Education Employability Training DPS

SLC Education Resources delivers a range of work based learning and support packages for young people leaving school. The key aims are developing employability skills and ensuring our young people are ready to meet the challenges of employment.

This Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) is to establish suitably qualified training providers to supply a broad spectrum of training services for programmes including, Aspire, GradU8, Training for Trades and Foundation Apprenticeships; with pathways across many vocational areas, to allow students to access a range of courses to complement their school curriculum, widen their experiences, and help gain wider vocational qualifications desirable for current labour market demands.

There is no intention to limit the number of service providers on the DPS. All service providers that meet the selection criteria and are not excluded will be admitted to the DPS. The DPS will remain open to new applicants during it’s period of validity.

Lot 1: Work Based Learning

South Lanarkshire.

The Council are seeking suppliers who can provide staff, premises and resources to deliver a range of work based and vocational learning services. Services may be delivered to pupils in the senior phase and/or to young people who have left school up to age 19 (or 25 if care experienced)and may include but is not limited to:

The delivery of vocational qualifications to pupils in the senior phase

The delivery of programmes designed to increase young people’s work readiness including employability awards, core skills and groupwork

The delivery of certificated training such as first aid, CSCS, REHIS, moving and handling

Pre-employment training including a blend of employability skills

The provision of sector specific equipment, resources and uniform/PPE.

This DPS is for 5 years with SLC option to extend by a further 5 years in increments at the discretion of SLC subject to satisfactory performance, financial standing and availability of funding.

There is no limit to the number of contractors that will be appointed to the DPS.

This procurement will be run as a Dynamic Purchasing System, which will remain open to new entrants for the full term. All future opportunities will be issued as fully electronic mini-competitions within the lots on the DPS.

Contracts will be awarded using weightings in section II.2.5), the Council reserves the right to amend weightings by up to ±20 % where it is deemed appropriate.

Lot 2: Targeted Support Services

South Lanarkshire.

The Council are seeking suppliers who can provide staff, premises and resources to deliver services targeted at young people with multiple barriers to employment who require individually tailored support to employment or further learning/training.

Activity may include but is not limited to:

Initial engagement and needs assessment

Action planning

Confidence building and barrier removal

Groupwork

Key worker support

Literacy, numeracy and ESOL

Work placements and volunteering

Employer engagement and job brokerage including employer support and employer recruitment incentives

Job adaptation and systematic instruction

Aftercare and in-work support.

This DPS is for 5 years with SLC option to extend by a further 5 years in increments at the discretion of SLC subject to satisfactory performance, financial standing and availability of funding.

There is no limit to the number of contractors that will be appointed to the DPS.

This procurement will be run as a Dynamic Purchasing System, which will remain open to new entrants for the full term. All future opportunities will be issued to all providers on the DPS as fully electronic mini-competitions within the lots on the DPS.

All PIN Pre-tender information is for guidance only and may be subject to change as the council develops our contract/tender requirements.

Lot 3: Health, Wellbeing and Financial Support

South Lanarkshire.

The Council are seeking suppliers who can provide staff, premises and resources to deliver a range of services designed to address specific issues relating to health and wellbeing and specific barriers including debt and financial issues.

Activity may include but is not limited to:

Support to improve health and fitness

Delivery of activities designed to increase engagement and confidence including arts and crafts, cultural activity

Counselling and mental health support

Advice and guidance relating to alcohol and drug misuse

Financial advice and support

Therapeutic interventions

Specialist supports and interventions.

This DPS is for 5 years with SLC option to extend by a further 5 years in increments at the discretion of SLC subject to satisfactory performance, financial standing and availability of funding.

There is no limit to the number of contractors that will be appointed to the DPS.

This procurement will be run as a Dynamic Purchasing System, which will remain open to new entrants for the full term. All future opportunities will be issued as fully electronic mini-competitions within the lots on the DPS.

Contracts will be awarded using weightings in section II.2.5), the Council reserves the right to amend weightings by up to ±20 % where it is deemed appropriate.

ESPD Question 4A.1 trade registers

It is a requirement of this DPS that if the applicant is UK based they must hold a valid registration with Companies House. Where the applicant is UK based but not registered at Companies House they must be able to verify to the Councils satisfaction that they are trading from the address provided in the tender and under the company name given.

If the applicant is based out-with the UK they must be enrolled in the relevant professional or trade register appropriate to their country as described in Schedule 5 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

ESPD Question 4A.2 Authorisation/Membership

Where it is a requirement of a specific training course that the training organisation is accredited to be able to issue qualification certification, this service will be made a requirement under some future mini competitions.

Note however, not all training will require a qualification to be issued upon completion of training.

This is not a mandatory requirement of every training delivery, but this information will inform as to supplier accreditation to issue qualifications.

