Tender

Chagossians Higher Education Bursaries Scheme

  • Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-012687

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04535d

Published 18 April 2024, 2:26pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office

Abercrombie House

East Kilbride

G75 8EA

Contact

Nicola Burleigh

Email

nicola.burleigh@fcdo.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 02070080932

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.gov.uk/fcdo/

one.3) Communication

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

https://fcdo.bravosolution.co.uk

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://fcdo.bravosolution.co.uk

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

Education


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Chagossians Higher Education Bursaries Scheme

Reference number

itt_6347

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 75211200 - Foreign economic-aid-related services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Chagossians are the former inhabitants of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) / Chagos Archipelago.

In 2016, the UK Government made a commitment to provide £40m of support to the Chagossian community. As part of this commitment, FCDO have funded a number of projects in the UK and Mauritius, including a bursary scheme for Chagossians with Middlesex University Mauritius (MUM). FCDO’s contract with MUM will end in August 2024. To date, 11 Chagossians have benefitted from bursaries awarded by MUM.

FCDO would like to continue thei support for the community by putting in place a further scheme for Chagossians to benefit from higher education for the 24/25 academic year and beyond.

The successful bidder will design and deliver a bursary scheme for eligible Chagossians to enable recipients to improve their employment prospects (the “Impact”) through completing higher education courses (the “Outcome”). Successful delivery of this programme will require the following objectives to be met (the “Outputs”):

• Eligible Chagossians successfully apply for bursaries and begin relevant courses.

• Bursary recipients receive a high-quality education and suitable pastoral support.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £3,000,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • MU - Mauritius
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Chagossians are the former inhabitants of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) / Chagos Archipelago.

In 2016, the UK Government made a commitment to provide £40m of support to the Chagossian community. As part of this commitment, FCDO have funded a number of projects in the UK and Mauritius, including a bursary scheme for Chagossians with Middlesex University Mauritius (MUM). FCDO’s contract with MUM will end in August 2024. To date, 11 Chagossians have benefitted from bursaries awarded by MUM.

FCDO would like to continue thei support for the community by putting in place a further scheme for Chagossians to benefit from higher education for the 24/25 academic year and beyond.

The successful bidder will design and deliver a bursary scheme for eligible Chagossians to enable recipients to improve their employment prospects (the “Impact”) through completing higher education courses (the “Outcome”). Successful delivery of this programme will require the following objectives to be met (the “Outputs”):

• Eligible Chagossians successfully apply for bursaries and begin relevant courses.

• Bursary recipients receive a high-quality education and suitable pastoral support.

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: £3,000,000

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

Duration in months

96

This contract is subject to renewal

No

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: Yes

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

Please note the estimated value of this requirement is up to a maximum of £3 million. This figure includes an initial Contract of up to 60 months at a value up to £2 million with optional extensions of up to 36-month and/or £1 million (which may be exercised at any point during the life of the contract). The estimated value includes all applicable taxes, and tenderers should include all applicable taxes in their tenders.

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

To access the tender documents please login/register to FCDO's eTendering Portal https://fcdo.bravosolution.co.uk. For any technical issues with the Portal, please call eTendering helpdesk: +44 0203 868 2859 or use the "Call me Back!" functionality (recommended, especially if contacting from outside of UK). Any issues accessing the tender documents should be also reported to Nicola Burleigh.


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

By contract start date the successful bidder must be;

1. Registered as a higher education provider with the UK Office for Students (OFS)

2. Accredited by the Mauritius Higher Education Commission

3. Provide face-to-face tuition at a campus in Mauritius

4. Have a UK campus to which bursary recipients studying in Mauritius could transfer if they wished.

5. Offer a wide-range of foundation, undergraduate, and post-graduate degree courses

three.1.2) Economic and financial standing

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

three.1.3) Technical and professional ability

Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents

three.2) Conditions related to the contract

three.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract

Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract


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

20 May 2024

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: 8 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

20 May 2024

Local time

12:01pm


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: No

six.2) Information about electronic workflows

Electronic ordering will be used

Electronic invoicing will be accepted

Electronic payment will be used

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office

East Kilbride

Country

United Kingdom