Early Market Engagement Online Event - External Support service to the Free Schools Programme

Early Market Engagement Online Event

The purpose of this PIN is to notify the market of the Department for Education's (DfE) intention to undertake a procurement exercise to appoint a suitably qualified contractor to provide an external support service to the Free Schools Programme. The free school programme plays an important role in helping to deliver new, high-quality places of all types where they are needed most. Following the Spending Review, work is ongoing on a future programme and in due course, we will set out plans for delivering further special and AP free schools as part of the new investment of £2.6bn between 2022 and 2025, as well as for further mainstream schools. It is expected that there will be a need for an external support service to include the following: - Generate interest in new applications via the DfE-led free school application process, supporting groups to submit high-quality applications and providing support to applicant groups throughout the department's application and assessment process. - Deliver a small number of free school information events on behalf of the Department for Education.

Ahead of commencing any future procurement, we wish to engage with the market to outline our requirements and explain how potential bidders may ready themselves for any procurement process that may follow. The event will also provide an opportunity for potential bidders to ask questions regarding the draft requirements.

This online early market engagement event for interested parties will be held on 01/12/2021. If you are interested in attending this early market engagement event, please respond to the question contained in the qualification envelope within the opportunity listing for the Early Supplier Engagement Event (ssq_169 - External Support service to the Free Schools Programme - Expression of Interests). The notification by 17:00 on 29/11/2021 accessible via e-sourcing platform - Jaggaer - https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html

The event will be held on Microsoft Teams and a calendar invite will be sent to you upon registering your interest

Additional information: We wish to inform potential bidders about the opportunity to pre-register on our Jaggaer E-procurement system and also achieve Baseline Personnel Security Screening should you be offered a contract.

This is also published on the 'Procurement at DfE' GOV.UK page and the Bravo home page to advise suppliers of the DfE system upgrade.

All support to Suppliers is available from Jaggaer directly. The Jaggaer support details are on the Supplier log in page as:

Phone: 0800 069 8630 +44 203 608 4013

E-mail: [email protected]

The Authority administers all procurements electronically via the Department for Education e-procurement Solution portal (Jaggaer ). No hard copy documents will be issued and all communications with the Authority (including final submission of Tender responses) must be conducted via Jaggaer. To ensure all communications relating to this procurement are received, potential suppliers must ensure that the point of contact they nominate in the Jaggaer portal is accurate at all times. Access to the Jaggaer portal is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year anywhere in the world via the internet unless notified otherwise by the Jaggaer portal.

2. Baseline Personnel Security https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-baseline-personnel-security-standard

Notices

The publication of this notice does not signify the commencement of any procurement process and does not constitute any commitment by the Department for Education to undertake any procurement exercise.

In the event that the Department for Education might decide to commence any procurement process as contemplated by this notice, a separate notice will be published at the relevant time.

The DfE is keen to ensure that potential suppliers have as much notice as is possible about the services we wish to procure and this supports our agenda about encouraging engagement with Small and Medium Suppliers. Disclaimers and conditions: The Department retains the right to not procure and this early market engagement event is not binding. Any communication made between DfE and any party in connection with this requirement, shall not be relied upon as constituting a contract, agreement or representation that any contract will necessarily be offered.

DfE reserves the right to change without notice any documents and communications, in whole or in part. Under no circumstances shall DfE incur any liability in respect of this supporting documentation and DfE will not reimburse any costs incurred by any parties in connection with their use of these communications nor in connection with participation at the Early Market Engagement event.

This early market engagement event is suitable for suppliers that have knowledge, capacity and capability and track record to meet the requirements when the competition is published.