Apprenticeships Commissioning Programme Wales Framework Agreement

Concepts

• essential skills wales and employment rights and responsibilities
• cardiff
• education and training
• apprenticeship programme
• apprenticeship framework
• maximum term of the framework
• purpose of the apprenticeships programme
• wales
• higher apprenticeship framework
• maximum duration of a vocational apprenticeship programme

Location

Cardiff

Description

Through work-based learning the apprenticeship programme will deliver to individuals the skills necessary to embark on successful careers and for employers the relevant skilled people to meet the current and future needs of their businesses and the Welsh economy. Commencing on 1 August 2021 the Apprenticeship framework will run for 4 years until 31 July 2025 (with the option of an extension of up to two years until 31 July 2027). The framework will be procured under the light touch regime, implemented through Regulations 74 — 77 as applied to Schedule 3 services of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015) using a quasi-open procedure. Please be advised that costs are fixed as set out in the programme specification, as such, there is no commercial evaluation element to this tender.

Total Quantity or Scope

The purpose of the apprenticeships programme is to support people in Wales through high quality learning, in order to provide employers with the relevant skilled people to meet the current and future needs of the Welsh economy. Apprenticeships offer employed learners the opportunity to pursue a foundation apprenticeship, apprenticeship, or higher apprenticeship framework. Degree apprenticeships are excluded from this procurement. Each framework specifies the learning activities, including, qualifications covering occupational competencies, the relevant technical knowledge, essential skills wales and Employment Rights and Responsibilities (ERR). The client is committed to aligning the apprenticeship programme to the needs of the Welsh economy as outlined in its policy and action plan published in February 2017 — Aligning the apprenticeship model to the needs of the Welsh economy 2017. The focus is on aligning and raising the level of the skills market designed to meet employer needs with a system that is responsive to industry changes, particularly in the sectors that drive growth and prosperity. The policy reflects the step change towards higher level technical and professional skills, promoting efficiency and portability within our priority sectors. The Welsh Government is of the view that the option to extend the framework beyond 4 years is likely to be desirable. Individual participants may be on a vocational apprenticeship programme for up to 4 years. In the event the maximum term of the framework mirrors the maximum duration of a vocational Apprenticeship programme, this is likely to result in many apprentices having their learning disrupted as they may be obliged to transfer from an unsuccessful legacy provider to a successful bidder when a future replacement framework is procured. Adopting a 4-year fixed term framework agreement with the ability to extend up to a maximum of 6 years should provide Welsh Government with the opportunity to limit the number of displaced apprentices that may arise if the procurement process had to be repeated more regularly.

Award Detail

Renewal Options

Throughout the duration of the agreement or programme commission, the client may seek to continue to improve the apprenticeship programme and to sharpen its focus. To this end, a number of flexibilities and options (including but not limited to varying or introducing new Services and pilot schemes) have been incorporated into the agreement and the programme specification. Priorities will be reviewed regularly by the Client and Welsh Government Officials and may be revised. This will inform future allocations. Changes to the Programme Specification will be implemented in accordance with the terms of the Agreement as per sections 7.4, 26, 30 of the Invitation To Tender; B.10, B.16-B.26 pf the Programme Specification and 4.2 of the framework agreement

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 80000000 - Education and training services
• 80500000 - Training services

Indicators

• Options are available.
• Award on basis of price and quality.

Other Information

The value range is anticipated to be Min GBP 400 000 000 to Max GBP 1 050 000 000 over the term of the agreement, further details are included in the tender documents. (WA Ref:109411)