Skills Training Service Contract – Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)

Concepts

• education and training
• birmingham
• wmca
• skills training service contract
• dynamic purchasing system
• additional skills funding
• packages of service provision
• training needs
• wider package of skills provision
• adult skills programmes

Location

West Midlands England: WMCA have also opened the DPS to allow its seven constituent local authorities and the ten non-constituent authorities to undertake further competitions from the DPS and award call off contracts

Description

The Adult Education Budget (AEB) for the West Midlands constituent member area was devolved to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) for delivery from 1st August 2019. In 2022 additional skills funding has been delegated from the Department of Education (DfE) to the WMCA. The aim is to secure packages of service provision. WMCA is proposing to launch a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for a duration of up to 10 years. The DPS will also be utilised to procure service providers for non-funded/ funded (devolved funding or other funding streams) Adult Skills Programmes.

Total Quantity or Scope

A Market Engagement Event was held on the 13th June. Link to the Video and the Q&A is https://beta.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/productivity-and-skills/adult-education-budg... Presentation https://beta.wmca.org.uk/media/k3nj4tb3/wmca-skills-procurement-13th-june-presen... event notes https://beta.wmca.org.uk/media/rumnbwet/event-notes-13-06-22-am-pm-finalised.pdf A further online virtual event took place on the 1st July 2022 - https://youtu.be/JK6g-ZOSDXM https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/013991-2022 WMCA have opted to use a dynamic purchasing system as the procurement method for delivering their contracts. This is because it will allow the flexibility to deliver skills provision now and in the future. WMCA is seeking to build capacity to deliver a wider package of skills provision to support its residents build the skills employers need. We are seeking to secure new innovative provision which will align with the developments in the job market, ensuring there is a responsive and flexible training and skills offer which can respond to market shifts and by strengthening the current training offer and approaches. This procurement route will enable the WMCA to procure services relating to any future funded Adult Skills/Education programmes and respond flexibly to skills and training needs in the region. Additional information: This DPS will be available to be used by the following : Constituent Local Authorities Birmingham Coventry Dudley Sandwell Solihull Walsall Wolverhampton Non-constituent Local Authorities Cannock Chase North Warwickshire Nuneaton and Bedworth Redditch Rugby Shropshire Stratford-on-Avon Tamworth Telford and Wrekin Warwickshire

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 80000000 - Education and training services
• 80400000 - Adult and other education services
• 80500000 - Training services

Indicators

• This is a one-off contract (no recurrence)
• Renewals are not available.
• Professional qualifications are sought.

Other Information

** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** All providers who are successfully admitted to the DPS will be invited to submit tenders for all requirements via a further competition more commonly referred to as a "call off". It is anticipated that there will be multiple call-offs throughout the lifetime of the DPS. For complex or high value matters, WMCA will reserve the right to limit the number of providers that will be invited to Stage 2. To do this we will offer all providers the opportunity to complete and submit the 'Expression of interest' Form. This will contain questions that will form questions that will be pertinent to a particular project to allow us to reduce the number of providers invited to tender. Tender documents will be issued to all interested providers who have been assessed as meeting the criteria in the stage 2 Expression of Interest document. Award criteria weightings for Quality and Commercial Assessment may be varied by up to plus or minus 20 percentage points for individual call-offs. The exact award criteria weighting to be applied will be confirmed in the ITT. Providers attention is specifically drawn to the Order Form in the DPS Agreement that will form the basis of any Call Off. In particular, attention is specifically drawn to the fact that the Call Off Contract terms and conditions may require alteration and Special Conditions to be added as a result of project requirements or funding stream obligations (current or future) placed on the WMCA that have to be flowed down in the Call Off Contract to the provider. Providers will be able to consider such obligations and incorporate any risk or additional costs into their submission. Providers will be notified of the outcome by a letter, which will include the successful provider's scores against the evaluation criteria and will be provided with feedback related to their submission. WMCA will (wherever possible) implement a voluntary standstill period of 10 days. Please note however that whilst this is considered to be best practice WMCA are not bound to implement the voluntary standstill period. WMCA will publish a Contract Award Notice. The pricing range has been estimated to cover the lifetime of the DPS. WMCA reserve the right to amend this at a later date if required. Providers should note that whilst this opportunity has been opened to allow the use of the DPS by other Local Authorities, WMCA do not accept any liability or responsibility for any call-offs undertaken by or on behalf of such Local Authorities. Local Authorities calling off the DPS are responsible for the call off process, the document content, the evaluation, awards and conduct of the Call Offs in their entirety. Following award of call off contracts WMCA foresee the need to make ongoing variations during the term of the Contract to reflect the provision of services and to cover the need to reconcile figures/outputs or milestones in relation to service delivery. The types of foreseen contract variations include the following and will require a variation to be signed by both parties prior to its commencement: Reconciliation Growth There may also be situations that are not included above where contract variations are required. WMCA have referred to these as unforeseen contract variations. Again, this will require a variation to be signed by boy both parties prior to its commencement: In accordance with Regulation 72 (1)(a) of the PCR 2015 WMCA shall not apply the 50% original contract price limit to any foreseen variations as the pricing for such variations would have been included within the Providers pricing schedule. Any reference to original contract price shall be a reference to the annual original contract price as Services can change dramatically subject to demand and available funding.