Tender opportunity - consultancy support to deliver legacy strategy

Better Start Bradford is seeking consultancy support to deliver its legacy strategy.

The innovative and remarkable Better Start Bradford programme is now in year 10. The programme has worked with thousands of parents and children to improve child outcomes and learn what works in early childhood prevention and intervention services.

Better Start Bradford is one of five A Better Start (ABS) programmes  in England set up and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund from 2015-2025. The other ABS sites are Blackpool, Lambeth, Nottingham and Southend.

We have been developing and securing the extensive learning from our programme and evaluation, and we are now looking for an organisation or individual to help us create a significant legacy to ensure the learning and impact from the programme continues to influence and add value to early childhood strategies and services across the Bradford district and beyond.

We are issuing an invitation for an organisation or individual to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to help us design and create our legacy.

Experience required

• Experience of significant work (paid or consultancy) in delivering major organisational change
• Track record of similar work with VCSE organisations
• Strong experience of project planning and good understanding of complex programme management

Fees

The consultancy work is expected to take 100-120 days and the budget for the work is £75,000 (maximum and inclusive of VAT)

Questions

If you have any questions about this EOI, please email Gill Thornton, Director, Better Start Bradford: [email protected]. Questions should be submitted to Gill Thornton and replies will be shared below (final date for questions is Thursday 22 August 2024):

Q: How do I apply?
A: For further information and to apply for this contract please download the consultancy brief and EOI documents below.

Q: Could you please advise whether the £75,000 is inclusive or exclusive of VAT
A: The £75,000 is inclusive of VAT

Q: You make a reference to “not including any web-based material” but for previous tenders we have included embedded web links in our submissions to provide evidence of the things we are saying in the tender.
A: We are happy for you to include the web links as evidence provided they do not constitute a substantive part of the submission.

Q: The brief refers to an initial phase which would be 30-40 days and subsequent stages would be 60 – 75 days. could you please identify your view on the distinct activities which would be within each phase?
A: The first part would be to identify legacy options and support the decision-making process in determining the legacy of the Better Start Bradford Programme. The subsequent stages would be to support the delivery of the chosen option. Obviously, this could involve different pathways depending on the initial decision but we will be looking to the successful bidder to be able to draft constitutions, partnership agreements, funding bids and transition plans to enable the agreed changes to be delivered.

Q: Within the EOI you don’t seem to have a section where we indicate price, day rate, or number of days which can be delivered within the budget & there is no award criteria weighting relating to that. It would useful to know how that aspect will be dealt with.
A: Our commissioning decisions have always been based on the best fit for the contract specifications and we usually ask for the budget only for information to aid our understanding of how the work will be delivered and by whom and what other costs are proposed. We missed that element in this EOI so have made a minor change to the document to ask for a budget under Q10, the revised application form can be downloaded below. This will not be scored in the tender assessment process but we may come back to you with questions re the budget.

Q: What is the deadline for submission of questions?
A: The closing date for questions is 20 August 2024

Q: When will the outcome be notified to tender applicants?
A: We have a panel from our Board making the decision – they will meet week beginning 9 September 2024 and may have a follow up interview with tenderers if necessary. The approval decision will go to our Partnership Board on 19 September 2024 and we will notify all tenderers immediately after the decision. This is subject to the meeting being quorate. In the event of it being inquorate we email the decisions to non-attendees with a week to respond. The decision is then finalised. We will keep tenderers informed.

Q: Will there be a standstill period?
A: There will be no standstill period

Q: When will the contract be awarded?
A: The successful organisation will be awarded the contract as soon as possible after the Partnership Board decision on 19 September 2024 and we will aim to have an early mobilisation meeting

Q: Having read the specification and the breakdown of timing: 30-40 days for the first phase and then 60-75 days for subsequent stages with an end date of 31/12/24 – am I right that you would need work to start in September?
A: You have identified the short time scale for the work and your estimate of the time needed for the stages is realistic so we would aim to start as quickly as possible. Ideally September but if not, early October. We are able to be flexible around the end date if necessary.

Q: Are there any word counts against the questions where a limit isn’t stated?
A: There are no word counts against those question where a limit is not stated. Answers should however be to the point, clear, concise and relevant.

Please return a completed EOI application form by email to Gill Thornton, Director, Better Start Bradford: [email protected] by 12.00noon on Monday 9 September 2024.