--- title: "Digital Languages Mentoring Project" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-f261be1c-60cc-4d43-b451-9acc7e5b95b3" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-f261be1c-60cc-4d43-b451-9acc7e5b95b3" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-f261be1c-60cc-4d43-b451-9acc7e5b95b3.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-f261be1c-60cc-4d43-b451-9acc7e5b95b3.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION" published: "2019-07-25" --- # Digital Languages Mentoring Project Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-f261be1c-60cc-4d43-b451-9acc7e5b95b3 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-f261be1c-60cc-4d43-b451-9acc7e5b95b3) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-f261be1c-60cc-4d43-b451-9acc7e5b95b3.json) ## Summary The Department for Education is initiating the Digital Languages Mentoring Project, aimed at promoting language education and cultural engagement among Year 8 and 9 pupils in England. With a total budget of £485,000 for the 2019/2020 financial year, this tender is currently in the planning stage and is expected to advance to publication on 12th August 2019, with the contract award anticipated by the end of October 2019. The contract duration will commence on 1st November 2019 and run until 30th June 2020, with an option to extend into the public beta phase for the following academic year if further funding is approved. This tender presents a significant opportunity for educational consultancies, language training organisations, and technology firms specialising in digital platform development. Businesses that can demonstrate experience in educational programme delivery, particularly those focused on language instruction or mentoring, would be particularly well-suited to compete. The project also encourages collaboration as the successful provider will need to work with a contractor developing the accompanying digital platform, paving the way for innovative partnerships in the education sector. ## Notice 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. PS1.5m, taking the maximum contract value to approx. PS2m 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. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/30aeca09-112d-4d32-9600-538f23218e03 | | Notice type | Planned Procurement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Not specified | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure (above threshold) | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 25 Jul 2019 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 11 Aug 2019 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Nov 2019 - 30 Jun 2020 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £485,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | South West London | | Postcode | SW1P 3BT | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West | | ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London | | Local authority | Westminster | | Electoral ward | St James's | | Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 80000000 - Education and training services ## Release History - 25 Jul 2019 at 14:42 - Planning - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/30aeca09-112d-4d32-9600-538f23218e03 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/30aeca09-112d-4d32-9600-538f23218e03 25th July 2019 - Future opportunity notice on Contracts Finder ## Notice URLs - https://education.app.jaggaer.com - https://mflmentoring.co.uk/language-horizons/ ## 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-f261be1c-60cc-4d43-b451-9acc7e5b95b3. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-f261be1c-60cc-4d43-b451-9acc7e5b95b3.json.