Digital Languages Mentoring Project

Languages are important. They foster pupils' curiosity; deepen their understanding of the world; and open up opportunities for career and further study.

DfE funds initiatives to increase take-up of languages, including a small-scale Languages Mentoring pilot aiming to boost MFL GCSE take-up and interest in the subject. Similar programmes have had a marked impact on take-up in Wales; the alpha trial in England has also affected subject choices.

For more information on the alpha project please see https://mflmentoring.co.uk/language-horizons/

DfE now seeks a provider to design and deliver the private beta phase of the digital languages mentoring project. This will continue the mentoring approach taken in the alpha, engaging pupils with multi-lingualism and multi-culturalism, promoting a global outlook, and inspiring pupils to choose languages at GCSE. Service users will be Year 8 & 9 pupils in state maintained schools in England who are about to make GCSE option choices, with the mentors being MFL undergraduate students at universities in England. The service provider will also be required to collaborate with a contractor which will be developing the digital platform for the programme during the first few months of the contract. The provider will then take over responsibility for the digital platform in January 2020 and will need to demonstrate that it has the resources and capacity to ensure compliance with GDS standards and best practice.

This notice is for information only and is not a call for competiton. The Department reserves the right not to enter a formal procurement process and not award contract(s). Accordingly, the Authority will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work or effort incurred by a supplier in acting on the basis of this Prior Information Notice.

All future information will be issued to potential suppliers via the DfE eTendering Portal. Suppliers can access this system at https://education.app.jaggaer.com where the details of how to register and the terms of free registration are presented.

All information included in this notice is indicative and subject to change. The intention is to publish the tender opportunity in early August and award the contract by the end of October 2019, with a short lead in time we expect delivery to begin in February/March 2020.

Additional information: The contract will include the option to extend the project into the public beta stage for the academic year 2020/21 with a budget of approx. £1.5m, taking the maximum contract value to approx. £2m over the academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21. Please note that extending into public beta stage is dependant on additional approvals, funding, and is at the sole discretion of the DfE.