Public procurement notice: Contract Notice
Published: 2017-10-05
Buyer: MOD
Country: UK
Contract type: Services
Procedure: Restricted procedure
CPV classification: 80000000
Estimated value: 53000000 GBP
Submission deadline: 2017-10-20
Award criteria: The most economic tender
EU fund: ESF

Technical requirements: Provision of Apprenticeship Training to Soldiers of the British Army, and the provision of associated Business Support Services to the Army Apprenticeships Team.
The Authority is seeking to select Contractors to deliver part of, or all of, the Apprenticeship qualifications covered by Lot #1 to Lot #7, and the Provision of Business Support Services to the Army Apprenticeship Team in Lot #8. Contract duration for Lots 1 to 7 will be 4 years, and 5 years for Lot 8 (subject to continued provision of Apprenticeship Levy or ESFA funding). The methodology and location for delivery of each of Apprenticeship Lot varies according to the requirements of each Arm or Service. In general, delivery commences during a soldier's Phase 2 Trade Training, and continues into their service in the Field Army. Only suppliers registered on the DfE Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers are eligible to deliver the requirements of Lots 1 to 7 and suppliers must be listed on the DfE Register by 1.4.2018 to commence transition to contract delivery for these Lots.
Tenderers who are awarded any Lots from Group A and/or Group B cannot be awarded any contracts from Group C.
Depending upon Career Employment Group, REME Soldiers undertake L3 apprenticeships in Eng Manufacture (Eng Tech Support; Eng Maintenance; Aeronautical Eng and Fabrication and Welding); Logistics Ops. Delivery commences during Phase 2 training (Ph2 trg) at Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, and continues into Field Army service. In addition to Technical knowledge components of apprenticeships, Ph2 Trg may include opportunities for a Contractor to assess competence components. Time is allocated for delivery of Functional Skills but delivery of this may have to be completed during Field Unit service. Delivery in the field can be structured as formal courses, or informally in evenings / spare time. After Ph2 trg REME soldiers may be posted to units in UK or overseas, where assessment opportunities may exist. In 2017/18, estimated delivery of apprenticeships based upon a profile of 650-700 x L3 starts and average total occupancy of approx. 2250.
This contract may be subject to renewal through formal competitive tender under Public Contract Regulations in 2021/22 (subject to continued availability of ESFA and Apprenticeship Levy funding).
It is the Authority's intention to invite up to a maximum of 6 suppliers to tender for each Requirement (i.e. Lot). If more than 6 suppliers meet the minimum selection criteria for each Requirement (i.e. Lot), the Authority intends to invite the 6 suppliers who attain the highest-scores in the Dynamic Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (DPQQ) for each Requirement (i.e. Lot) to tender for that Requirement (i.e. Lot).
Suppliers interested in tendering for any of the Requirements (i.e. Lots) are therefore required to complete separately the respective DPQQ for each Requirement (i.e. Lot) they are interested in, which are linked to this Notice. Suppliers' responses will provide information that allows the Authority to evaluate the supplier's capacities and capabilities against the selection criteria set out at Sections III.2.1), III.2.2) and III.2.3) of this Contract Notice.
Details of the process for accessing the DPQQ for this Lot, and the relevant Access Code are given in the Supplementary Information document which is attached to this Contract Notice as a supporting document.
The requirement covers the delivery of components of Apprenticeship qualifications not delivered in-house by military staff or through mandatory military training; and also the provision of the remaining components of Apprenticeship qualifications to those soldiers that had already commenced their apprenticeship training with other contracted providers prior to the letting of this contract.
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, comprising Royal Artillery (RA) and Royal Horse Artillery (RHA), consists of Regular Army Regiments based in UK and Germany. Depending upon their trade specialisation, learners undertake first apprenticeship programmes in Communications Technologies (L2); Driving Goods Vehicles (L2); Aviation Operations (Avn Ops) on the Ground (L2); Horse Care (L2). Progression apprenticeships may be offered in Comms Technologies (L3 and L4); Avn Ops on the Ground (L3); Horse Care (L3); and Logistics Ops Management (L3). New apprenticeship standards in similar areas will be adopted during this contract. Most delivery commences at the School of Artillery, Larkhill; but some learners are inducted from the Field Army. All apprenticeships are completed in Field Army units. In 2017/18, the estimated delivery of apprenticeships is based upon a profile of 500—600 starts and average total occupancy of approx. 1 000.
This contract may be subject to renewal through formal competitive tender under Public Contract Regulations in 2021/22 (subject to continued availability of ESFA and Apprenticeship Levy funding).
Candidates will complete a dynamic pre-qualification questionnaire (DPQQ) which will be scored in accordance with objective criteria detailed in accompanying procurement documentation. The (up to a maximum of) 6 candidates that attain the highest DPQQ scores will be invited to tender for this Lot.
Details of the process for accessing the DPQQ for this Lot, and the relevant Access Code are given in the Supplementary Information document which is attached to this Contract Notice as a supporting document.
The requirement covers the delivery of components of Apprenticeship qualifications not delivered in-house by military staff or through mandatory military training; and also the provision of the remaining components of Apprenticeship qualifications to those soldiers that had already commenced their apprenticeship training with other contracted providers prior to the letting of this contract.
RE comprises a number of units based in UK and Germany. Soldiers commence apprenticeships during Ph2 trg and complete them in Field Army units. Ph2A trg takes place at Minley, and consists of Functional Skills and Combat Engineering trg. Ph2B trg consists of trade trg at Minley (Signals/Telecomms), Deepcut (Warehousing and Storage), Leconfield (Driving), Bovington (Armoured), Chatham (all other trades). Depending on specialism, soldiers undertake a L2 apprenticeship in Construction (Wood Occupations, Trowel Occupations, Plumbing / Heating and Building Maintenance); Construction Civil Eng — Plant Operations; Eng Manufacture (Fabrication / Welding); Eng Maintenance & Installation; IT and Telecomms Professional; or Warehousing and Storage. Progression apprenticeships may be offered at L3 for Telecomms specialists. In 2017/18, apprenticeship delivery is based upon a profile of 600-700 starts, and average total occupancy of approx. 850.

Eligibility requirements: Only suppliers registered on the Department for Education's (DfE) Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers are eligible to deliver the requirements of Lots 1 — 7. Suppliers considering tendering for Lots 1 — 7 must be listed on the DfE Register by the date of contract award (provisionally 1.4.2018).

Award value: 53000000