Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
itt.careerchangers@education.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
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
Education
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Career Changer Teacher Training Programme 2022/23
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 80000000 - Education and training services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Secretary of State for Education, through the Department for Education (the Authority) is undertaking a procurement to appoint a contractor to deliver a single national (England) contract (the "Contract"), for the provision of the Career Changer Programme ("the Programme").
The Contract will require recruitment of and delivery of transitional support to two cohorts (the "2022 Cohort" and the "2023 Cohort") of career changers. The contractor will be required to commence the recruitment activities for the 2022 Cohort on or before October 2021.
The Initial Contract Period shall commence on the date on which the contractor begins to deliver the services and shall expire in October 2025, subject to earlier termination in accordance with the provisions of the Contract with an option, at the Authority's discretion, to extend the Contract for a further period of up to a maximum of 12 months in duration.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £4,500,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 80500000 - Training services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance
England
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Authority is seeking to appoint a contractor to deliver a single national (England) contract for the provision of the Programme.
The Government believes that all pupils, regardless of birth or background, should receive an excellent education wherever they are. Central to this is ensuring all schools throughout England have access to high-quality teachers.
The Programme will secure a stream of highly experienced career changers into teaching and contribute to the age diversity of new entrants to Initial Teacher Training (ITT). The contractor will attract, recruit and support experienced career changers who have a substantial career, significant previous employment and industry experience and might not otherwise have considered teaching.
The contractor will design and develop a national (England) programme that will support participants to make a successful transition into teaching, provide added value in the schools where they are placed drawing on their prior experience and expertise and retain participants in the profession once trained.
The key objectives of the Programme are to:
- Attract, recruit, support and retain experienced career changers who would not otherwise have joined the profession, into priority subject vacancies in secondary schools throughout England.
- Support experienced career changers to realise their potential in regard to the added value they can bring into schools.
The Contractor will not be expected to deliver ITT. Any potential solution would need to wrap around an existing ITT course leading to Qualified Teacher Status delivered by an accredited ITT provider. This exercise is not establishing new ITT, nor is it accrediting new ITT provision.
The contractor is required to design, develop, and deliver a high quality and bespoke Programme to deliver the following services which are described further in the Procurement Documents:
- Attraction of Candidates
- Candidate Recruitment and Selection
- Participant Placement
- Participant Retention and Ongoing Support
- Contractor Management Information
- Programme Evaluation
- Continuous Improvement
- Data Management and Security
- Contractor Performance Management
- Contractor Assurance
- Implementation and Resourcing
- Demobilisation and Exit Planning
The Authority expects to award the Contract by the end of September 2021, with the activities to attract, recruit and select candidates for the Programme to commence on or before October 2021.
The Contract will require recruitment of and delivery of transitional support to two cohorts (the "2022 Cohort" and the "2023 Cohort") of career changers. The contractor will be required to commence the recruitment activities for the 2022 Cohort on or before October 2021.
The two cohorts shall commence the training element of the Programme as follows:
- The 2022 cohort to start Year 1 of the Programme in September 2022 and Year 2 of the Programme, employed as a newly qualified teacher, by September 2023; and
- The 2023 cohort to start Year 1 of the Programme in September 2023 and Year 2 of the Programme, employed as a newly qualified teacher by September 2024;
The 2022 Cohort shall complete the Programme by August 2024 and the 2023 Cohort by August 2025.
The Authority anticipates that Contract exit activity for the Initial Contract Period shall be completed by October 2025.
The estimated contract value of the Contract (including any possible extension period) is anticipated to be -four million five hundred thousand pounds.
Further detail in relation to the estimated contract value of the Contract is set out in the Tendering Instructions. The estimated total contract value set out in this notice is not guaranteed and is based on the best information available to the Authority at this time.
Interested organisations are referred to the Procurement Documents for further information on the description of the procurement, the Contract and the Authority's needs and requirements.
