Department for Children, Schools and Families : Selling to the Department

Current contracts advertised by the Department
The Department's Procurement Policy
Prompt payment policy

Current contracts advertised by the Department

Since January 2006 the Department has been required to publicise requirements advertised via the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). You can view the OJEU notices in full on the TED website.

The Department may also publish here adverts for requirements not advertised in OJEU. See the Public Procurement section for further details. However, due to the nature of the Department's requirements, contracting opportunities are also advertised in specialist publications, trade, national and local press. Therefore this information should not be solely relied on to identify all potential contracts that may be of interest.

It would be impractical for us to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive list of all the Department's live contracts, in addition to the list of current opportunities. We hope instead that this information provides a flavour of the work of the Department as well as points of contacts to obtain further information.

TITLE: School Standards Advisers

DESCRIPTION: The Chief Adviser on School Standards (Sue Hackman) heads the Standards Group in the DCSF to provide advice to ministers on school standards issues and to develop opportunities to help schools and teachers improve standards for pupils. Her work is focused on the Department's Public Service Agreement targets at KS2, KS3 and KS4 in narrowing the gap in educational achievement and raisingthe educational achievement of all children and young people .

The Chief Adviser on School Standards requires educational expert advisers to assist in achieving our Public Service Agreements through:

Conducting outward facing investigations related to raising standards, gathering input from pupils, teachers, heads and LAs. Analysing findings; leading to provision of objective, independent recommendations for schools and local authorities.
Promotion of school-based intervention plans to raise standards aimed at local authorities and school senior and subject leaders.
Delivery of effective, research based implementation plans for schools, field forces, local authorities, with a view to raising standards for the specific client group
Supporting and evaluating established pilots and school-based programmes including; Making Good Progress Pilot, Assessment for Learning, Guided Practice and Every Child A Writer
Maintenance of effective collaboration and communication with partner organisations, including the National Strategies, Ofsted, TDA and NCSL.

The Chief Adviser is predominantly looking to contract in advisory services for the following areas: (i) English primary (ii) English secondary (iii) maths primary and (iv) maths secondary. The Department will consider bids for one or all of the areas specified.

The successful contractor(s) will have the skills to carry out all the functions outlined above. In particular, they will have:

extensive front-line "delivery" experience to inform their outward-facing role in working directly with children, young people and teachers to support and review practice
credibility from having previously been a teacher or senior educational leader
excellent inspection skills and experience in formulating advice for classroom practioners
experience working in an advisory capacity at a local or national level.
expertise to conduct urgent field studies on standards issues

In addition expertise in any of the following areas would be welcomed:

early years
assessment
classroom pedagogy
experience working in deprived communities
school improvement

CONTACT: Jodie Semp ,Department for Children, Schools and Families, Level 2, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London SW1 3BT. Tel: 0207 925 5430. Email: Jodie.semp@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

REQUESTS FOR INVITATION TO TENDER DOCUMENTATION SHOULD MADE BY WEDNESDAY 27 AUGUST AT THE LATEST.

ALL TENDERS MUST BE RETURNED NO LATER THAN 3PM ON FRIDAY 29 AUGUST 2008.

TITLE: Invitation to tender for the continued expansion and sustainability of Young Chamber in secondary schools

CONTACT: Sabine Mittag, Work Related Learning and Enterprise Unit, Young People Strategic Delivery Division, 4th Floor, Sanctuary Buildings, London SW1P 3BT. Email: Sabine.mittag@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk. Tel: 0207925252

CLOSING DATE: 12.00 noon on Friday, 5th September 2008.

DESCRIPTION: The services required are to set up effective arrangements for co-ordinating and promulgating local Young Chamber activities, ensure that local expertise will be brought together and synthesized with other existing structures, develop arrangements for local Young Chambers to become self-sustaining, and encourage the sharing of learning and good practice. In particular, they include:

Providing national management, support and co-ordination to existing Young Chambers, linking to existing structures and working closely with other organisations and delivery partners;
Providing arrangements for the continuing and sustainable expansion of Young Chamber in secondary schools at a reducing level of central Government funding.
Ensure that the concept of Young Chamber is effectively rolled-out across the UK by sharing good practice and securing and managing the interest and buy-in from students, schools, local businesses and employers and providers.
Ensuring that support is provided to assist Chambers of Commerce to work with Young Chambers.
Providing intelligence on the extent to which Young Chambers are becoming established across the UK.

Estimated total contract value is £4m for the duration of 19 months, with the possibility of an extension to this contract of up to 12 months, subject to satisfactory performance.

TITLE: Invitation to tender for the delivery and support of the continuing development and sustainability of the Schools' Enterprise Education Network (S'EEN)

CLOSING DATE: 12.00 noon on Friday, 5th September 2008.

