383_25 Managed Training Services

This is for a Preliminary market engagement (PME) where the tender documentation is not yet available. However, interest (Expressions of interest) is being sought here to allow a supplier questionnaire / Request for Information to be issued out to those who Express an interest (the engagement period is due to end on 09/05/2025, although the Expression of interest window may be kept open beyond this).

PLEASE ACCESS THE MESSAGES AREA/SECTION ON THE ACTIVITY DASHBOARD (ONCE AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST HAS BEEN COMPLETED) FOR ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS FOR THIS PRELIMINARY MARKET ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING THE RFI DOCUMENTATION ONCE THAT HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE.

The framework provides access to a Managed Service Provider (MSP) for the sourcing, administration and management of customers' training requirements.

The duration of the framework agreement is expected to be for 2 years (24 months), with the option to extend for up to a further 2 years (24 months). The total estimated value stated includes the option period.

As part of this exercise ESPO has established two RFI questionnaires to inform our exercise:

• RfI Questionnaire 1 Managed Training Services
• RfI Questionnaire 2 Learning Management System

Suppliers will be engaged with to determine:

• If there have been any changes or developments within the market,
• Feedback on ESPO's proposed procurement methodology,
• Any potential risks within the market etc.
• Feedback on our proposed procurement strategy

Following on from the RFI exercise, individual 1-2-1 preliminary market engagement meetings will be held with suppliers, that meet the required criteria for the lot, to gain further information on points raised within the responses to the RFI.

Required criteria.

Lot 1 - Managed Training Services is the provision of a complete service in relation to all (or the majority) of the customer's training requirements. This type of service provision is where a single Managed Service Provider (MSP) takes responsibility for the customer's training by managing a supply chain of training suppliers as opposed to the customer managing a selection of individual training suppliers themselves.

Lot 2 - Learning Management Systems (LMS) allows for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of training requirements. This type of service provision is where the customer will use the LMS to administer, document, track and report on the training within its organisation.

Preliminary market engagement meetings will take place between 28/04/2025 and 02/05/2025.

It is anticipated that suppliers taking part in the preliminary market engagement will not be put at an unfair advantage when bidding for this framework. For the avoidance of doubt, those not participating in the engagement piece will still be able to tender for the framework and it will not mean they are excluded from tendering.

A record of the information shared and received as part of the preliminary market engagement will be kept ensuring that the information gathered is considered in the procurement. An anonymised summary of the information/outcomes will also be shared with other parties and used to help ensure that participating suppliers are not unfairly advantaged.