Your ref:This matter is being dealt with by:Jane Blois
My Ref: 959PTelephone: Leicester (0116)294 4141
Fax: Leicester (0116)294 4398
Email:
26.5.11
Dear Tenderer
959P Systematic Synthetic Phonics (Products)
Thank you for your continued interest in the Systematic Synthetic Phonics tender for products.
I am writing to notify you of some significant changes to the tender evaluation scheme and amendments to schedules A and B which are intended to provide clarification and simplification of the tender submission process.
Amendments to the evaluation process
Please find attached a replacement for page 9 of the tender which details the revised award criteria that will be applied should your tender successfully complete of the business related qualifying stage.
In essence, the key change is that the 60/40 split between non price and price has been dispensed with.
All products offered which are assessed as meeting the criteria will be included in the new phonics catalogue, subject to the provisions of the following clause.
‘Price’ will be taken into account as an award criterion only in the following circumstances:
a)If an identical product (which meets the criteria) is offered by two or more qualifying suppliers, then generally the lower or lowest priced offer will be the only one which is accepted; and
b)If the number of products identified as meeting the DfE’s criteria exceeds the number which can reasonably be included in the catalogue, then where in the reasoned opinion of the evaluator two (or more) products broadly duplicate each other, the higher priced products may be excluded.
For tenderers’ guidance, the phonics catalogue is intended to be comprehensive in its content, with ample scope for a large number of products and services to be included, so the likelihood of the above clause needing to be invoked is considered low.
Tenderers should note that although ‘price’ is an award criterion only in the limited circumstances described above, it will of course be a highly significant factor for schools when they are deciding which items to order from the catalogue.
Amendments to Schedules A and B
The distinction between submitting prices on Schedule A and Schedule B has caused difficulties for bidders, so in order to simplify the scheme, we have combined these schedules into one, which is attached.
The new schedule will invite you to submit prices for both bulk delivery to the Pro5 for onward distribution to schools and in addition to this, prices for you to deliver directly to customers (ordering and invoicing through the Pro5).
Prices should be inclusive of delivery charges, but you are also free to include tiered pricing for variable volumes as long as these are clearly defined. The objective of this change is to take away the burden of the decision regarding the supply route from the bidder and place it with the evaluation panel. Should you wish to supply via a particular route only, you are free to complete just one of these columns, but you should note that if the evaluation panel consider that route to be operationally impractical, then this may effectively preclude the product from appearing in the catalogue.
Regards
Jane Blois
Buyer
Strategic Procurement & Commissioning
SYSTEMATIC SYNTHETIC PHONICS RESOURCES
ESPO Contract Reference 959/P
INVITATION TO TENDER ISSUED IN MAY 2011
The following pages REPLACE page 9 of the
originally issued invitation to tender document.
Stage 2 – Award Criteria
4.2All tenders which qualify (i.e. those which pass stage one of the evaluation process) will proceed to stage two, comprising an evaluation under the award criteria.
4.3There are two elements to the award criteria – non-price, and price. Because of the nature of the evaluation scheme, described in the following paragraphs, these two elements do not carry any ‘weighting’ relative to each other.
Non-Price
4.4All products must meet the Annex A core criteria detailed in this invitation to tender document, and in addition to this Annex C criteria for products intended to be used for “catch up”.
4.5Products will be assessed by reference to the DfE’s criteria for systematic synthetic phonics. For each Scheme (or group of products and training services intended to be used together) that you are offering, a copy of Schedule D must be completed outlining how the scheme meets the criteria. For each item, an assessment will be made as to the extent to which it is consistent with each of the criteria.
4.6If a product is assessed as completely failing to meet one or more of the applicable criteria, then it may be rejected. Tenderers submitting supplementary products should explain why a particular criterion is not applicable to the product and explain how the product should be used in teaching. This may be noted in Schedule D.
4.7The assessment will be carried out by officers of the DfE (or by suitably qualified and experienced acting on the DfE’s behalf), and will result in each product being assessed as either meeting the DfE’s criteria, or as failing to meet the DfE’s criteria.
