Specialist Education Framework Phase 1 – Independent Non-Maintained Special Schools Lots 1 and 2

A Prior Information Notice (Social)
by NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Source
Find a Tender
Type
Framework (Services)
Duration
5 year
Value
£250M
Sector
PROFESSIONAL
Published
16 Nov 2023
Delivery
To 19 Dec 2028 (est.)
Deadline
20 Dec 2023 16:30

Concepts

Location

Nottinghamshire

Geochart for 2 buyers and 0 suppliers

2 buyers

Description

This is a new competitive procurement using a open procedure conducted in accordance with the light touch regime of the Public Procurement 2015 Regulations. Nottinghamshire County Council (‘the Council’) are running an open tender process to establish a new framework under which the Council are looking to commission Independent non-maintained special schools (INMSS) and Post-16 (where the provision is delivered in house by the school) for the provision of specialist school placements for pupils who are not attending mainstream or maintained schools and who have an Education Health Care (EHC) Plan. The establishment of a framework agreement for INMSS is the first phase of the recommissioning of the Specialist Education provision for the Council as set out in the Vision document. Ultimately the framework will be extended to include Alternative Education Provision and Post-16 institutions (e.g., further education colleges that are not part of the INMSS), that will be the second/third phases of the recommissioning project and new procurement processes will be run at later dates which are yet to be decided. The new framework will replace the current Independent / non-maintained special schools Approved Provider List for Nottinghamshire (NAPL). This initial phase of the framework will have two lots under which the Council can make specialist school placements. In Lot 1 commissioners will put in place block contracts with providers and Lot 2 will see the establishment of an approved provider list. The scope and nature of the services required by the Council are set out in more detail in the specification. The service is required across the whole of Nottinghamshire County (excluding Nottingham City). The term of the framework agreement will be for a period of 5 years and will commence from 01 April 2024 to the 31 March 2029. “Call-off” contracts under Lot 2 may commence from the 1st of April 2024, however the earliest date “call-off” contracts can commence under Lot 1 is the 1st of September 2024. There is potential to extend this Framework Agreement for up to a further 6 years in increments of 24 months

Lot Division

1 Independent Non-Maintained Special School Block Arrangement
  • Value: £116M

Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) 'the Council' is running an open tender process in accordance with the light touch regime of the Public Procurement regulations 2015 to establish a new framework for Specialist Education. Under this lot the Council is looking to commission block contracts, known as “call-offs” from the Framework Agreement in each of the Nottinghamshire districts. The Block contracts will start from the beginning of the new school academic year commencing from September 2024. Bidders must specify which areas they are bidding to operate in. The areas known as districts/boroughs are as follows: Sub Lot Area A Ashfield B Bassetlaw C Broxtowe D Gedling E Mansfield F Newark and Sherwood G Rushcliffe The scope and nature of the services required by the Council are set out in more detail in the Specification. … The term of the framework agreement will be for a period of 5 years and will commence from 01 April 2024 to the 31 March 2029. The earliest date “call-off” contracts can commence under Lot 1 is the 1st of September 2024.
2 Approved INMSS Provider List
  • Value: £134M

Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) 'the Council' is running an open tender process in accordance with the light touch regime of the Public Procurement regulations 2015 to establish a new framework for Specialist Education. This lot will see the establishment of a new approved INMSS provider list for placements that replaces the current Independent / non-maintained special schools Approved Provider List for Nottinghamshire (NAPL). This provider list will be effective from the 1st of April 2024 from which placements can be commissioned. It is to be noted that if the provider is intending to tender for a block arrangement they must also apply to the approved provider list in order to be able to bid for individual placements from the 1st April 2024 onwards and this will also mean that if a provider is successful in being awarded a block arrangement then the council can also place with them if the contracted block capacity had been reached and there was a further demand for places in that area. Bidders that are successful in demonstrating that they are able to meet the Council’ standards, as set out in the service specification, will be added to the Approved INMSS Provider List and will be subsequently invited to offer places that match the needs of the children and young people. Full details of the provision required are detailed in the service specification. The term of the framework agreement will be for a period of 5 years and will commence from 01 April 2024 to the 31 March 2029.

CPV Codes

  • 80000000 - Education and training services

Indicators

  • Restrictions apply to the lot award allocation.
  • Bids should cover one or more lots.
  • Bids should cover the whole contract.

Other Information

Please read all the tender documents. If you have any questions, please submit them through the procurement portal using the messaging facility. To register your interest in this tender and to view the tender documents, the tender is published on https://www.eastmidstenders.org/ Reference DN694393 The closing date for all tenders is the 20th of December 2023 at 4.30pm. Please note that a standstill period of 10 days will commence from the notification of the contract award. There are three optional extensions to the framework agreement each of 24 months, a total of 6 years.

Reference

Domains