Published date: 17 June 2022

Last edited date: 21 June 2022

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Closing: 29 July 2022, 11pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Primary education services - 80100000

  • Secondary education services - 80200000

Location of contract

NN1 1ED

Value of contract

£15,500,000

Procurement reference

IT-493-156-WNC00000156

Published date

17 June 2022

Closing date

29 July 2022

Closing time

11pm

Contract start date

1 September 2022

Contract end date

31 August 2099

Contract type

Service contract

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

West Northamptonshire Council has identified the need to provide additional specialist school places for children and young people, preferably to the south-west of Northampton, within reasonable travelling distance of Towcester, Daventry and Brackley.

The need is for places for pupils with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC), speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and severe learning difficulties (SLD).

To address these needs, the council is conducting a procurement exercise to find an academy trust to open and run a new special free school providing up to 250 places from September 2024. To comply with section 6A of the Education and Inspections Act, 2006 (the 'free school presumption') the council must, in the first instance, seek proposals to establish a free school from appropriately skilled, experienced and successful academy trusts.

Under the free school 'presumption' route, West Northamptonshire council is responsible for funding the proposed new school and providing a suitable site. WNC has identified land on St. John's Road, Tiffield. This is near Towcester.

Capital totalling about ?15.5m is available to support the creation of 500 new specialist places between 2022 and 2024, with the other 250 places being provided through new and expanded resourced places in mainstream school and expansions of existing special schools. The council will consider any additional capital funding required through its capital planning process.

There are many steps to take before the proposed new school could open including further periods of consultation once a sponsor has been selected. However, the key milestones are as follows:

Date Key milestones
17 June 2022 Full free special school specification published for prospective sponsors;
29 July 2022 Application window closes
15 August 2022 Council 'preferred bidder' decision communicated to the DfE
August/September 2022 DfE confirmation of the appointment of a sponsor
Late 2022 Planning / construction starts
September 2024 School part-opens

More information

Links

Additional text

Please submit your completed application form as a PDF and return it via the InTend Procurement portal by 11.00 pm Friday 29 July 2022.

Delivery Notes

School to be constructed in Towcester

Is a Recurrent Procurement Type? : No

About the buyer

Contact name

WNC Procurement Team

Address

Angel Street
Northampton
Northamptonshire
NN1 1ED
United Kingdom

Telephone

0300 126 7000

Email

procurement@westnorthants.gov.uk