Applicants should indicate if they are accredited to issue qualifications, and which qualifications they are accredited to issue in ESPD question 4A 2.2.

ESPD Question 4B.4 Economic and Financial Standing

The Council will use the following ratios to evaluate a applicants financial status:

Profitability: this is taken as profit after tax but before dividends and minority interests. If a company makes a profit then it is a pass for this ratio;

Liquidity: this is calculated as current assets less stock and work in progress, divided by current liabilities. If the answer is greater than or equal to one then it is a pass for this ratio

Gearing: this is calculated as the total external secured borrowing (short term and long term) divided by shareholder funds expressed as a percentage. If the answer is less than or equal to 100 % it is considered a pass for this ratio.

Applicants must provide the name and value of each of the 3 ratios within their response to ESPD question 4B.4.

The Council requires applicants to pass 2 out of the 3 financial ratios above.

Where 2 out of the 3 ratios cannot be met, the Council may take the undernoted into consideration when assessing financial viability and the risk to the Council, providing that the applicant can supply evidence to substantiate any of the mitigating criteria when requested to do so. The following list is not exhaustive and other criteria may be considered where proposed by a applicant as mitigating factors:

Would the applicant have passed the checks if prior year accounts had been used?

Were any of the poor appraisal outcomes ‘marginal’?

Does the applicant operate in a market which, traditionally, requires lower liquidity or higher debt finance?

Does the applicant have sufficient reserves to sustain losses for a number of years?

Does the applicant have a healthy cashflow?

Is the applicant profitable enough to finance the interest on its debt?

Is most of the applicant's debt owed to group companies?

Is the applicant's debt due to be repaid over a number of years, and affordable?

Have the applicant's results been adversely affected by ‘one off costs’ and/or ‘one off accounting treatments’?

Do the applicant's auditors (where applicable) consider it to be a ‘going concern’?

Will the applicant provide a Parent Company Guarantee?

Is the applicant the single supplier/source of the Goods/Works/Services in the marketplace?

The Council will request submission of and assess the applicants financial accounts, and may use financial verification systems to validate the information provided.

ESPD Question 4B.5 Insurance

The applicant must confirm that they have or will commit to obtain prior to the commencement of the contract, the following levels of insurance cover:

Professional indemnity insurance

Applicants will not be required to hold professional indemnity Insurance as a mandatory requirement for appointment to the DPS.

Applicants may be required to have/put in place professional indemnity insurance for specific call offs awarded under the DPS and will be advised of this requirement at the point of call-off.

Employer’s liability Insurance covering the death of or bodily injuries to employees of the applicant arising out of and in the course of their employment in connection with this contract to the level of GBP 10 000 000 in respect of each claim, without limit to the number of claims.

Public Liability Insurance covering the death of or bodily injury to a person (not an employee of the applicant) or loss of or damage to property resulting from an action or failure to take action by the applicant to the level of GBP 5 000 000 in respect of each claim, without limit to the number of claims.

ESPD Question 4C.1.2 Technical and professional ability

With reference to the nature and details of the supplies/services that are the subject matter of this tender, relevant examples are to be provided of the supplies/services undertaken by the applicant in the last 3 years.

The applicant(s) recommended for award to the DPS will be training providers with experience delivering vocational and/or employability training to children and young people. Applicants are required to provide examples that demonstrate their relevant experience delivering such services over the last 3 years.

With reference to the nature and details of the services to be supplied under the DPS lots, 3 relevant examples of a similar size and nature are to be provided of the services delivered by the applicant in the last 3 years.

The details should include but need not be limited to:

— the training delivered and qualifications gained;

— to whom training was delivered, including quantities for training and qualifications gained/not gained;

— involvement of the service users in planning/meeting outcomes;

— duration and content, including how content was adapted to meet the service users needs;

— steps taken to keep children and young people on track to gain the qualification;

— remediation training employed to achieve successful outcomes.

3 experiences should be evidenced for each Lot being applied for.

Technical and professional ability (sub-contracting)

Applicants will be required to confirm (Stage 2, Technical Envelope) whether they intend to subcontract and, if so, for what proportion of the contract.

ESPD Question 2.C.1 Reliance on the capacities of other entities

Applicants are required to complete a full ESPD for each of the entities whose capacity they rely upon.

Subcontractors on whose capacity the applicant does not rely:

Applicants who are successful in joining the DPS will be asked whether they intend to subcontract within the ITT (stage 2) tender. A shortened version of the ESPD covering the exclusion grounds will require to be completed by each subcontractor so identified and uploaded within the ITT (stage 2) technical envelope.