DESCRIPTION: The main aim of the Schools' Enterprise Education Network (S'EEN) is to raise the quality and quantity of the delivery of Enterprise Education in schools by supporting the extension of enterprise education into primary and tertiary education. The services required include:

Providing arrangements for the development and national coordination of S'EEN, working closely with other organisations and delivery partners;
Proposing new models for leadership and management of S'EEN in order to increase the effectiveness of support for enterprise education;
Ensuring that S'EEN plays a vital role in supporting the extension of enterprise education into primary and tertiary education;
Providing a wide range of activities to support Continued Professional Development (CPD), the development of an enterprise culture, and the sharing of good practice in enterprise education and employer engagement;
Providing intelligence on the extent to which S'EEN has supported the extension of enterprise education and the impact it is having on improving the delivery of enterprise education.

Estimated total contract value is £6.5m for the duration of 19 months, with the possibility of an extension to this contract of up to 12 months, subject to satisfactory performance.

TITLE: Grant to establish a Child Safety Education Coalition - to encourage greater high quality provision and evaluation of practical safety education for children.

DESCRIPTION: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) is creating a new Child Safety Education Coalition to encourage greater high quality provision and evaluation of practical safety education for children, as announced in the Government's Staying Safe Action Plan launched in February 2008. We are seeking to award a grant to an organisation or a partnership of organisations to host the new Coalition.

Practical safety education offers children the opportunities to learn safe behaviours and respond to 'hazards' in a realistic environment, teaching them the skills to help keep themselves and their peers safe.

The aims of the Coalition will be to encourage and facilitate an increase in high quality provision of this type of education; co-ordinate new and existing provision; and work to identify and target those children most in need. We welcome innovative proposals to achieve these aims. The Coalition will also have a role to evaluate the effectiveness of current provision and commission research into the most effective techniques.

We are looking for an organisation (or organisations) with knowledge and/or experience in the area of practical safety education, and the skills and capacity to deliver their proposals (either directly or through partners). It is expected that the grant will be for the period up to and including March 2011, with a possible option of a 12 month extension. Subject to negotiation, it is anticipated the grant will commence from October 2008.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in improving the safety of children across England, and it is an important element of the Government's commitment to improve the safety of all children and young people.

The estimated value is up to £500,000 in 2008/09, up to £600,000 p.a. in subsequent years.

Deadline for requesting bidding pack: 5pm on 3rd September 2008.

To receive a bidding pack (including a full invitation to tender and a grant specification), please contact Saim Khan on 020 7783 8422 or email saim.khan@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk.

The deadline for receiving bids for this grant is 17:00, 19 September 2008.

TITLE: New National Home Safety Equipment Scheme. A contract for an organisation or a partnership of organisations to host the new national scheme as part of their organisational structure.

CONTACT: Saim Khan 020 7783 8422

CLOSING DATE: 5pm Monday 22nd September 2008

DESCRIPTION: A contract for an organisation or a partnership of organisations to host the new national scheme as part of their organisational structure. DCSF would encourage partnership bids, which consist of a lead organisation with home safety expertise and a supplier(s) of home safety equipment, to support locally run schemes designed to reduce the risk of accidents in the home. Services required The national host organisation will be required to: identify priority areas for the rollout of the new home safety equipment scheme in partnership with relevant Local Authorities (LAs) map existing schemes in those areas and work with local partners, for example LAs, Sure Start Children's Centres, private and third sector organisations, to support and develop new and existing schemes identify and work in partnership with an established supplier to provide safety equipment direct to those local schemes based on established need help train local partners to deliver local home safety equipment schemes provider support and advice to local delivery partners carry out an annual assessment of the project to determine what impact the scheme has had locally and nationally support the department and any external organisation with evaluation of the scheme identify and manage associated risks Expressions of interests are sought from organisations who: can demonstrate managing high level contracts have experience in providing the management, administration and quality assurance of schemes similar in nature to the Home Safety Equipment Scheme, including maintaining standards to meet key performance indicators, financial management and marketing the new scheme to make it attractive to families.

LOCATION: Main place of performance England.

ADDRESS FOR COMPLETED RESPONSES: Expression of interest with a completed Pre-Qualification Questionnaire should be sent to:

Saim Khan
email: saim.khan@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7783 8422,
postal address: Child Safety Unit, 1st Floor, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT)
no later then 5pm on 22 September 2008.

TITLE:
(1) Operation of the Independent Review Mechanism for Adoption and Fostering for England (IRM)
(2) Operation of the Adoption Register for England and Wales.

DESCRIPTION:
The awarding authority wishes to invite expressions of interest to operate:

(1) the Independent Review Mechanism for Adoption and Fostering for England;

(2) the Adoption Register for England and Wales.

