Procurement for the Provision of Prisoner Education Services (Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG))

HMPPS is committed to delivering a new and transformed Prisoner Education Service (PES) that increases the focus on Education, Skills and Work (ESW) within prisons and supports prisoners to improve their prospects for work on release. The PES Programme will focus on the following three overarching strategic priorities:

The provision of an impartial and high-quality Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) Service is fundamental to achieving our vision and our aims.

The vision of PES is that everyone of working age and able to work should leave prison prepared for employment or further education and training. The new CIAG Service will contribute to reducing reoffending by supporting prisoners from induction to release identifying career aspirations, setting education, skills and work-related goals, and supporting prisoners to achieve their aspirations upon release.

We are seeking to procure new CIAG contracts that can offer prisoners a high quality and impartial CIAG Service. The new CIAG contracts shall replace the current CIAG services commissioned via the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (PEDPS).

The CIAG Service is being procured separately to Core Education Provision (currently being procured https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027125-2023) Suppliers can bid for both Core Education and CIAG services

This procurement will cover the provision of CIAG services in all prisons managed by HMPPS in England, with the exception of 2, and 4 prisons managed by private operators in England.

This requirement has been classified as being subject to the Light Touch Regime under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. The procurement shall be a single stage procurement with a single submission requirement in response to an Invitation to Tender (ITT).

The procurement shall comprise of 11 regional lots. The contracts will commence on the 1st April 2025. The duration of the contracts shall be for an initial 4 years with options to extend the term of this Contract beyond the end of the Initial Term or beyond the end of any additional period (as applicable) for a minimum of 1 year and provided the maximum aggregate additional period shall not exceed 3 years. Total 7-year value £72,360,000

The Authority is using the Jaggaer electronic eSourcing Portal (formerly Bravo) for the procurement. The ITT, which is comprised of 3 volumes and supporting documentation, is available only in electronic format via the Portal. Bidders must register the names of all contacts requiring access to the sourcing event and must submit queries via the Portal. https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html

Additional information:

Bidders are invited to send a maximum of two delegates to a Tender Information Event (the Event) to be held on the 13th November 2023 from 10am to 12 noon on Microsoft Teams. The purpose of the Event is to provide general guidance on the ITT documentation and requirements. To register to attend the Event, please send a message via the e-sourcing Portal with the name and e-mail details of the delegates. Note that the Event will be recorded, and the recording will be accessible on the e-Sourcing Portal for all Bidders.

Tenders must remain valid and capable of acceptance for 400 days from the Tender Submission Deadline

This requirement has been classified as being subject to the Light Touch Regime under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. Under the Light Touch Regime, the Authority is not obliged to observe the full requirements of the Regulations, including the detailed rules and timescales applicable to the procurement procedures covered by the Regulations. This is irrespective of the use of this standard notice (the Authority is unable to use the Light Touch Regime notice for technical compatibility reasons).

CIAG Services are part of the PES Programme to transform prison education. Separate procurements will be run for Core Education, Screening and Assessment Tools and Common Awarding Organisations.

Award of contract: The Authority is not committed to any course of action as a result of this Contract Notice. It is not liable for any costs incurred in respect of expressing an interest or in tendering for this opportunity. The Authority reserves the right to abandon, rewind, pause or terminate the procurement and not to award one or more contract(s) at its own discretion. Nothing in this Contract Notice shall generate any contractual obligations prior to the signature of a Contract.

Important notice: This Contract Notice must be read in full together with the procurement documents being released for this procurement. Bidders are reminded that participation in this procurement will be subject to the conditions of participation set out in the procurement documents and the eSourcing Portal.