cases back to local authorities and progressing these until satisfaction.
The service will continue to encourage local authorities to provide advocacy services in line with their statutory responsibilities, only stepping in where this proves unsuccessful. It is expected the improved national advocacy 'safety net' will also improve insight and analysis about callers to the service and the issues they raise and will gather evidence about the quality and coverage of local advocacy services. The service will use clear approaches for prioritising limited resources and engage looked after children who might otherwise be difficult to reach.
To view the tender, you will need to be registered as a supplier on the DfE Jaggaer eTendering portal, available at https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
The closing date for submitting your tender is 12:00 noon GMT on the 23rd March 2023.
Once registered the Tender will be accessible via the ‘View Opportunities’ link on the Homepage. Select the Opportunity Notice for ‘Advocacy Helpline and 'Safety Net' Service ITT’ (ITT 2083) and this will take you directly to the tender documents.
Please use the Jaggaer e-procurement system https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html to submit any questions you may have about the tendering procedure.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 72253000 - Helpdesk and support services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Scope of the service
The advocacy helpline and 'safety net' service will address the following objectives:
a) To provide a national (England) advocacy advice helpline and website to signpost children to local advocacy.
b) To provide direct advocacy support where advocacy is denied locally to looked after children or care leavers as well as supporting a looked after child or care leaver to pursue a complaint, likely in partnership with an Independent Reviewing Officer (unless concerns centre on the IRO service itself).
c) To collect and maintain information about the range and availability of advocacy support provided to local children and young people based on calls to the service, contact with Local Authorities and through networks. Through this knowledge, the service will be able to support swiftly and effectively looked after children to obtain advocacy.
d) To raise concerns, immediately, where there is a risk to a child's safety or welfare by referring to a local authority's child protection and safeguarding teams (and the police as appropriate).
e) Where there are persistent concerns about the availability or quality of local advocacy services in a particular area, Ofsted should be informed, and reports made to the Department for Education as part of regular progress and monitoring arrangements. Quarterly information around safeguarding referrals is also to be shared with Ofsted. Where a serious safeguarding incident occurs, Ofsted would need to be informed immediately.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 October 2023
End date
30 September 2025
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
Option to extend contract service for 1 year only for the period 01/10/25-30/09/26
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
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
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
23 March 2023
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
23 February 2023
Local time
6:00pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Department for Education
London
Country
United Kingdom