European Social Fund in England
2007 - 2013
National Offender Management Service
NOMS is running a tendering exercise with the aim to commence delivery from January 2011. The PQQ stage opened in February and closed on 1 April. PQQs have been evaluated.
The indicative procurement timetable is detailed below.
The core programme of service delivery outlined in the national specifications is enhanced by the targeting of discreet groups as described in each regional specification. The overall aim is to improve the skills and employment prospects of offenders both in custody prior to release and in the community.
All documents are available to access via the Procurement Website.
| PQQ Issued | 16 February 2010 |
| Closing date for expressions of interest | 05 March 2010 |
| PQQ closed PQQ scoring |
02 April 2010 |
| Prospective Provider Events AND Stakeholder Events |
April – May 2010 |
| First ITT (Initial Solutions) Issued | 14 May 2010 (on) |
| Deadline for Prospective Provider to complete ‘Form of Tender’ to confirm intent to submit response | 21 May 2010 (on) |
| Closing date for First ITT clarifications by Prospective Providers | 03 June 2010 (on) |
| Deadline for Guaranteed reply for clarifications | 08 June 2010 (on) |
| Deadline for Return of First ITT submissions First ITT evaluations | 11 June 2010 (on) |
| Outcome of the First ITT (Initial solutions) and Up to seven Prospective Providers in each region receive Invitation to Participate in Dialogue |
02 July 2010 (by) |
| Open Dialogue Begins | 05 July 2010 (on) |
| Open Dialogue Ends Evaluation of dialogue |
16 July 2010 (on) |
| Prospective Providers informed of outcome of Open Dialogue and Up to five Prospective Providers in each region invited to respond to Final ITT (BAFO) |
16 August 2010 (on) |
| Closing date for Final ITT clarifications by Prospective Providers | 03 September 2010 (on) |
| Deadline for Return of Final ITT Final ITT evaluation/post tender clarification interviews |
13 September 2010 (on) |
| Contract decisions Write up for approval |
14 October 2010 (w/c) |
| Contract Award letters issued | 05 November 2010 (on) |
| Contract Mobilisation | From January 2011 |
NOMS organised a series of events to inform stakeholders and to facilitate provider networking. There were three national stakeholder events and nine regional networking events. Presentations and attendee lists can be found on the Procurement Website.
National Events
The national events held in April were designed to inform stakeholders, internal and external to the criminal justice sector, including Providers, of the aims, content and timetable of the NOMS CFO programme 2.
Regional Events
The 9 Provider Networking Events were designed to assist in the necessary networking and engagement process for prospective providers in developing their bidding strategies. Smaller organisations in particular were encouraged to attend and seek assistance where necessary from NOMS representatives to ensure effective engagement with primes and other potential subcontractors or consortia members. These events were hosted by the individual Director’s of Offender Management (DOMS) within each region between 26 April and 10 June 2010.
To enable prospective Providers to understand whether they would be better to continue the tender process as a Prime Provider or as a Partner/Sub-contractor, or other please review the summary below.
Events Overview
NOMS’ objective is to ensure they provide a professional and effective service to the participants both in prison and in the community whilst operating within the ESF requirements. Consequently it is essential for NOMS to maximise efficiency by managing the project with a structured agenda and therefore prospective providers were requested to consider the points below prior to registering for the events.
It is therefore important for all potential tenderers and their partners/sub-contractors to fully understand the tendering process and our requirements within.
Prime Providers
It will be necessary for you to have the following capabilities in order for you to provide a service across a whole region:
- Understanding of ESF Policies and Procedures
- Sufficient infrastructure in business
- Ability to manage a multi-million pound contract(s) so that the money is spent as directed within the contract
- Capable of managing a range of partners to include specialist areas as well as Probation areas through regular steering groups
- Ability to recruit suitable staff to manage a contract of this size
- Ensuring staff are well trained and competent within their specialised area of delivery whether it is finance, administration or as a case worker / case manager
- Knowledge and full understanding of all pathways
- Full understanding of the specification and the ability to offer new initiatives
- Ability to manage the required targets that the contract specifies
- Manage the data to provide monthly reports to the Co-financing Organisation (CFO)
- Provide reports on cross-cutting themes
- Review the staffing structures throughout the life of the contract and suggesting variations with the CFO Contract Manager to ensure all targets are met and the budget is spent.
Sub Contractors
NOMS understand that some potential providers do not necessarily have the capability of managing a whole region and providing a service that will take in all requirements.
NOMS would therefore like to encourage organisations to offer their services as partners/sub-contractors to a prime provider(s). It is important to the CFO not to disadvantage any potential providers but NOMS recognise that the scope of managing a contract of this size can be both difficult and not necessarily be attractive to smaller organisations.
It will be necessary for a Sub Contractor to have the following capabilities:
- Understanding of ESF Policies and Procedures
- An ability to provide a service to a Prime Provider that may cut across a number of pathways
- Ability to manage the budget laid down within the contract with their provider
- Capable of offering a service across a region(s) in specialised provision
- Full understanding of the specification and how their provision fits into the whole delivery programme
- Ensuring staff are well trained within their specialised area of delivery whether it is finance, administration or as a case worker / case manager
- Knowledge and full understanding of all pathways
- Ability to ensure that their staff can manage the case loads required within the contract
- Provide reports on cross-cutting themes.
Others
If it is your intention to submit a bid in another form e.g. a consortia, partnerships, the Authority would be pleased to discuss these or other options with you please contact steve.mcgarvie@noms.gsi.gov.uk