{"id":2322,"date":"2022-10-23T20:00:09","date_gmt":"2022-10-23T20:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bbostaffs.org\/?p=2322"},"modified":"2022-10-24T19:11:36","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T19:11:36","slug":"tender-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bbostaffs.org\/tender-opportunity\/","title":{"rendered":"Tender Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"
Provider Appointment \u2013 Financial Wellbeing Service<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n 1.0 Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n This brief outlines the requirements of the Stafford and South Staffordshire Building Better Opportunities Programme for a Financial Wellbeing Service. The brief begins with an outline of the project followed by a description of the scope of the services needed.\u00a0 Finally, the brief includes the tender submission form which needs to be completed and returned by the submission deadline.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2.0 Background<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>The Big Lottery is using its own resources to match against European Union (EU) funding to create a fund aimed at delivering against the \u2018Promoting Social Inclusion and Combating Poverty\u2019 part of the current European Social Fund (ESF) programme, launched in 2015.\u00a0 The funding will be delivered in the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area according to local priorities through three relatively small but highly targeted, projects. BES was awarded \u00a32.3m in January 2017 to work with its delivery partners to deliver the programme in the South Staffordshire Council and Stafford Borough Council areas.\u00a0 We have just entered the fifth year of delivery and, having achieved the majority of our targets to date, have been awarded a further \u00a32.2m to continue delivery to September 2022 with the expectation of a further extension to June 2023.<\/p>\n The programme aims to support those furthest from the labour market in overcoming barriers to employment, which, typically, fall within the following broad categories:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Typically, those furthest from employment experience multiple of these barriers in getting a job or moving into training or education.<\/p>\n The Stafford and South Staffordshire Building Better Opportunities programme aims to support participants in getting into work or closer to work through the delivery of an integrated package of support which enables participants to progressively remove barriers to employment.<\/p>\n Delivery of the programme involves a range of partners in direct service delivery roles with BES being the lead partner with contract management responsibilities.<\/p>\n The effectiveness of the model depends on the effectiveness of joint working arrangements to:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3.0 Scope of the services.<\/strong><\/p>\n All of our participants are unemployed; some may be economically inactive.\u00a0 These circumstances often bring with them financial support in various forms through the benefits system.\u00a0 There is a general expectation that people should be financially more secure if they are in work.\u00a0 But many also need to achieve financial stability to be able to properly look for work and make a transition into paid work which, for some means, navigating the benefits system to ensure financial stability.\u00a0 Financial insecurity increases anxiety, stress, impacts on relationships and can lead to insecure housing, inability to pay bills and so on all of which can undermine an individual\u2019s efforts to job search and make an effective transition into paid employment.<\/p>\n We are, therefore, looking to appoint a \u2018Financial Wellbeing Service\u2019 provider to work alongside and with other of our support services to assist participants in achieving financial stability as part of a journey into paid employment, including achieving an effective transition into work.\u00a0 Key services to be provided include:<\/p>\n The design and delivery of activities will be the responsibility of the provider; we do not wish to prescribe a specific approach.<\/p>\n The service will need to be delivered from locations in the Local Government administrative areas of both Stafford Borough and South Staffordshire District in order to maximise participation across both areas.<\/p>\n In addition to delivering its own activities programme\/services, the provider will be expected to play a full role in working on a day-to-day basis with other delivery partners to provide the necessary support to participants to ensure that participants receive the full benefit of all the support that the partnership has to offer.\u00a0 Each participant in the programme has an advocate who supports them in accessing services; the provider will be expected to ensure a high level of communication with participant advocates.\u00a0 Participants will be assigned their own advocate; the provider is not expected to provide the advocacy part of the service so there will be no need to prepare need assessment and personal development plans for individual participants; this will be done by the advocate team.<\/p>\n There will however be a requirement for the provider to complete \u2018activity sheets\u2019 that summarise the work done with each participant accessing their support and to provide evidence of activities undertaken with each participant.<\/p>\n In addition to the participants recruited by the partner other participants will be assigned by the advocates team where participants express a wish to be involved in the kinds of activities provided by the new partner.<\/p>\n A case work approach will be adopted by the provider in delivering the service, ensuring that there is a high level of communication with others involved in providing support to individual participants.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4.0 The Provider<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>We would expect the provider to be able to demonstrate a significant track record in delivering Information, Advice and Guidance, particularly in relation to debt and benefits advice, using staff with appropriate qualifications and experience.<\/p>\n The provider will need to be able to demonstrate that they have the ability to work flexibly in delivering the service across Stafford Borough and South Staffordshire District Council areas.<\/p>\n We would also expect the provider to be able to demonstrate a high level of capability to work cooperatively and flexible with other organisations, including those within the partnership and those outside it.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>We welcome the submission of tenders from individual organisations, freelance workers and consortia who are able to demonstrate that they meet the criteria set out above.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Experience of the Building Better Opportunities programme is not essential but would be advantageous.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n 5.0 Fees<\/strong><\/p>\n Payments will be on a per use basis with the provider being paid an hourly rate up to a maximum number of hours per participant which will be determined in consultation with the provider and subject to such flexibilities as may be needed according to individual case needs.<\/p>\n We welcome the submission of tenders from individual organisations, freelance workers and consortia.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 6.0 Form of Tender<\/strong><\/p>\n The form of tender is set out at appendix 1.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 7.0 Tender Scoring Criteria<\/strong><\/p>\n Scoring of tenders will be in accordance with the following criteria:<\/p>\n Services methodology and delivery (section 3 of the tenders form)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 40%<\/p>\n Price \u00a0 (section 4 of the tenders form)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 20%<\/p>\n Experience (section 5 and 8 of the tenders form)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 40%<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The maximum scores will be allocated as follows:<\/p>\n Service methodology and delivery<\/strong> \u2013 the submission provides a clear methodology that demonstrates how the services will be provided.\u00a0 The submission should include details of what support will be offered to participants, what activities participants will be engaged in, what activities participants will engage in and how should expect to benefit from the support provided.\u00a0 More points will be awarded for those able to offer a more comprehensive mix of services.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Price <\/strong>\u2013 Providers should provide a price based on an hourly rate.\u00a0 Whilst it is difficult to forecast the numbers of participants signposted to the provider each month and the numbers of hours support each might need, we suggest an hourly rate be, for comparative purposes, calculated on 5 participants per month each needing 10 hours support.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Experience<\/strong> \u2013 the provider must demonstrate experience of delivering similar services under similar contract arrangements.\u00a0 The provider should demonstrate their experience\/the experience of the organisation as a whole and of the staff involved directly in delivering the services.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 7.0 Submission deadline<\/strong><\/p>\n The deadline for submission of tenders is 12 noon on<\/strong> 18th<\/sup> November 2022<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Your tender should be submitted electronically to: tenders@enterprisesupport.org<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tenders received after the deadline will not be accepted.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Interviews, should they be required, will be held on the 21st<\/sup> November 2022.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 8.0 Enquiries<\/strong><\/p>\n Please direct any enquiries about the tender specification to David Gibson on 07737 115493 or at davidg@enterprisesupport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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