ESPD Question 4C.6 technical and professional ability (qualifications)

It is a mandatory requirement of this DPS that the applicants recommended for award to the DPS and all staff involved in the delivery of any service contracts awarded under the DPS must be appropriately vetted in accordance with the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

ESPD Question 4D.1 quality assurance schemes

It is a mandatory requirement of this DPS that applicants hold the following quality standard(s) or accreditation(s): either ISO 90001:2015 quality management system or an equivalent independently verified quality standard

Or

The applicant must have the following:

(a) a documented policy regarding quality management. The policy must set out responsibilities for quality management demonstrating that the applicant has and continues to implement a quality management policy that is authorised by their Chief Executive, or equivalent, and is periodically reviewed at a senior management level. The policy must be relevant to the nature and scale of the work to be undertaken and set out responsibilities for quality management throughout the organisation;

(b) documented procedures for periodically reviewing, correcting and improving quality performance including processes for ensuring that the applicant’s quality management is effective in reducing/preventing incidents of sub-standard delivery, this must include the quality of output and general performance;

(c) a documented process for ensuring that quality management is effective in reducing/preventing incidents of sub-standard delivery, this must include the quality of output and general performance. The applicant must be able to provide copies of their organisation’s documentation procedures, that meet current agreed good practice. These must include the arrangements for quality management throughout the applicant’s organisation. They must set out how the applicant’s organisation will carry out its policy, with a clear indication of how the arrangements are communicated to the workforce;

(d) documented arrangements for providing the applicant’s workforce with quality related training and information appropriate to the type of work for which this organisation is likely to bid. This will demonstrate that the organisation has in place and implements training arrangements to ensure that its workforce has sufficient skills and understanding to discharge their various responsibilities. These must include a programme of training that will keep the workforce up to date with required knowledge about quality related issues, including copies of job profiles; training manuals and records;

(e) documented arrangements that your organisation has a system for monitoring quality management procedures on an on-going basis. The applicant’s organisation must be able to provide evidence of systematic, periodic review and improvement of quality in respect of output and general performance;

(f) documented arrangements for ensuring that the applicants apply quality management measures that are appropriate to the work for which they are being engaged;

(g) a documented process demonstrating how the applicant deals with complaints. The applicant must be able to provide details of how their organisation maintains records of any complaints received and how corrective measures are carried out to prevent reoccurrence.

This DPS is for 5 years with SLC option to extend by a further 5 years in increments at the discretion of SLC subject to satisfactory performance, financial standing and availability of funding.

ESPD Question 2.C.1 Reliance on the capacities of other entities

Applicants are required to complete a full ESPD for each of the entities whose capacity they rely upon

Subcontractors on whose capacity the applicant does not rely

Applicants who are successful in joining the DPS will be asked whether they intend to subcontract within the ITT (stage 2) tender. A shortened version of the ESPD covering the exclusion grounds will require to be completed by each subcontractor so identified and uploaded within the ITT (stage 2) technical envelope.

Exclusion criteria

Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

ESPD Questions 3A-3C have been identified as mandatory exclusion grounds and ESPD Questions 3D have been identified as discretionary exclusion grounds. All the exclusion grounds will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. For the mandatory exclusion grounds an application to join the DPS will be excluded where the applicant fails to provide either a positive response or to provide details to the satisfaction of the Council of the self cleansing measures undertaken. For the discretionary exclusion grounds an application may be excluded where the applicant fails to provide either a positive response or if the Council is not satisfied as to the self cleansing measures undertaken.

Declarations and certificates

The applicants recommended to join the DPS will provide the undernoted certificates, declarations and/or completed questionnaires to evidence their compliance with the relevant questions within the qualification envelope.

All certificates, declarations and questionnaires can be found within the Attachment area of PCS-T.

ESPD Question 2D.1 prompt payment certificate

ESPD Questions 3A.1 to 3A.8 serious and organised crime declaration

ESPD Question 3A.6 Modern Slavery Act 2015 Declaration

ESPD Question 3D.3 human rights act declaration

ESPD Question 3D.11 non-collusion certificate

ESPD Question 4B.5.1 insurance certificates

ESPD Question 4C.6 protection of vulnerable groups

Scotland Act 2007 Declaration

In the case of this restricted tendering procedure this information will be requested by the Council when applicants are recommended for award to the DPS prior to the issue of any mini competitions under the DPS.

Other declarations and questionnaires may require to be completed for future mini competitions, these will be issued as required with the mini competition ITT.

The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this PQQ exercise. The project code is 15243. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343

A sub-contract clause has been included in this contract. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2363

Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2361

A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:

Community benefits will apply to all mini competitions published under this DPS.

The Council is committed to securing Community benefits through its contracts and will ask bidders to detail any community benefits they wish to offer the Council as part of their bid for future mini competitions. Examples of community benefits will be included as an attachment in each mini competition.

(SC Ref:624981)

In Scotland, the alternative review body is:

Court of Session

Parliament House

Parliament Square

Edinburgh

EH1 1RQ

+44 1312252595

[email protected]