Request for Information: Provision of online courses and related services for eCollege – The National Online Learning Service for Further Education and Training

Tender description

eCollege (www.ecollege.ie) is the national online learning service for the further education and training sector funded and overseen by SOLAS. The service's ethos is to allow learners to study flexibly around their life and work commitments. Courses are free to the learner, provide a flexible response to the specific skills needs of individuals who require training interventions to assist them in re-entering, upskilling or remaining competitive in the labour market. eCollege is entering an exciting period of transformation, positioning itself as a digital gateway into Further Education and Training. It will serve as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for courses accessible nationally online, tailored to learner needs and aligned to fundamental and national skills priorities, while signposting learners to further FET and potential career paths. This new phase will focus on providing, supporting, and maintaining a range of online learning programmes to support further education and training. It is envisaged that this phase of eCollege development will be provided by external market operators to be procured in accordance with public sector rules. SOLAS will run a competitive procurement process in due course. Request for Information As part of this process, SOLAS is taking preliminary market soundings to identify market capabilities in the area of online course provision and digital support services for online learners. The purpose of this is to assist in developing a deeper understanding of the online learning market, before launching a formal procurement process. eCollege (www.ecollege.ie) is the national online learning service for the further education and training sector funded and overseen by SOLAS. The service's ethos is to allow learners to study flexibly around their life and work commitments. Courses are free to the learner, provide a flexible response to the specific skills needs of individuals who require training interventions to assist them in re-entering, upskilling or remaining competitive in the labour market. eCollege is entering an exciting period of transformation, positioning itself as a digital gateway into Further Education and Training. It will serve as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for courses accessible nationally online, tailored to learner needs and aligned to fundamental and national skills priorities, while signposting learners to further FET and potential career paths. This new phase will focus on providing, supporting, and maintaining a range of online learning programmes to support further education and training. It is envisaged that this phase of eCollege development will be provided by external market operators to be procured in accordance with public sector rules. SOLAS will run a competitive procurement process in due course. Request for Information As part of this process, SOLAS is taking preliminary market soundings to identify market capabilities in the area of online course provision and digital support services for online learners. The purpose of this is to assist in developing a deeper understanding of the online learning market, before launching a formal procurement process.