RM1043.8-1-Department For Education EDAS Intelligent Advisor (IA) Managed Services Re-procurement

Description

Pre-market engagement A Pre-market engagement session took place on the 7th August. The slide deck that was presented at the event can be found on Jaggaer under ssq_610. Which phase the project is in Live Existing team The supplier will be working closely with a well-established internal delivery team within the Department for Education (DfE), primarily across the Enterprise Data for Access & Sharing (EDAS) portfolios. The current team includes: 4 x Oracle Intelligent Advisor (IA) Developers – responsible for building and maintaining IA rulesets, integrations and weblogic. 1 x Change & Release Manager – oversees deployment processes, release scheduling, and change control across platforms. Delivery Manager – manages multiple platforms and services, ensuring alignment with agile delivery practices and stakeholder expectations. Business Analysts – work across various services to gather requirements, define user stories, and support delivery planning. Testers – responsible for functional and regression testing, with occasional support from performance testers for load and stress testing. User Researcher – engaged as needed to ensure services are designed around user needs and meet accessibility standards. Content Manager – engaged as needed to support service design and communication, particularly for user-facing components. The team works in a highly collaborative environment, often engaging with other internal delivery teams. Notably, the Check Your Performance Measures Data (CYPMD) service is part of the wider Learner Data Service (LDS), which involves cross-team coordination to ensure consistency, data integrity, and shared delivery goals. Suppliers will be expected to integrate seamlessly into this blended team, contributing to agile ceremonies, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement initiatives. Address where the work will be done Primary location will be DfE Cheylesmore House, Coventry. Very occasionally travel may be required to DfE sites in London or across England, upon agreement upfront. Working arrangements We expect a hybrid working model: 2 days per week in a DfE office (predominately Coventry, Sheffield, or Manchester) for team collaboration 3 days remote working Expenses will be capped at £5,000 for the duration of the contract. All travel and subsistence must be pre-approved. Agile ceremonies (e.g. sprint planning, retrospectives) will be held virtually or in person as needed. Provide more information about your security requirements: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Provide more information about your security requirements: All supplier staff must meet Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) requirements. Roles involving access to sensitive data may require additional vetting. Compliance with IR35 is mandatory, and suppliers must ensure all deployed resources meet these criteria. Latest start date 2025-12-01 Enter the expected contract length: 2 years Extension period: 1 year Special terms and conditions Bidders must respond to the opportunity using the response template found within the project attachments. Only essential and nice to have criteria require responses at stage 1. Special terms and conditions In order to participate in this opportunity, DOS6 awarded suppliers should have followed all necessary registration steps through the Public Procurement Gateway, operated by Crown Commercial Service (CCS). Please follow instructions sent to you at the email address supplied during the DOS6 application process. Special terms and conditions The Supplier shall ensure that no Supplier Staff who discloses that they have a Relevant Conviction, or who is found to have any Relevant Convictions (whether as a result of a police check or through the vetting procedure of HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard or through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or otherwise), is employed or engaged in any part of the provision of the Services without the prior written approval of the Buyer. Subject to the Data Protection Legislation, the Supplier shall disclose the results of their vetting process, immediately to the Buyer. The decision as to whether any of the Supplier’s Staff are allowed to perform activities in relation to the Call Off Contract, is entirely at the Buyer’s sole discretion. The Supplier shall be required to undertake annual periodic checks during the Call Off Contract Period of its Staff, in accordance with HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard so as to determine the Supplier Staff suitability to continue to Framework Schedule 6 (Order Form Template, Statement of Work Template and Call-Off Schedules) 5 provide Services under the Call Off Contract. The Supplier shall ensure that any Supplier Staff who discloses a Relevant Conviction (either spent or unspent) or is found by the Supplier to have a Relevant Conviction through standard national vetting procedures or otherwise, is immediately disclosed to the Buyer. The Supplier shall ensure that the individual staff member immediately ceases all activity in relation to the Call Off Contract, until the Buyer has reviewed the case, on an individual basis, and has made a final decision. Where the Buyer decides that a Supplier Staff should be removed from performing activities, as a result of obtaining information in relation to the Call Off Contract, or for any other reason, the Supplier shall promptly and diligently replace any individual identified. Special terms and conditions Expenses will not be paid for the monthly meet ups. The primary location of work will be specified in each Statement of Work (SoW) and expenses cannot be claimed for travel to that location. Expenses can be claimed for travel to any secondary location of work as required and agreed. Expenses are capped to the value specified in the SoW. When travel to secondary DfE sites is required, all costs incurred must comply with the prevailing DfE Travel and Subsistence policy. Parking is not available on DfE sites. Should base location vary it will be outlined and agreed upon the individual statements of work. Special terms and conditions The latest start date will be outlined