Contract

CivTech 7 - Challenge 7.8 - How can technology aid parents through the admissions process for an ever-changing statutory entitlement to early learning and childcare?

  • West Lothian Council

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2023/S 000-026892

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-03fbeb

Published 12 September 2023, 10:23am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

West Lothian Council

West Lothian Civic Centre, Howden South Road

Livingston

EH54 6FF

Contact

Leigh Syme

Email

Leigh.Syme@gov.scot

Telephone

+44 7423743010

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKM78 - West Lothian

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/

Buyer's address

https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00140

one.2) Information about joint procurement

The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Regional or local authority

one.5) Main activity

General public services


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

CivTech 7 - Challenge 7.8 - How can technology aid parents through the admissions process for an ever-changing statutory entitlement to early learning and childcare?

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

All 3 and 4 year olds, and some 2 year olds, have a statutory entitlement to early learning and childcare (nursery education). There are council run nurseries and partner providers. Within each setting we offer different options for patterns of attendance, and the entitlement can be split between providers. The challenge is to find a solution to manage the application process. We need to allocate places fairly in line with our placing guidelines and parents / carers need to be kept informed about the progress of their application. We need the solution to be straightforward for staff and parents / carers to use.

Please visit our website for information on CivTech and how to get involved:

https://www.civtech.scot/how-to-apply

https://www.civtech.scot/selection-process

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: £650,000

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support
  • 85312000 - Social work services without accommodation
  • 80110000 - Pre-school education services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKM - Scotland

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

CivTech’s mission is to drive daring and innovation in the public sector by collaboratively solving Challenges that make people’s lives better – and in doing so create generations of sustainable, high growth businesses.

CivTech brings together public sector expertise and private sector innovation to solve real problems, develop new products, and deliver better, faster and easier services for everyone. Central to the approach is co-production with the citizen.

Part of the Scottish Government’s Digital Directorate, CivTech’s approach is helping transform public sector engagement with tech and innovation, delivering significant benefits to public services, producing genuine uplifts for the Scottish economy - and along the way, making lives better.

Across the country there are problems public sector organisations would like to solve and in the current environment the need for smart, efficient and effective products has never been greater. The Scottish Government is aware innovation is a good way to create them and is committed to ensuring a large part of its tech spend goes to smaller, innovative businesses. This is where CivTech comes in.

The CivTech Innovation Flow is designed to create products as quickly and effectively as possible, and uses a true Accelerator model at the heart of its Innovation Flow model. For you – whether you’re an individual, team or company – it’s an opportunity to take on a Challenge , solve it, and win contracts with a blue-chip public sector organisation. You’ll build a product, and a business to take it as far as possible. Because here’s the kicker: the Challenges we issue aren’t ‘single organisation’ problems – most exist worldwide.

In short: Open Challenges are set. Any organisation, team or individual can respond. Applications are assessed, and shortlisted proposals go into an Exploration Stage which runs from the 15th of August to the 2nd of September 2022, where they are then developed further [and for which participating applicants are paid]. The best go through to the Accelerator – a period of intensive work to create the solution, and through CivTech’s unique business workshop system, a business capable of taking the product to the world. The Accelerator Stage will run from the 3rd of October 2022 to the 28th of January 2023

Please visit our website for information on CivTech and how to get involved:

https://www.civtech.scot/how-to-apply

https://www.civtech.scot/selection-process

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

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

Accelerated procedure

Justification:

Required due to project timescales

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: 2022/S 022-190669


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

20 March 2023

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 6

Number of tenders received from SMEs: 6

Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0

Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 6

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 6

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

GearedApp Ltd

Commercial Quay, 84 Commercial Street

Edinburgh

EH6 6LX

Telephone

+44 7508105223

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKM75 - Edinburgh, City of
The contractor is an SME

Yes

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot: £587,538


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

Suppliers should ensure they read all documents associated with this opportunity.

Please note:

The CivTech challenge is research and development of a system and proceeds on the basis of the “Research and Development” exemption under Regulation 15 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (PC(S)R15) and Regulation 4(1)(c) of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (PR(S)A14.)

(SC Ref:744438)

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Edinburgh Sheriff Court

26 Chambers Street

Edinburgh

EH1 1LB

Country

United Kingdom