Access to Medicine and Dentistry Programmes

Health Education England (HEE - the Commissioner) are putting out this notice as a PIN (Prior Information Notice) with a view to completing a Direct Award.

Please note the contracting authority intends to direct award the contract to the Medical and Dental Schools Council. The case for direct award can be found on the tender portal.

HEE believe that the Medical and Dental Schools Council is the only supplier who can support the above programme requirements for one year in 2021/22, with their unique access to medical and dental schools, knowledge and experience (since 2016) in order to maintain continuity for the continued coordination and strategic management of outreach to support students from underrepresented backgrounds to aspire and apply to medicine and dentistry.

Due to the length of the contract (one year) seamless continuity is paramount. If the existing supplier cannot continue to provide the current service to HEE, it is believed that the impact on the service will be detrimental for a number of reasons: o Transition to a new supplier would mean the need for comprehensive induction to the work and organisational memory for the work would be lost, this will mean that timely delivery would not be achieved o Loss of links and relationships with the medical and dental schools preventing effective communication and engagement to deliver programmes o Limit the collaboration and partnership. The partnership established represents all medical and dental schools ensuring that there is no bias, and embraces diversity. o Inability to deliver a strategic England-wide framework for engagement. Current programme identifies any gaps in provision, and has the structures (Selection Alliance Board), relationships and influence to fill gaps. o Being able to deliver advice and guidance to teachers, advisers and students from September in order to support 2022 applicants to medicine and dentistry. This requires detailed and current knowledge in a fast-moving environment to provide accurate and up to date advice. o Failure to effectively act on lessons learned, building on the knowledge to engage schools and colleges in the cold spots thus reducing the reach to these priority areas.

The financial envelope for the contract is £491,948.00

For the Specification, Contract and the Case for Direct Award please access the portal at: https://health-family-contract-search.secure.force.com/?SearchType=Projects

All communications should be made via the messaging function on the Health Family E-Tendering portal.

If any provider has concerns with the commissioning intentions outlined within the published documentation, please raise this via the eTendering Portal in the first instance within 30 days of the date of this Prior Information Notice.

The closing date of this PIN is 23.59hrs on the 22nd September 2021