Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
Emilie.WILKINSON@EDUCATION.GOV.UK
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
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
CR: Delivery Partner of Families First for Children Pathfinder Programme
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 73300000 - Design and execution of research and development
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
This is a notice for the Award of Contract: Delivery Partner of Families First for Children Pathfinder Programme.
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: £972,020.15
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
This is a notice for the Award of Contract: Delivery Partner of Families First for Children Pathfinder Programme.
The Independent Care Review and National Panel review made a number of ambitious recommendations to transform support and protection in children’s social care (CSC). In response to these recommendations DfE has published its implementation strategy, which sets out its proposed reforms in this area of CSC:
a. A new category of support – family help – to replace the current framework across voluntary targeted early help services to statutory child in need services.
b. Restructuring the workforce so a multidisciplinary team of family help workers can own relationships with families in need under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 (this means that a wider range of professionals can lead, rather than always being qualified social workers, as is the current set up).
c. More effective, integrated multi-agency child protection response, including dedicated, highly skilled professionals from local authorities, police and health with responsibility for specific child protection functions.
d. Change to organisational culture, involving wider family members and connected people as a central component throughout family help and child protection.
This is a pivotal moment for children’s social care. Given the scale and complexity of the reform programme, and the importance of robust testing to inform future policy, we are seeking to contract to an external organisation (a ‘Delivery Partner’) to support pathfinder local areas to implement new ways of delivering services to children and families; to identify the conditions for successful and sustained implementation of reforms across local areas; and to facilitate learning dissemination, from the programme, across relevant sectors.
The Delivery Partner will work as part of a virtual team with the DfE pathfinder programme team, the external Evaluation Partner and relevant policy officials – working collaboratively towards a shared vision for a reformed children’s social care system.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Cost / Weighting: 30
Cost criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 60
Cost criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 10
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
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
CCS framework MCF3
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
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
17 July 2023
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Mutual Ventures
London
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)
Total value of the contract/lot: £972,020.15
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Department for Education
London
Country
United Kingdom