Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
Contact
John Burton
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
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
Science CPD Programme - England
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 80000000 - Education and training services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Contract for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Science Programme for those teaching the sciences in primary and secondary schools and further education institutes in England
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: £10,990,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 80100000 - Primary education services
- 80200000 - Secondary education services
- 80300000 - Higher education services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The government has stated a clear ambition for the UK to cement its place as a ‘science superpower’. This means that a secure and sufficient pipeline of pupils studying science subjects and performing well in them is needed. This pipeline begins with the provision of regular, high quality science lessons to drive performance at primary level, and continues throughout education.
Overall, A level exam entries in the sciences have increased significantly over the past decade, as have the number of students completing the EBacc science component. The challenge is not only to sustain this overall progress by supporting each stage of science education, but also to address the particular challenges that science education faces.
These are:
• The need to drive good outcomes for all and at all levels, especially following the impact of Covid-19 on learning, and in particular to address the disadvantage gap in performance at GCSE and A level.
• The need to continue driving participation in A level sciences, and in particular to pursue measures to tackle the longstanding low levels of uptake of A level physics, particularly by females.
• The need to bolster the confidence of primary science teachers in delivering all aspects of the primary national curriculum for science.
• The need to encourage science teacher retention (particularly physics teacher retention) in the context of high levels of turnover.
Supporting good quality teaching is paramount for addressing these challenges - both in terms of supporting effective delivery of lessons and subsequent outcomes and also for inspiring students to continue studying science subjects to a higher level. The department has committed to level up education standards across the country so that children and young people in every part of the country are prepared with the knowledge, skills and qualifications they need. This includes addressing the disadvantage gap in performance.
The department currently funds three programmes focussing on the delivery of CPD: the Science Learning Partnerships (SLP), Enthuse bursaries and the Stimulating Physics Network (SPN). These programmes have been running for several years with Enthuse bursaries starting in 2008, SPN in 2009 and SLP in 2005. The programmes have been successful in supporting teachers to deliver the high-quality lessons needed to facilitate a good supply of high-performing science students, but continued work is needed to meet the ongoing challenges outlined above.
The purpose of the new programme is to deliver CPD for the sciences to state-funded schools in order to raise the quality of science teaching and to support teachers. At primary level this should cover the teaching of primary science as part of the national curriculum, and at secondary level should cover the separate sciences of biology, chemistry and physics at key stage 3, GCSE and A level.
The department remains committed to the existing delivery model of bursary funding to provide targeted access to CPD and two separate school-led networks: Science Learning Partnerships, covering all three secondary sciences and primary science, and the Stimulating Physics Network giving targeted support to physics teaching in order to improve the take-up of A level physics.
To simplify governance, administration and contractual and grant funding arrangements and promote financial efficiency and consistency of approach, we have chosen to draw the three existing programmes into one new contract and with a single oversight and administration body.
In order to participate in this opportunity you must register on the departments e-sourcing portal 'Jaggaer'.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Technical / Weighting: 70
Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 10
Quality criterion - Name: Price / Weighting: 20
Price - Weighting: 100
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
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
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: 2001/S 000-029504
Section five. Award of contract
Contract No
con_13706
Title
Science CPD Programme - England
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
31 March 2022
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 1
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 1
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
STEM Learning Limited
York
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
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: £10,990,000
Total value of the contract/lot: £10,990,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom