Administration services

Tender description

** Market engagement day on 1.11.2017 in Sheffield, see II 2.4 for more information** See Contracts Finder https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ca560b8d-b286-4fcd-bd71-713493a5b577 for a full description. Estimated value is 8 000 000 GBP to 10 000 000 GBP Student Bursary Support Service (SBSS) is a service to: — process student applications for Care to Learn financial support, which involves eligibility checks of the student (circ 4,000 applications annually) — process institution funding claims for the 16 to18 Bursary Fund for vulnerable students (circ 4,000 claims annually) — process student application details for Professional and Career Development Loans (circ 38,000 applications/data adjustments annually) — carry out monthly verification of course attendance at educational institutions (circ 4,000 students annually) — carry out monthly verification of child attendance at eligible/registered childcare providers (circ 4,000 students annually) — carry out weekly verification of Ofsted registration of childcare providers (circ 1,000 childcare providers annually) — make payments to eligible/registered childcare providers, educational institutions and banks for loan interest (circ 25,000 annual payments). DfE provides the funds to make these payments on a weekly basis. — provide support for students, education institutions and childcare providers that need additional information and advice (circ 50,000 enquiries annually) The SBSS makes circa 25,000 support payments annually to educational institutions (schools, colleges and providers) and childcare providers worth approximately £37 million per academic year. Students, childcare providers and education institutions are the primary customers for the Student Bursary Support Service and they must receive the support and payments to which they are entitled. The current contract to provide the Student Bursary Support Service will expire on 31.8.2019. We will engage with the market and explore technologies and methodologies to generate interest to encourage innovative and competitive bidding. Contract will cover the set-up of the service from May 2018 to August 2019, operation for 3 academic years from September 2019 to August 2022 (initial term). In the event that the contract is not extended beyond the initial term (see below additional academic years) provision will be included for an option to extend the contract for an additional period of four months (September 2022 to December 2022) to allow for service closure. As mentioned above and subject to government policy and available funding there will be an option to extend the service for a 4th and 5th academic year (September 2022 to August 2023 and September 2023 to August 2024), which will move the closing period of the service to the respective September. We will consider a variety of service delivery options including fully outsourced to a single supplier or multiple suppliers working in partnerships or as a consortium. We will also consider other options, if proposals do not meet our cost benefit expectations. We intend to hold a market engagement day on 1 November 2017 in Sheffield. This will provide an opportunity to speak with the project team in a one to one environment following the main presentation. Details will be provided on how to book a session to interested parties. To register your interest in attending this market engagement day please provide contact details for up to two representatives of your organisation to SBSS.Procurement@education.gov.uk. Help is available through this e-mail address. If you have any queries after the market engagement day please contact us be by email at SBSS.Procurement@education.gov.uk by week beginning 27.11.2017. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) will be circulated to interested parties on a weekly basis. Prospective providers need to take note that the intention is that Invitation to Tender for the above procurement exercise will be released to the public domain during week beginning 27.11.2017.