Published date: 25 July 2019
Closed future opportunity - This means that a potential contract has passed its approach to market date. A buyer can choose to consider any supplier interest or convert this notice into an opportunity ready for live procurement.
Contract summary
Industry
Education and training services - 80000000
Location of contract
Any region
Value of contract
£485,000
Procurement reference
MFL/Beta
Published date
25 July 2019
Approach to market date
12 August 2019
Contract start date
1 November 2019
Contract end date
30 June 2020
Procedure type
Open procedure (above threshold)
Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.
This procedure can be used for procurements above the relevant contract value threshold.
Contract is suitable for SMEs?
Yes
Contract is suitable for VCSEs?
Yes
Description
Languages are important. They foster pupils' curiosity; deepen their understanding of the world; and open up opportunities for career and further study.
DfE funds initiatives to increase take-up of languages, including a small-scale Languages Mentoring pilot aiming to boost MFL GCSE take-up and interest in the subject. Similar programmes have had a marked impact on take-up in Wales; the alpha trial in England has also affected subject choices.
For more information on the alpha project please see https://mflmentoring.co.uk/language-horizons/
DfE now seeks a provider to design and deliver the private beta phase of the digital languages mentoring project. This will continue the mentoring approach taken in the alpha, engaging pupils with multi-lingualism and multi-culturalism, promoting a global outlook, and inspiring pupils to choose languages at GCSE. Service users will be Year 8 & 9 pupils in state maintained schools in England who are about to make GCSE option choices, with the mentors being MFL undergraduate students at universities in England. The service provider will also be required to collaborate with a contractor which will be developing the digital platform for the programme during the first few months of the contract. The provider will then take over responsibility for the digital platform in January 2020 and will need to demonstrate that it has the resources and capacity to ensure compliance with GDS standards and best practice.
This notice is for information only and is not a call for competiton. The Department reserves the right not to enter a formal procurement process and not award contract(s). Accordingly, the Authority will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work or effort incurred by a supplier in acting on the basis of this Prior Information Notice.
All future information will be issued to potential suppliers via the DfE eTendering Portal. Suppliers can access this system at https://education.app.jaggaer.com where the details of how to register and the terms of free registration are presented.
All information included in this notice is indicative and subject to change. The intention is to publish the tender opportunity in early August and award the contract by the end of October 2019, with a short lead in time we expect delivery to begin in February/March 2020.
More information
Spend profile
| Financial year | Budget |
|---|---|
| 2019/2020 | £485,000 |
Additional text
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The contract will include the option to extend the project into the public beta stage for the academic year 2020/21 with a budget of approx. £1.5m, taking the maximum contract value to approx. £2m over the academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21. Please note that extending into public beta stage is dependant on additional approvals, funding, and is at the sole discretion of the DfE.
About the buyer
Address
Sanctury Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
England
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Approach to market date: 12 August 2019
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