Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
University of South Wales
Procurement Manager, University of South Wales, Finance Dept, Llantwit Road
Pontypridd
CF37 1DL
Contact
Tina Struebig
tina.struebig@southwales.ac.uk
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKL - Wales
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0315
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/
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
Enquiry Management, Conversion & Admissions Services
Reference number
1812
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 75121000 - Administrative educational services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Lot 1:
The supply of a service that will seek to optimise and manage both ‘UK’ and ‘International’ enquiries from prospective students and facilitate and drive a higher rate of conversion from enquiry to application and from offer to enrolment. The University anticipates that the service will be intensely utilised during key student recruitment periods, but will remain engaged throughout the year, to ensure support is available for key enquiry management and conversion activities. To achieve the above, USW anticipates that the service will work in close collaboration with in-house UK and International teams to deliver an integrated conversion plan. The University is seeking to procure and embed this service, at pace, with all activity up and running by Early October 2023.
Lot 2:
The University also wishes to obtain a service to handle Admissions processing and associated communications that are needed post application. The successful partner will be required to support the in-house Admissions Team with decision making and associated communications across a range of key markets. In the first instance, this will be international markets but there may be a need to extend this to UK admissions processing should our business needs require this.
Consideration for extended working days and hours, including weekends is required. This may also include the Christmas and New Year period. The service will be delivered in close partnership with existing in-house teams and will be required to provide visibility of processing activity and key service metrics, through the regular provision of management information.
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £1,400,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
Tenders may be submitted for all lots
Maximum number of lots that may be awarded to one tenderer: 2
The contracting authority reserves the right to award contracts combining the following lots or groups of lots:
Lot 1 & Lot 2
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Enquiry Management - UK and International
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 75121000 - Administrative educational services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKL - Wales
Main site or place of performance
Treforest, Pontypridd
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The supply of a service that will seek to optimise and manage both ‘UK’ and ‘International’ enquiries from prospective students and facilitate and drive a higher rate of conversion from enquiry to application and from offer to enrolment. The University anticipates that the service will be intensely utilised during key student recruitment periods, but will remain engaged throughout the year, to ensure support is available for key enquiry management and conversion activities. To achieve the above, USW anticipates that the service will work in close collaboration with in-house UK and International teams to deliver an integrated conversion plan. The University is seeking to procure and embed this service, at pace, with all activity up and running by Early October 2023.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Enquiry Capture, Analysis and Tracking / Weighting: 15
Quality criterion - Name: Nurturing & Conversion / Weighting: 35
Quality criterion - Name: Reporting & Improvement / Weighting: 15
Quality criterion - Name: Core IT Requirements / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Implementation / Weighting: 15
Quality criterion - Name: Provider/Solution Suitability & Roadmap / Weighting: 5
Quality criterion - Name: Clarification Questions and Demos / Weighting: 0
Quality criterion - Name: Community Benefits / Weighting: 5
Price - Weighting: 30
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
24
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
option to extend this contract for a further 12-month period
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
option to extend this contract for a further 12-month period
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) Description
two.2.1) Title
Admissions services
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 75121000 - Administrative educational services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKL - Wales
Main site or place of performance
Treforest, Pontypridd
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The University also wishes to obtain a service to handle Admissions processing and associated communications that are needed post application. The successful partner will be required to support the in-house Admissions Team with decision making and associated communications across a range of key markets. In the first instance, this will be international markets but there may be a need to extend this to UK admissions processing should our business needs require this.
Consideration for extended working days and hours, including weekends is required. This may also include the Christmas and New Year period. The service will be delivered in close partnership with existing in-house teams and will be required to provide visibility of processing activity and key service metrics, through the regular provision of management information.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Application processing capability / Weighting: 75
Quality criterion - Name: Reporting & Improvement / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Implementation / Weighting: 5
Quality criterion - Name: Provider Suitability / Weighting: 5
Quality criterion - Name: Clarification Questions and Demos / Weighting: 0
Quality criterion - Name: Community Benefits / Weighting: 5
Price - Weighting: 30
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
24
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
option to extend this contract for a further 12-month period
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
option to extend this contract for a further 12-month period
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
The University will monitor the performance of the service provider against contractually agreed SLA’s and KPI’s by means of regular meetings with the Appointee. Service providers are asked to propose suitable monitoring arrangements and performance measures.
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 July 2023
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English, Welsh
four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Duration in months: 4 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
20 July 2023
Local time
12:00pm
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.3) Additional information
Tender submissions:
Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.
Clarifications and Demonstrations:
Post submission, the University will invite tenderers to respond to any clarification questions we may have relating to their bid. Following assessment, we will seek to invite up to five of the highest scoring vendors to demonstrate their product and offer. This will enable us to consolidate our understanding of how the proposed solutions will meet our requirements.
Whilst full details of the arrangements will be provided nearer the time, due to University colleagues’ diary constraints, tenderers must confirm their availability for the date(s) noted in the Procurement Timetable.
Award of multiple lots:
Within this tender, there are two individual lots available for contract with USW. However, USW is also open to receiving ‘bundled bids’ from potential suppliers, where both services can be provided by them. Tenderers can therefore bid for one or two lots. In this situation, the supplier should ensure their submitted costs at ITT stage clearly demonstrate the commercial benefits and other benefits and opportunities to USW in awarding both lots to one supplier. This you should consider when responding to the ITT.
USW is open minded as to how the lots are awarded but the decision will be made using the specified quality and cost evaluation criteria defined within the ITT documents.
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=132480.
The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.
Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.
Under the terms of this contract the successful supplier(s) will be required to deliver Community Benefits in support of the authority’s economic and social objectives. Accordingly, contract performance conditions may relate in particular to social and environmental considerations. The Community Benefits included in this contract are:
For this tender Community Benefits are a core approach and therefore evaluated and scored in line with the evaluation criteria.
See ITT for specifics.
(WA Ref:132480)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Telephone
+44 2079477501
Country
United Kingdom