Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
MONEY AND PENSIONS SERVICE
138 Cauldwell Street
Bedford
MK42 9AP
Contact
Carol Hilaire
Telephone
+44 2081324012
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH2 - Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Other activity
Money and Pension Guidance
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Longitudinal Study of Debt Advice
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.
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.
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: £1,250,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH2 - Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
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.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
1+1+1+1
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
Restricted procedure
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2023/S 000-025799
Section five. Award of contract
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
5 April 2024
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 3
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
IFF Research
5th Floor, St Magnus House, 3 Lower Thames Street, London
London
EC3 6HD
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKI31 - Camden and City of London
Internet address
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £1,250,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £1,250,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Royal Courts of Justice
Strand,
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
https://theroyalcourtsofjustice.com/
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
Money and Pensions Service
138 Cauldwell Street
Bedford
MK42 9AP
Country
United Kingdom