4.8If required in order to make a full assessment of any product, samples may be called for. Tenderers will be notified of the administrative details for this with the request, however you should note that all samples will need to be fully labelled and a prompt delivery to ESPO in Leicester will be required.
4.9Tenderers are required to indicate (in section 6.5 of the Business Questionnaire) their stockholding and delivery lead times. They should note that delivery will normally be required within a maximum of 28 days from receipt of order.
4.10All products offered which are assessed as meeting the criteria will be included in the new phonics catalogue, subject to the provisions of the following clause.
4.11‘Price’ will be taken into account as an award criterion only in the following circumstances:
a)If an identical product (which meets the criteria) is offered by two or more qualifying suppliers, then generally the lower or lowest priced offer will be the only one which is accepted; and
b)If the number of products identified as meeting the DfE’s criteria exceeds the number which can reasonably be included in the catalogue, then where in the reasoned opinion of the evaluator two (or more) products broadly duplicate each other, the higher priced products may be excluded.
4.12For tenderers’ guidance, the phonics catalogue is intended to be comprehensive in its content, with ample scope for a large number of products and services to be included, so the likelihood of clause 4.10 (b) needing to be invoked is considered low.
4.13Tenderers should note that although ‘price’ is an award criterion only in the limited circumstances described above, it will of course be a highly significant factor for schools when they are deciding which items to order from the catalogue.
AWARD OF CONTRACT (FRAMEWORK)
4.14Throughout the evaluation process, the right is reserved to request from tenderers additional information, explanation or clarification at any stage, and ESPO may decline to include in the Framework Agreement award any tenderer from whom a satisfactory response to such request cannot be obtained.
4.15Upon conclusion of the evaluation of tenders, those bidders whom it is agreed should be included in the Framework Agreement will be advised accordingly.
4.16Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, ESPO does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender, and unless a tenderer expressly states that a partial award will not be acceptable, then the right is reserved to accept a tender in part.
4.17Upon conclusion of all the above stages, a formal Framework Agreement will be entered into between ESPO and the successful Tenderer(s). Unsuccessful Tenderers will be advised of this in writing.
Schedule A
Classroom Resources
Please make clear in the description where the product is part of a family of resources that are intended to be used together. You are not required to submit samples at this stage – you will be notified of any requirement for these after the initial paper evaluation has been completed.
Please indicate if your firm is also tendering (under the separate framework agreement ref 959/T) for the provision of training courses associated with the classroom resources that you have specified. This is so that training can be highlighted in the customer catalogue alongside the products, making it easier for schools to optimise their purchasing in a co-ordinated manner.
Please feel free to expand the size of the boxes and add in any additional rows to the table as required.
Note that you may complete either or both of the columns headed Supply Stream – these relate to whether a product is supplied in bulk to a Pro5 store for onward distribution to schools, or whether it is delivered directly to the school by the supplier (in whatever quantity the school requires). Where both columns are completed, ESPO/Pro5 will (assuming the product is included in the catalogue) select whichever of the two options it considers the more appropriate, having regard to the nature of the product. If you decide not to complete one or other of the columns, you should note that this may preclude the product being included in the catalogue, should ESPO/Pro5 consider that the preferred supply route is not available.
Classroom resources - mainstream scheme
Detailed Product Description / Supplier Product Reference / Pack size / Supply Stream Options / What is your normal list, catalogue or selling price to schools for this product * / Is there training associated with this product (tendered separately)?(Y/N) / Image and catalogue description supplied?
(Y/N)
Supply in bulk to Pro5 store / Supply direct to schools
1 / £ / £ / £
2 / £ / £ / £
3 / £ / £ / £
* Required for benchmarking purposes.
Catch up scheme teaching resources
Detailed Product Description / Supplier Product Reference / Pack size / Supply Stream Options / What is your normal list, catalogue or selling price to schools for this product * / Is there training associated with this product (tendered separately)?(Y/N) / Image and catalogue description supplied?
(Y/N)
Supply in bulk to Pro5 store / Supply direct to schools
1 / £ / £ / £
2 / £ / £ / £
3 / £ / £ / £
* Required for benchmarking purposes.