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 September 2021
End date
31 October 2025
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
There will be an option for the Authority at its discretion to extend the Contract on written notice for a further period of up to a maximum of 12 months in duration as set out in the Contract. If exercised, this period would allow for the delivery of an additional one (the 2024 Cohort) and related exit activity. The options to extend the Contract will be solely at the Authority's discretion and will be subject to satisfactory contractor performance, Ministerial approval and availability of funding.
If the option to extend is exercised by the Authority, the 2024 Cohort to start Year 1 of the Programme in September 2024 and Year 2 of the Programme, employed as a newly qualified teacher, by September 2025
The 2024 Cohort shall complete the Programme by August 2026.
The Authority anticipates that there would be a period of 2 months of contract exit activity, which would end by October 2026 (if extended for the 2024 Cohort).
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 three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
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.2.2) Contract performance conditions
As set out 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.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2021/S 000-009776
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
19 July 2021
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: 9 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
19 July 2021
Local time
12:00pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: Yes
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
1. The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 apply to this procurement (the "Regulations"). The Authority is using the Open Procedure with Negotiation in accordance with Regulation 27 of the Regulations. Services of the nature of those covered by this procurement are designated as "Schedule 3" Services (the Social and Other Specific Services) under the Regulations and as such are not subject to the full requirements of the Regulations. The Authority is only bound by the application of the Regulations to the extent that they are applicable to Schedule 3 services. The procurement is covered by Regulations 74 to 76 (the Light Touch Regime).
2. Interested organisations should note that the provisions of EU Council Directive 2001/23/EC March 2001 (TUPE) may apply on award of this Contract. Further information is available at paragraph 56 of Document 1 (Tendering Instructions) in the Procurement Documents however interested organisations should seek their own advice in relation to the application of TUPE. The Authority offers no assurance in respect of the operation, effect or impact of TUPE on the Contract.
3. The Authority will be holding a supplier event for interested organisations on 23 June 2021. Interested organisations must register for their attendance at this event through the Jaggaer portal as set out at in paragraph 13 of the Tendering Instructions.
4. Interested economic operators (Potential Suppliers) are required to register on the Authority's e-tendering portal. Potential Suppliers can access this system at https://education.app.jaggaer.com where the details of how to register and the terms of free registration are provided.
5. Potential Suppliers are referred to the Procurement Documents accompanying this Contract Notice for additional information on this procurement and in relation to this Contract Notice.
6. The Authority reserves the right to withdraw from or discontinue the procurement process, which shall include the right to not award the Contract as a result of this call for competition.
7. Tenders and all supporting documentation for the contract must be in English and priced in ponds sterling.
8. HM Government requires that contracts awarded by Government Departments with a value exceeding 10000 GBP are published online (http://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder). The Authority may use its discretion to redact information to protect key commercial interests or on prescribed grounds (see Tendering Instructions in the Procurement Documents).
9. The Authority will not be liable for any bid costs, expenditure, work or effort incurred by a Potential Supplier in proceeding or participating in this procurement, including if the procurement process is terminated or amended by the Authority.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
The Authority will incorporate a voluntary minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on the award of the Contract is communicated to tenderers. Potential Suppliers who are unsuccessful shall be informed by the Authority as soon as possible after the decision has been made as to the reasons why the Potential Supplier was unsuccessful. If any clarification regarding the award of the Contract has not been successfully resolved, The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015 No. 102) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by breach of the rules to take legal action.
Any such action must be brought within the applicable limitation period. Where a contract has not been entered into, the Court may order the setting aside of the award decision or order the Authority to amend any document and may award damages.
If a contract has been entered into the Court may, depending on the circumstances, award damages, make a declaration of ineffectiveness, order the Authority to pay a fine, and/or order that the duration of the contract be shortened. The purpose of the voluntary standstill period referred to above is to allow the parties to apply to the Courts to set aside the award decision before the Contract is entered into.