--- title: "Looked-After-Children & Independent School Demonstrator Hubs." ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-39c6b975-b421-45c0-9bf1-c6fd6bc5e026" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-39c6b975-b421-45c0-9bf1-c6fd6bc5e026" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-39c6b975-b421-45c0-9bf1-c6fd6bc5e026.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-39c6b975-b421-45c0-9bf1-c6fd6bc5e026.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION" published: "2019-04-08" --- # Looked-After-Children & Independent School Demonstrator Hubs. Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-39c6b975-b421-45c0-9bf1-c6fd6bc5e026 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-39c6b975-b421-45c0-9bf1-c6fd6bc5e026) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-39c6b975-b421-45c0-9bf1-c6fd6bc5e026.json) ## Summary The Department for Education is currently in the planning stage of the procurement process for the "Looked-After-Children & Independent School Demonstrator Hubs" project, aimed at enhancing educational opportunities for looked-after children. The deadline for engagement ends on 8 July 2019, with a Market Engagement Event scheduled for 23 April 2019 in Central London. This project falls under the education and training services industry category and involves a tender initiation type. Interested parties are invited to respond to a Request for Information (RFI), with responses due by 10:00 PM on 18 April 2019. This procurement presents valuable growth opportunities for organisations that can provide innovative solutions for educational partnerships and support services targeting looked-after children. Businesses engaged in education, social services, and those capable of delivering training or placement brokerage services would be particularly well-suited to participate. By collaborating with the Department for Education, successful bidders can help shape a national rollout that may significantly improve access and support for vulnerable children across the UK. ## Notice We are seeking advice from the market to help inform the development of Looked-After-Children & Independent School Demonstrator Hubs. We value the views of potential providers and are therefore requesting information to assist our scoping of the procurement. This is not an invitation to bid, it is solely a request for information. No direct business will be awarded as a result of completing this Request for Information (RFI). Responding to this RFI will not advantage or disadvantage any supplier in the future procurement. Organisations that are interested in this anticipated opportunity are invited to attend a Market Engagement Event on 23 April 2019 (Central London location) and to respond to an RFI questionnaire. This will assist the Department for Education to gain a greater understanding of the market and help shape any contract that it will procure. Reservations to attend the Market Engagement Event on 23 April 2019 at 11:30AM (Central London location) should be made through our dedicated mailbox: ISSP.FORUM@education.gov.uk Ticket reservation will be available until 10:00PM on 18 April 2019. A copy of the RFI will be uploaded to this PIN shortly. The deadline for responses will be 10:00PM on 18 April 2019. Please submit all responses to the dedicated mailbox: ISSP.FORUM@education.gov.uk Further information On 04 December 2018, The Department for Education (DfE) announced a national scheme creating partnerships between independent schools, state schools, virtual schools and local authorities to boost opportunities for looked after children. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mentoring-schemes-and-top-scholarships-for-children-in-care We plan to develop up to 10 demonstrator hubs to implement partnerships between independent (day & boarding schools) and local authorities, supported by a delivery partner and placement brokerage service. The project has two main objectives: 1. improving looked-after children's access to places in independent and boarding schools; a. improving the support they offer to looked-after children in state-funded schools; and b. providing opportunities for looked-after children with specific aspirations or talents. The project is designed to test approaches over two academic years - providing a clear framework, including financial models that other areas can use for a national roll-out. Our vision is to open up the full breadth of educational opportunities to looked-after children and build partnerships that support their attainment and ambition. Where possible, the hubs will build on existing work; in developing the hubs and aspects of partnership focused on placements in independent boarding schools. We are seeking a partner (or a consortia of partners) to deliver on this project over two academic years with funding available up to PS500,000. Once approved the contractor would be expected to work with the DfE to deliver on the DfE's outcomes for the project. Additional information: The DfE will be administering the procurement process electronically via the DfE e-Procurement Solution portal; Bravo Solution. No hard copy documents will be issued and all communications with DfE (including final submission of tenders) will be conducted via the Bravo Solution Portal. Bidders who are not already registered on the Bravo Solution portal can register here: https://education.bravosolution.co.uk For any assistance with the portal, bidders should contact the Bravo helpdesk: help@bravosolution.co.uk NOTE: The Bravo Solution e-Procurement portal will be used for the competitive stages of this procurement. For the purposes of the market engagement and RFI the DfE will regularly update this PIN. All contact with DfE at this early stage should be made via the dedicated mailbox: ISSP.FORUM@education.gov.uk Please note that this PIN is not a call to competition and the DfE is not bound to enter into any procurement activity because of it. With procurement being dependant on ministerial priorities, funding for the delivery of the Looked-After-Children & Independent School Demonstrator Hubs is subject to change at DfE's absolute discretion. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f4fe71b2-8b38-4333-ac23-60da1e54019a | | Notice type | Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Not specified | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 8 Apr 2019 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 8 Jul 2019 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION | | Locality | MANCHESTER | | Post town | Manchester | | Postcode | M1 2WD | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) | | ITL 2 | TLD3 Greater Manchester | | ITL 3 | TLD33 Manchester | | Local authority | Manchester | | Electoral ward | Piccadilly | | Westminster constituency | Manchester Central | | Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 80000000 - Education and training services ## Release History - 8 Apr 2019 at 09:38 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f4fe71b2-8b38-4333-ac23-60da1e54019a - 5 Apr 2019 at 10:13 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f4fe71b2-8b38-4333-ac23-60da1e54019a - 5 Apr 2019 at 10:04 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f4fe71b2-8b38-4333-ac23-60da1e54019a - 29 Mar 2019 at 14:23 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f4fe71b2-8b38-4333-ac23-60da1e54019a ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/f4fe71b2-8b38-4333-ac23-60da1e54019a 8th April 2019 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder ## Notice URLs - https://education.bravosolution.co.uk - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mentoring-schemes-and-top-scholarships-for-children-in-care ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-39c6b975-b421-45c0-9bf1-c6fd6bc5e026. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-39c6b975-b421-45c0-9bf1-c6fd6bc5e026.json.