Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Ministry of Defence
Glasgow
G2 8EX
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM82 - Glasgow City
Internet address(es)
Main address
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
For the Provision of Apprenticeship Training and Related Services
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79632000 - Personnel-training services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement at the time of conclusion of the contract:
The Authority (Ministry of Defence) has a requirement to provide Apprentice Training and Associated Services and is under scrutiny to ensure they provide value for money to support delivery of excellent public services which align to strategic goals and core business. Apprentices are vital in developing the capability and productivity of our workforce, now and in the future. The Authority wants to create opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to gain work-related skills and nationally recognised qualifications through structured, work-based training programmes with most of the training ‘on the job’. The remaining ‘off the job’ training will be provided by a training provider (Supplier). Apprenticeships will follow either a framework or a standard (noting that all English apprenticeships moved to standards in 2020).
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Start date
24 October 2021
End date
23 October 2023
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 five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
HOCS2b/00016/2
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession award decision:
21 September 2021
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract/concession has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
QA Ltd
Slough
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ - South East (England)
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (at the time of conclusion of the contract;excluding VAT)
Total value of the procurement: £1,000,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Head Office Commercial Services
Kentigern House
Glasgow
G2 8EX
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures
Head Office Commercial Services
Kentigern House
Glasgow
G2 8EX
Country
United Kingdom
Section seven: Modifications to the contract/concession
seven.1) Description of the procurement after the modifications
seven.1.1) Main CPV code
- 79632000 - Personnel-training services
seven.1.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
seven.1.4) Description of the procurement:
The Authority (Ministry of Defence) has a requirement to provide Apprentice Training and Associated Services and is under scrutiny to ensure they provide value for money to support delivery of excellent public services which align to strategic goals and core business. Apprentices are vital in developing the capability and productivity of our workforce, now and in the future. The Authority wants to create opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to gain work-related skills and nationally recognised qualifications through structured, work-based training programmes with most of the training ‘on the job’. The remaining ‘off the job’ training will be provided by a training provider (Supplier). Apprenticeships will follow either a framework or a standard (noting that all English apprenticeships moved to standards in 2020).
seven.1.5) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
Start date
24 October 2021
End date
23 October 2023
seven.1.6) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession:
£1,000,000
seven.1.7) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
QA Ltd
Slough
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKJ - South East (England)
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
seven.2) Information about modifications
seven.2.1) Description of the modifications
Nature and extent of the modifications (with indication of possible earlier changes to the contract):
This existing Contract has been extended for two years until October 2023 under Regulation 72(b)(ii).
This to facilitate the creation of a category strategy for apprenticeships to enable the assurance of best value for money and provision of fit for purpose arrangements that support the growth in this area of expenditure. The MOD has adopted a category management approach as part of the delivery of its commercial approach to enabling best value to be delivered in its areas of commercial activity. Apprenticeships is one of those and is part of a broader people resource overarching category. The work on the strategy has been prioritised and is scheduled for completion by Spring 2022. For this reason, MOD is simply not in a position to conduct a competitive tendering exercise at the moment, and will not be until the complete requirement has been fully scoped. To attempt to conduct a competitive tendering exercise at this time would not only thus be impracticable but would also mean that any consequent competitive procurement exercise would result in contracts that did not provide the full range of requirements required, offered disadvantageous terms to all bidders and crucially, would not provide the Authority with Best Value For Money. It very likely also, as has happened previously, that this would lead to a lack of engagement from the suppliers on any particular pan Government framework through which we intended to procure. However, in order to ensure that apprentices can still be onboarded until new contracts can be put in place, it is necessary to extend the current contract for a maximum of 2 years. The Contract however, can be terminated at any time during that period.
It should be noted that the Cabinet Office is in the process of putting in place a new contract for the provision of apprenticeships that will be available to all government departments. This is due to be in place later this Autumn but will not be in place at the point at which the current Contract expires and while this CO option will be considered as part of the development of the new category strategy, not extending the current contract would result in there being no provision available under which to provide apprenticeships to the MOD in the areas covered. To proceed with a competitive procurement at this juncture will not only cover only a partial, and possibly scanty, part of the overall requirement but would also prevent potential bidders from gaining a perspective of the complete requirement and would also, in not providing Best Value For Money, most probably create a substantial duplication of costs and certainly considerable inconvenience on the part of MOD.
This extension has therefore been placed to accommodate additional services by the original contractor, which have become necessary but were not included in the initial procurement, because a change of contractor cannot be made for economic or technical reasons in that MOD is not yet able to finalised it’s future category management strategy and therefore, undertake a new competitive procurement process and to do other than extend the existing Contract, would cause significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of costs for the contracting authority in that it would have no provider for these apprenticeships for the foreseeable future.
This extension/modification does not exceed 50% of the original contract value.
seven.2.2) Reasons for modification
Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire.
Description of the economic or technical reasons and the inconvenience or duplication of cost preventing a change of contractor:
Please see VII.2.1 (Description of the modifications).
seven.2.3) Increase in price
Updated total contract value before the modifications (taking into account possible earlier contract modifications, price adaptions and average inflation)
Value excluding VAT: £2,775,000
Total contract value after the modifications
Value excluding VAT: £3,775,000