Bidders can choose to express an interest in one or both contracts, but note that only bodies which are adoption agencies (within the meaning of the Adoption and Children Act 2002) may bid for the Adoption Register.

IRM

The IRM is a review process which prospective adopters, prospective/current foster carers or individuals in respect of the disclosure of protected adoption information about adults, can use when they do not agree with the qualifying determination given to them by their adoption agency or fostering service provider. The review process is conducted by a review panel independent of the agency or provider which made the original decision. The review panel does not make a decision but makes a recommendation which the adoption agency or fostering service provider has to take into account when making its final decision.

There is a statutory requirement under section 12 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 to have an IRM for adoption. Provision has been made in the Children and Young Persons Bill for an IRM fostering therefore commencement of this service is subject to Parliamentary approval.

Organisations who may bid to operate the IRM include a public body, a private organisation or a voluntary organisation. An organisation may operate in partnership with other organisations but will need to nominate a lead provider. Where an adoption agency wishes to bid for the work, it will need to explain how it would manage any conflict of interest that may arise, for example where the contractor is required to review a determination of its own adoption agency.

Adoption Register

The Adoption Register is a tool for helping to match children in need of adoption with approved prospective adopters. The Register tackles delays in finding suitable adoptive families for children where a local family can not be found, or the child needs to move away from their home area.

As above, the Adoption Register contract is open only to adoption agencies.

If you are interested in submitting an Expressions of Interest you are invited to apply for the Expressions of Interest information pack and Pre-Qualification Questionnaire by writing to:

Shelli Fong (IRM) or Charmaine Church (Adoption Register)

at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Sanctuary Buildings, 1st Floor, Children in Care Division, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT or email at shelli.fong@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk or charmaine.church@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

The IRM review panels must operate within England.

The Adoption Register may be located either in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, subject to compliance with the relevant adoption legislation.

The estimated values are:

IRM contract = £500,000 per annum including VAT

Adoption register contract = £636,000 per annum, including VAT.

Deadline for expression of interestis 10am on 3 September 2008

The IRM contract and the Adoption Register contract will both be for 3 years with a possible extension of up to a further 2 years.

Bidders who are successful at the 'expressions of interest' stage will be sent an invitation to tender information pack.

The completed tender must be returned by 3pm on Wednesday 12 November 2008.

The Department’s Procurement Policy

Government procurement aims to make tax-payers' money go further. To do this we have to identify what we need and then select, deliver and manage the best supply strategies to meet those needs.

When Government procurement is done well we make the most use of what we have and free up resources for priorities elsewhere.

In the Department, procurement is very well developed. It is recognised as an essential part of the organisation and fully supports the Department's business objectives.

We aim to deliver continuous improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of what we do, harnessing appropriate tools such as information technology.

If you have dealings with the Department you can expect the following:

We will treat you and your organisation with impartiality, honesty and integrity in a spirit of co-operation, not adversity.
Procurement standards will be of the highest calibre, clearly visible and consistent..
Competitive tendering, conforming to international obligations, will be the norm wherever this method adds value,
To facilitate improved performance, and within the bounds of commercial confidentiality, we will (on request) debrief winners and losers on the outcome of the tendering process.
We will adhere to our contract terms, but they are negotiable and reasonable.
Contract management will be proactive not punitive – we will act as partners not policemen.
A positive response to change, underpinned by common-sense.
To be paid promptly for work done in accordance with contracts made.

By the same token, the best types of organisations for us to work with are those which:

Are fair and open in their dealings with customers.
Put in bids which address the absolute essentials and cover all the issues in an easy-to-follow format.
Fulfil all the contract conditions that fall to them.
Recognise, and are seen to recognise, that the key to success lies in the two-way relationship between contractor and customer.
Share ideas to help us and themselves improve.

It is Government policy to encourage the use of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to help improve our commercial performance.

The Department is also keen to expand the supply side of the education market. We think small businesses can play an important role in achieving this goal.

Therefore, the Department’s aim is to enhance opportunities for SMEs wherever possible and when it is consistent with value for money and the need to treat all companies fairly.

We are fair and honest in the way we select suppliers, endeavour to make prompt payments, and have simplified our contracting procedures and documentation to make dealing with the Department as straightforward as possible.

Prompt payment policy

We are 100% committed to paying correctly submitted invoices within 30 days of receipt from the day of physical or electronic arrival at the nominated address of the Department.

A correct invoice is one that is:

delivered in timing in accordance with the contract;
that is for the correct sum;
In respect of goods / services supplied or delivered to the required quality (or are expected to be at the required quality);
which quote the relevant purchase order / contract reference (where used)
which has been delivered to the nominated address

Any correctly submitted invoices that are not paid within 30 days may be subject to the provisions of the Late Payment of Commercial Debt (Interest) Act 1998.

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