Tender

DE - Delivery of a Mobile Application to Provide Advice and Guidance to Keep Children Safe Online

  • Department of Education

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2022/S 000-010116

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-032e20

Published 15 April 2022, 10:51am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Department of Education

Rathgael House, Balloo Road

Bangor

BT19 7PR

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.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://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps

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

Education


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

DE - Delivery of a Mobile Application to Provide Advice and Guidance to Keep Children Safe Online

Reference number

3801910

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The contract will provide an app which will meet the core principles and guidelines outlined in the Online Safety Strategy for NI 2020-25 through the provision of timely and evidenced based support for children, parents, carers and school staff including members of the safeguarding team. By incorporating parents/carers and school staff the aim is to give them the knowledge and tools needed to support children to stay safe online. The app is envisaged to be a digital library of safeguarding resources created for local school communities. It is about keeping children and young people safe online. Inside the app, there will be digital safeguarding information, practical advice and guidance, researched and written by online safeguarding experts. It should be interactive, with engaging content which is easy-to-access, simple to understand and intuitive to use, providing age-appropriate, credible, and relevant content and resources for the entire school community. A customised version of the app will be available for the school community. This will include resources and lessons for teachers, parents and carers and access to training for school staff and pupils. For pupils, there will be access to practical advice and tips to stay safe online. It will include guidance on creating strong passwords on devices and setting the best privacy settings on social media and gaming platforms. Young people can get advice about healthy relationships and trusted adults. The app can also provide advice on issues such as bullying, mental health or losing control of an image you have shared. The app will help parents and carers in the digital world that children and young people occupy through giving the tools needed to better protect them. All app users can stay up to date with all the latest safeguarding news and access the latest articles on relevant topics and trends in the online world. Parents and staff will also be sent the latest in safeguarding updates and alerts. Push notifications will ensure notifications go straight to the users phone to make sure they never miss what they need to know. There will be downloadable resources, designed to educate and facilitate conversations on on-line safety topics.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £525,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 72200000 - Software programming and consultancy services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKN - Northern Ireland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The contract will provide an app which will meet the core principles and guidelines outlined in the Online Safety Strategy for NI 2020-25 through the provision of timely and evidenced based support for children, parents, carers and school staff including members of the safeguarding team. By incorporating parents/carers and school staff the aim is to give them the knowledge and tools needed to support children to stay safe online. The app is envisaged to be a digital library of safeguarding resources created for local school communities. It is about keeping children and young people safe online. Inside the app, there will be digital safeguarding information, practical advice and guidance, researched and written by online safeguarding experts. It should be interactive, with engaging content which is easy-to-access, simple to understand and intuitive to use, providing age-appropriate, credible, and relevant content and resources for the entire school community. A customised version of the app will be available for the school community. This will include resources and lessons for teachers, parents and carers and access to training for school staff and pupils. For pupils, there will be access to practical advice and tips to stay safe online. It will include guidance on creating strong passwords on devices and setting the best privacy settings on social media and gaming platforms. Young people can get advice about healthy relationships and trusted adults. The app can also provide advice on issues such as bullying, mental health or losing control of an image you have shared. The app will help parents and carers in the digital world that children and young people occupy through giving the tools needed to better protect them. All app users can stay up to date with all the latest safeguarding news and access the latest articles on relevant topics and trends in the online world. Parents and staff will also be sent the latest in safeguarding updates and alerts. Push notifications will ensure notifications go straight to the users phone to make sure they never miss what they need to know. There will be downloadable resources, designed to educate and facilitate conversations on on-line safety topics.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents

two.2.6) Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: £525,000

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

Duration in months

36

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: Yes

Description of options

The contract has options to extend for a further 2 periods of up to 12 months each.

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

The contract will commence on award of contract. The service commencement date of the initial 3 years will commence on acceptance of the fully tested and operational mobile application by the Contracting Authority.


Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information

three.1) Conditions for participation

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement 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

18 May 2022

Local time

3:00pm

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

Tender must be valid until: 16 August 2022

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

18 May 2022

Local time

3:30pm


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.3) Additional information

Neither CPD nor the Authority can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this Framework Agreement. The successful.. contractor’s performance of contractors on the Framework Agreement will be regularly monitored. Contractors not delivering on contract.. requirements. is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a contractor fails to reach satisfactory.. levels of contract / framework agreement performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still.. fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract. performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in CPD for further action... If this occurs and their performance still does. not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an.. act of grave professional misconduct and they. may be issued with a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance and the their place on the.. framework agreement / the contract may be terminated. The issue of a Notice of unsatisfactory Performance will result in the contractor.. being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered. by. the Northern Ireland. Procurement Policy for a period of twelve months from the date of issue of. the Notice..

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. 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 as amended.

Belfast

Country

United Kingdom

six.4.3) Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures

CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended).. and, where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.