in each individual statement of work. Except for in exceptional circumstances, and as agreed with the buyer Special terms and conditions Service provider resources must work within the United Kingdom unless agreed by the Department on an individual basis. Departmental equipment must not be taken abroad or access the departmental network whilst outside the United Kingdom unless agreed by the Department on an individual basis Special terms and conditions The Department’s standard approach to pricing mechanism will be ‘Capped Time and Materials’ (CTM) however we reserve the right to use any of the other approaches as listed in the call-off charges section. Special terms and conditions General Information Standard Framework and Call Off Terms and Conditions will apply Suppliers must agree to all DFE security clearance policies and processes. Suppliers must comply with the Regulation (GDPR) Regulation May 2018; the (DPA) Act 2018, the Law Enforcement Directive and any subsequent amendments/changes to date including providing sufficient guarantees to meet the requirements of GDPR in line with Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 02/18 May 2018 which updates PPN 03/17 All Project-Specific IPRs (as defined) and the Deliverables shall vest in the Buyer unconditionally and immediately upon their creation. Special terms and conditions Suppliers will be required to undertake Financial and Security Due Diligence as part of the tender process, prior to award. Special terms and conditions Non-Solicitation Clause: 1.1 The Supplier shall not, either directly or indirectly, by or through itself, its affiliate, its agent or otherwise, or in conjunction with its affiliate, its agent or otherwise, whether for its own benefit or for the benefit of any other person solicit, entice or induce, or endeavour to solicit, entice or induce, any employees of the Buyer who are employed or engaged in the performance of the Services with a view to employing or engaging the employee of the Buyer during the Call-Off Contract Period and for a period of [9 months] thereafter. 1.2. Notwithstanding clause 1.1 the Supplier may employ or engage any employees of the Buyer which have responded directly to a bona fide recruitment drive either through a recruitment agency engaged by the Supplier or via an advertisement placed publicly by the Supplier (either in the press, social media, online or in trade and industry publications). Are you prepared to show your budget details?: Yes Indicative maximum: 4980000 Provide further information: Initial contract value of £4.98m (inc VAT) with potential for 12-month extension taking the value to £6.7m. Confirm if you require a contracted out service or supply of resource Contracted out service: the off-payroll rules do not apply Summary of work The Department for Education (DfE) is seeking to procure managed services to support the delivery of Oracle Intelligent Advisor (IA) capabilities across the Enterprise Data for Access & Sharing (EDAS) portfolios. These services are critical to maintaining and evolving data collection, processing, and sharing functions that underpin several business-critical services, including T-Levels Data Collection, College Financial Forecasting Returns, and Check Your Performance Measures Data. The new contract will replace the existing contract arrangement, streamlining delivery and reducing costs by removing intermediary overheads. The supplier will be expected to provide specialist resources aligned to SFIA levels, capable of delivering high-quality, agile digital services that meet GDS standards and comply with IR35 and BPSS requirements. This opportunity is ideal for suppliers with proven experience in Oracle IA, agile delivery in government settings, and the ability to scale resources flexibly. The contract will be structured as a call-off agreement via the G-Cloud 15 framework, with Statements of Work issued as needed. There is no guaranteed minimum spend, but the total contract value is capped at £4.98m (including VAT) over a maximum of three years. Where the supplied staff will work North West England Where the supplied staff will work Yorkshire and the Humber Where the supplied staff will work West Midlands Who is the organisation using the products or services The Department of Education Why the work is being done This procurement supports the DfE’s strategic mission to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure education and skills programmes meet the needs of learners and employers. The Oracle IA platform enables critical data services that inform policy, funding, and performance oversight. The work is driven by the need to maintain continuity of services such as: T-Levels Data Collection (final year: 2025) College Financial Forecasting and Annual Financial Statements (re-platforming by Q2 2027) Check Your Performance Measures Data (strategic solution due end of 2026) The existing contract is approaching its end, and arrangements are being made to ensure continuity of services through a new procurement. To support departmental efficiency objectives, the upcoming contract is expected to deliver improved value and cost-effectiveness in line with broader spending priorities. The business problem you need to solve DfE relies on Oracle IA to deliver essential data services. Without a new managed service contract, these services risk being paused or retired, leading to: Loss of access to critical performance and financial data Inability to meet statutory and policy obligations Reputational risk due to service disruption Challenges include: Ensuring continuity during supplier transition Scaling resources to meet fluctuating demand Maintaining compliance with IR35, GDS, and BPSS standards Expected outcomes: A flexible, scalable managed service contract High-quality delivery of Oracle IA services Cost-effective resource deployment Seamless transition from current supplier First user type: User 1: Data Analyst (DfE internal) First user type: User 2: College Finance Officer (external) First user type: User 3: Programme Manager / Service Owner (DfE internal) First user type: User 4: Supplier Delivery Lead First user type: User 5: Education Provider (external) First user type: User 6: Parent / Guardian (public) First user type: User 7: Policy Maker (DfE internal)