SURVEYOR TECHNICAL TRAINING

The MCA has an ongoing requirement for technical training to be provided to our maritime surveyors, which comprises a number of different courses that together make up a Surveyor’s training curriculum. The frequency with which the MCA requires each course and the number of trainees attending varies according to our recruitment needs.

In the past, the MCA has booked training courses on a case by case basis, going out to training providers for quotes each time. It is considered that this does not represent the most efficient use of resources for the MCA or our contractors, and that longer term agreements with training providers would lead to increased certainty and reduce the administrative burden on both sides. We have therefore decided to go out to tender for a contract in seven lots, which will last a minimum of two years.

The lots on offer are set out in the attached specification, together with an indication of our typical annual requirement for each course. Potential contractors should note, though, that the MCA does not guarantee this or any other level of usage under any of the lots, and cannot commit to requesting every course in every academic year. Potential contractors may bid for one or more lots.

The courses listed below are not the total number of technical courses required for the MCA’s surveyors. Should this procurement succeed in reducing the administrative burden and promoting improved relationships with the successful contractors, we may run a further exercise for additional courses in the future. Our decision on this will depend on the outcome of the current process and the MCA’s ongoing requirement, and no firm commitment can be made at this stage.

Potential contractors bidding for any lot of this contract will be expected to fulfil the technical course requirements listed in the relevant appendix to the specification. Please see section 3.2 of the specification for information on which appendix(ces) are relevant to the lot(s) your organisation wishes to bid for. Additionally, all potential contractors are expected to:

• Comply with all requirements set out in the main body of the specification; • Provide suitable training facilities for the course(s) they are bidding for (whether or not these are owned by the potential contractor). All training courses must be delivered in the UK, to minimise travel costs to the MCA and promote a good work/life balance for the trainees; • Supply an adequate number of suitably qualified trainers for each course they are bidding for; • Ensure that the trainees have access to suitable lunch and refreshment facilities where a course they are bidding for is longer than half a day (whether or not these facilities are on site, owned/operated by the potential contractor or included in the cost of the course).