---
title: "Cash First Learning and Evaluation"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03f917"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03f917"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03f917.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03f917.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT"
published: "2023-12-06"
---

# Cash First Learning and Evaluation

Buyer: SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03f917

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03f917)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03f917.json)

## Summary

The Scottish Government has concluded the "Cash First Learning and Evaluation" procurement process for research services aimed at ending the need for food banks in Scotland. The procurement involved the selection of a Learning Partner and an Independent Evaluator to support local partnerships in providing timely, robust information on the Programme's impact. The procurement stage was an open procedure, with details available on the official government website. The process was initiated through a tender and has now been completed.

This procurement opportunity provides a chance for research and evaluation services businesses to contribute to a meaningful cause in Scotland. Businesses with experience in providing research services and evaluation support to government organisations may find this tender particularly relevant. The procurement aims to facilitate collaborations between local partnerships and the Scottish Government to improve urgent access to cash in crises, generating valuable evidence to inform future policy and practice. By engaging in this tender, businesses can support the Scottish Government in achieving its ambitions towards ending reliance on food banks.

## Notice

The Scottish Government wants to work with local partners towards our shared ambition of ending the need for food banks in Scotland, as set out in our recently published Cash-First Plan. Our two-year Cash-First Programme ('the Programme') will provide funding and practical assistance for up to eight local Partnerships to collaborate and deliver activities that improve urgent access to cash in a crisis, generating evidence that can be shared to inform future policy and practice. The Scottish Government intends to utilise a lotted approach. Splitting this requirement into two lots, whilst limiting suppliers to only tender for one lot to ensure the integrity of the lots, specifically lot two relating to the Independent Evaluation. The Scottish Government is seeking to procure the services of a Learning Partner for this Programme. The Learning Partner will provide each Partnership with advice to inform and refine their approach and will facilitate peer-learning across the Partnership cohort. The overall aim of the role is to establish an enabling environment for cash-first activities and to provide the Scottish Government with timely, robust information on the Programme. The Scottish Government is seeking to procure the services of an organisation to undertake an independent evaluation of this Programme. The Evaluator will assess the implementation of cash-first activities by Partnerships, the role of the Learning Partner, and the impact of the Programme as a whole.

### Lot Information

Cash First Learning and Evaluation - Lot 1 - Learning Partner

The Scottish Government wants to work with local partners towards our shared ambition of ending the need for food banks in Scotland, as set out in our recently published Cash-First Plan. Our two-year Cash-First Programme ('the Programme') will provide funding and practical assistance for up to eight local Partnerships to collaborate and deliver activities that improve urgent access to cash in a crisis, generating evidence that can be shared to inform future policy and practice. The Scottish Government is seeking to procure the services of a Learning Partner for this Programme. The Learning Partner will provide each Partnership with advice to inform and refine their approach and will facilitate peer-learning across the Partnership cohort. The overall aim of the role is to establish an enabling environment for cash-first activities and to provide the Scottish Government with timely, robust information on the Programme. This specification sets out what is required, provides background information on the Programme and further outlines the rationale for the procurement. The specification makes suggestions on method, but bidders are encouraged to propose alternative methods for carrying out this work within the available budget and timescale. The Scottish Government is also seeking to appoint an organisation to undertake an independent evaluation of the Programme. The evaluation services required are set out in the 'Schedule 1B - Lot 2 - Specification' document. Tenderers should submit bids for lot 1 or lot 2 only, to maintain the independence of the evaluation. It should be noted that successful bidders across the two contracts will be expected to share some data and resources in order to effectively fulfil the Programme objectives. Specifically, the Learning Partner will be expected to contribute to the development of the evaluation framework, develop a joint Data Sharing Agreement and regularly provide evidence on the activities delivered to the evaluation team, and to engage in research conducted by the Evaluator. The specific remit of the Learning Partner is to provide advice and facilitate learning that helps to maximise the effectiveness of cash-first interventions. The activities and approach to this work are detailed below: Role: to drive improvement by (1) providing tailored advice to each Partnership (2) delivering a series of peer-learning events between the Partnership cohort, and (3) gathering evidence for the Programme evaluation.

Renewal: There is an optional 3 month extension that may be utilised by Scottish Ministers.

Cash First Learning and Evaluation - Lot 2 - Independent Evaluation

The Scottish Government wants to work with local partners towards our shared ambition of ending the need for food banks in Scotland, as set out in our recently published Cash-First Plan. Our two-year Cash-First Programme ('the Programme') will provide funding and practical assistance for up to eight local Partnerships to collaborate and deliver activities that improve urgent access to cash in a crisis, generating evidence that can be shared to inform future policy and practice. The Scottish Government is seeking to procure the services of an organisation to undertake an independent evaluation of this Programme. The Evaluator will assess the implementation of cash-first activities by Partnerships, the role of the Learning Partner, and the impact of the Programme as a whole. This specification sets out what is required, provides background information on the Programme and further outlines the rationale for the procurement. The specification makes suggestions on method, but bidders are encouraged to propose alternative methods for carrying out this work within the available budget and timescale. The Scottish Government is also seeking to appoint a Learning Partner to facilitate improvement and learning within and between Partnerships, and to support the gathering of evidence for the Programme evaluation. The Learning Partner services requirement is set out in the 'Schedule 1A - Lot 1 - Specification' document. Tenderers should submit bids for lot 1 or lot 2 only, to maintain the independence of the evaluation. It should be noted that successful bidders across the two contracts will be expected to collaborate and share some data and resources in order to effectively fulfil the Programme objectives. Specifically, the Evaluator will be expected to seek the Learning Partner's views on the evaluation framework, develop a joint Data Sharing Agreement and support the Learning Partner to identify and supply evidence that is relevant to the evaluation. The specific remit of the Evaluator is to provide an independent view on the impact of the Cash-First Programme as a whole, with a final report anticipated in Spring 2026. They will draw on monitoring reports from Partnerships and evidence compiled by the Learning Partner, as well as undertaking interviews with Partnerships and a cross-section of people supported through the activities delivered. The Evaluator will also produce topical good practice resources such as case studies across the two years of the Fund. The activities and approach to this work are detailed below: Role: to assess implementation and impact of the overall Programme and inform future policy and practice by (1) developing an evaluation framework, (2) evaluating the Programme and (3) publishing reports and resources.

Renewal: There is an optional 3 month extension that may be utilised by Scottish Ministers.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035922-2023 |
| Notice type | Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 6 Dec 2023 |
| Submission deadline | 2 Oct 2023 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 7 Nov 2023 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £200,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £99,200 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Active, Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Post town | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH6 6QQ |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM1 East Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM13 City of Edinburgh |
| Local authority | City of Edinburgh |
| Electoral ward | Leith |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh North and Leith |
| Delivery location | TLM Scotland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | NOURISH SCOTLAND |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 73110000 - Research services
- 79313000 - Performance review services

## Release History

- 6 Dec 2023 at 12:27 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035922-2023
- 1 Sep 2023 at 13:29 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025839-2023

## Notice URLs

- http://www.scotland.gov.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000743431
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA10482
- https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk

## 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-h6vhtk-03f917. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03f917.json.