SCCU National Education Nature Park and Climate Leaders Award (Park and Award Scheme)

Description

The Department is looking to procure a high-profile, prestigious national lead provider (or consortia) to design and deliver the National Education Nature Park (NP) and Climate Leaders Award (CLA) as announced by the Secretary of State for Education at the climate summit (COP26) in November 2021. Contract period being 2 years (to 31st March 2024) with the Department able to extend by a further 3 years in one year increments. The Department is looking for a successful provider to develop, launch and administer: • A prestigious National Education Nature Park that will drive the increase of biodiversity on the education estate, engage young people and develop their skills in sustainability and climate change, gather more information about the education estate and provide a platform for associated high quality learning materials. • A well-respected Climate Leaders Award recognised by employers and further and higher education providers that will increase and recognise: o the efforts of young people in improving the biodiversity of the education estate and their communities as well as taking wider climate action and o the achievements of children and young people in improving their analytical and numeracy skills and scientific knowledge of sustainability and climate change technologies through a structured, accredited programme of activity in conjunction with the development of the NP. Once the Invitation to Tender has been issued, the Department will host a session for the sector to ask questions about the Park and Award. For further details on this session, please contact DFE.SUSTAINABILITY@education.gov.uk with emails for those who would like to be invited with the subject ‘Market Day – Park and Award ITT’. ESTIMATED VALUE: £4m - £5.3m contract value, together with the responsibility to make decisions on the focus, allocation, evaluation and administration of grants to drive improvement and engagement with the NP and CLA’s activities by children and young people. The successful supplier will be responsible for the management of these funds for which there will be a percentage management fee due. Lot 1: The Department is looking for a successful lead provider, or consortia, to successfully deliver the following key areas of activity: A prestigious National Education Nature Park that will drive and increase in engagement with nature for all children and young people whilst also developing their scientific, analytical and biodiversity skills for future studies and careers alongside driving an improvement in the biodiversity of the education estate. It will have an engaging digital presence that will inspire children, young people and teachers to participate with the range of activities it has developed and curated from various stakeholders. It will have a credible, high profile and prestigious presence amongst education and children’s services providers and biodiversity stakeholders. Over time, it will become the main portal through which the education system looks for advice, guidance and learning resources on this important issue and on climate change more broadly. It will be important that the successful provider has a lead public facing figure for the programme. A well-respected Climate Leaders Award recognised by employers and further and higher education providers that will increase and recognise the efforts of young people in improving the biodiversity of the education estate and their communities, as well as helping to develop their analytical, scientific, biodiversity and sustainable technology skills through a structured, accredited programme of activity in conjunction with the development of the Nature Park. Alongside the two main programme initiatives listed above, the successful provider and/or consortia, will also be required to: Develop climate education resources for each of the key stages, from early years through to further education. Resources to either be produced from new and/or quality assuring existing materials. Resources to then be made available and accessible to educational institutions on a Nature Park online hub, at least in the short-term (note: a medium to longer term online presence may be considered and the Department will work collaboratively with the successful provider as and when more strategic decisions are made on material hosting). Be able to administer grants on behalf of the Department to support participation and engagement in the Nature Park – activity is subject to the Department securing additional funding. The costing matrix template asks bidding organisations to define the percentage management fee charge which the provider (or sub-contractor within their consortia) would charge should such funding grants be made available. All grant funding will need to be managed and assured in line with government requirements which would be clearly outlined by the Department. TO NOTE: The Climate Leaders Award aspect of the work has been terminated since this contract was awarded.