Issue details

GMCA have run a competitive process. In total 49 bids were received across both lots, with 30 in lot one and 19 in lot two.

Each bid was sent to a full evaluation panel. GMCA’s Information Governance Team also reviewed each provider’s IG submission to ensure that they were acceptable, and the finances of the bidding company were also checked.
The mini-competition comprised of 2 parts, covering (80%) Quality, (20%) Social Value via the Social Value Portal. The Quality selection process involved evaluating the bidders’ responses on a number of criteria including:
- Learning Delivery Approach
- Quality and Track Record
- Mobilisation and Implementation
- Engagement and Stakeholder Management
- Performance Management and Monitoring
- Financial Value for Money

Following the evaluations, the bidders were ranked based on their total overall score and all organisations who had met the minimum evaluation criteria as per the published documentation, were invited to a two-part negotiation procedure, the first stage was to ask all providers to resubmit their allocation asks, taking into account a number of factors, including but not limited to the following:

- Coverage, reach, capacity and affordability
- Value for money, based on the cost, volumes and balance/mix of provision.
- The extent to which the totality of the proposals responds to the LMI appended to the specification, in particular the proposed offer available in those areas with high concentrations of residents with low/no qualifications.
- Current performance of existing devolved GM AEB contract for service providers, where relevant

Following the resubmissions, each organisation was invited to a negotiation meeting to discuss any remaining points. These discussions centred around the values of contracts, past performance considerations, reviewing supply chains and distribution across localities.

Contracts will be awarded to the bidders listed above. Any bidder who scored one or below on two or more questions, did not pass the economic and financial standing evaluations, the minimum OFSTED requirements or did not submit a proposal for a contract value above the minimum or below the maximum for the relevant lot has been excluded from the process.