Awarded contract

School Leaders' Mental Health and Wellbeing Support Package

  • Department for Education

F03: Contract award notice

Notice reference: 2021/S 000-028753

Published 17 November 2021, 10:45pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Department for Education

Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street

London

SW1P 3BT

Email

staff.wellbeing@education.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS 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

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

School Leaders' Mental Health and Wellbeing Support Package

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 80000000 - Education and training services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The Secretary of State for Education via Department for Education (the Authority) is undertaking a procurement to appoint a contractor for a single national (England) contract (the “Contract”), for the provision of a School Leaders' Mental Health and Wellbeing Support Package.

The Term of the Contract shall commence around September 2021 and expire on 31 March 2023, subject to earlier termination in accordance with the provisions of the Contract.

The Contract will require recruitment of and delivery of a programme of professional supervision to school leaders who are experiencing mental health and wellbeing challenges through virtual or telephone-based peer support and one-to-one counselling.

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: £759,997

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The Authority is seeking to appoint a Contractor to deliver a new mental health and wellbeing support

package for school leaders, from autumn 2021.

A pilot was set up in June 2020 to provide professional supervision, through online peer to peer support and

one to one telephone supervision, to school leaders. Following the completion of the pilot, the Department

is now introducing a longer term and larger scale support programme, which builds on evidence from the

pilot and aims to offer tailored mental health and wellbeing support to school leaders, in support of the

Department’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The successful Contractor shall deliver a programme of professional supervision to a minimum of 2,000

school leaders who are experiencing mental health and wellbeing challenges. The service shall be delivered,

as a minimum, through facilitated virtual or telephone-based peer support and one-to-one counselling.

The programme must be made available to state primary and secondary school leaders (deputy headteachers

and above) in England and prioritised to those with no existing access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) or equivalent.

The programme includes, but is not limited to the following main elements: a minimum of 2,000 school leaders to be supported via at least six sessions of either:

- an online peer support group programme, with the size of support group and length of session to be

determined by the successful Contractor. This should be delivered by experienced, qualified coaches who

have an accredited coaching qualification, and ideally, experience of group facilitation in school-based

settings.

Or,

- online/telephone one to one counselling, with the length of sessions determined by the successful

Contractor. This should be delivered by British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or UK

Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) registered counsellors, or equivalent.

As set out in the tender documents, the Authority expects to award the Contract from September 2021, and

the relevant exit activities to have completed by March 2023.

The maximum estimated total contract value is anticipated to be up to £760,000 (excluding VAT). Annual

funding for the programme (subject to internal DfE approval) will not exceed £380,000.

Interested organisations are referred to the procurement documents for further information on the

description of the procurement, the Contract and the Authority’s needs and requirements.

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

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: 2021/S 000-014462


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

12034

Title

School Leaders' Mental Health and Wellbeing Support Package

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

1 November 2021

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 8

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

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Education Support Partnership

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: £759,997


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

1. The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 apply to this procurement (the “Regulations”). The Authority is

using the Open Procedure in accordance with Regulation 27 of the Regulations. Services of the nature of

those covered by this procurement are designated as “Schedule 3” Services (the Social and Other Specific

Services) under the Regulations and as such are not subject to the full requirements of the Regulations. The

Authority is only bound by the application of the Regulations to the extent that they are applicable to

Schedule 3 services. The procurement is covered by Regulations 74 to 76 (the Light Touch Regime).

2. Interested economic operators (Applicants) are required to register on the Authority’s e-tendering portal.

Applicants can access this system at https://education.app.jaggaer.com where the details of how to register

and the terms of free registration are provided.

3. Applicants are referred to the Procurement Documents accompanying this Find a Tender Service Contract

Notice for additional information on this procurement and in relation to this Find a Tender Service Contract

Notice.

4. The Authority reserves the right to withdraw from or discontinue the procurement process, which shall

include the right to not award as a result of this call for competition.

5. Tenders and all supporting documentation for the contracts must be in English and priced in sterling.

6. HM Government requires that contracts awarded by Government Departments with a value exceeding

10000 GBP are published online (http://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder). The Authority may use its discretion

to redact information to protect key commercial interests or on prescribed grounds (see Procurement

Documents).

7. The Authority will not be liable for any bid costs, expenditure, work or effort incurred by an Applicant in

proceeding or participating in this procurement, including if the procurement process is terminated or

amended by the Authority.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

High Court

London

Country

United Kingdom

six.4.3) Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures

The Authority will incorporate a voluntary minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on the award of the Contract is communicated to tenderers. Applicants who are unsuccessful shall be informed by the Authority as soon as possible after the decision has been made as to the reasons why the Applicant was unsuccessful. If any clarification regarding the award of the Contract has not been

successfully resolved, The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015 No. 102) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by breach of the rules to take legal action.

Any such action must be brought within the applicable limitation period. Where a contract has not been entered into, the Court may order the setting aside of the award decision or order the Authority to amend any document and may award damages.

If a contract has been entered into the Court may, depending on the circumstances, award damages, make a declaration of ineffectiveness, order the Authority to pay a fine, and/or order that the duration of the contract be shortened. The purpose of the voluntary standstill period referred to above is to allow the parties to apply to the Courts to set aside the award decision before the Contract is entered into.