Higher education services

Tender description

Think Ahead is charity running a graduate Programme that attracts talented graduates and career-changers and trains them to be outstanding mental health social workers, through innovative teaching and on-the-job learning. The 2-year Programme is one of the most competitive graduate Programmes in the United Kingdom, receiving 23 applications for every place. In this tender, Think Ahead is looking to partner with an academic institution to develop, accredit and deliver the academic elements of the Think Ahead Programme and its related services. This partner will begin delivering the Programme for our fourth cohort, which will begin in July 2019. Think Ahead are seeking a partner who is dynamic and innovative, and excited to be involved in the shaping the future of mental health social work. This procurement is being conducted under Chapter 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Section 7, Clauses 74 to 76 – the Light Touch Regime (LTR). Think Ahead is following the open procedure with certain modifications (as set out below and in the tender pack). Think Ahead wants to expand its movement, grow its evidence base and enhance existing material. Think Ahead therefore invites organisations to propose how they would deliver the academic elements of the Programme and related services for their fourth and fifth cohorts of students (with an option for delivering the sixth cohort), in accordance with section 5 of the “background, instructions to bidders, conditions of tendering, Think Ahead’s responsibilities and Programme team, requirements and Annexes" document. Think Ahead welcomes bids from individual organisations, partnership/consortium type arrangements, or prime contractors supported by key subcontractors, etc. However, there must be a clear legal entity for think Ahead to contract with, and the bid must be in the name of that entity. All bidders must complete and submit all aspects of the tender by the date and time specified, by emailing their complete bid to tenders@thinkahead.org details of the evaluation models are provided within the “tender questions, bidder responses and evaluation criteria" document of the tender pack. The qualification section of this document will be assessed initially, and any bids failing to qualify will be excluded from further consideration. Remaining bids will then be assessed, with the quality score and price score being combined in order to determine each bidder’s total scores. The bidders with the top scoring three or four bids (where there are 3 or four suitable/feasible bids) will then be invited to present and discuss their submissions. The lead academic, and other key personnel, are expected to attend the interview meetings. The interview meetings will not be scored as a separate process. However, the team may choose to use the interview meetings to clarify bidders’ written responses; and scores may be adjusted based on this clarification. It is Think Ahead’s intention to award the contract based on the most economically advantageous tender. It is Think Ahead’s intention to select the preferred bidder on the basis of the initial tender and discussion, but it also expressly reserves the right to negotiate with one or more of the shortlisted bidders. The requirements and award criteria will not be subject to negotiation. Where Think Ahead elects to negotiate with one or more of the shortlisted bidders, it will notify all shortlisted bidders invited to present and discuss their submissions and once the negotiations are concluded will invite all remaining bidders to submit any new or revised bids. Those bids may be clarified, specified or optimised at the request of Think Ahead. The outline project plan provided in the bidder’s response to section 5 of the “tender questions, bidder responses and evaluation criteria” document will be used to finalise an agreed project plan with the preferred bidder before the contract is entered into. Shortly after the interview meetings, the preferred bidder will be announced, and unsuccessful bidders advised accordingly. A 10-day Stand Still period will then commence. Thereafter, the contract will be effected, and the contract award notice published. The resulting contract will be based on the “terms and conditions" within the tender pack. Think Ahead may, at its discretion, modify this procurement at any time prior contract award and amend the associated procurement timelines. Full details of the conditions for tendering can be found in section 3 of the “background, instructions to bidders, conditions of tendering, Think Ahead’s responsibilities and Programme team, requirements and Annexes" document. All documents associated with this tender and details of the procurement process are within the tender pack.