Early Years Foundation Stage reforms: Information events for Local Authorities

The purpose of this early engagement notice is to notify the market of the Department for Education's (DfE) intention to undertake a procurement exercise to appoint a suitably experienced body to support delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage reforms. This will involve delivering a series of events to support local authorities in preparing for the reforms.

These events will form part of a wider package of support around the reforms which will be advertised separately. The Department intends to reform the learning and development and assessment requirements stipulated by the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework, with national implementation anticipated in September 2021 and an early adopter year expected from September 2020.

Contractors will be responsible for delivering a series of events, during the summer term, that will support Early Years representatives from all local authorities in preparing for the reforms. This will ensure that LAs are prepared to start offering advice and implementation support to early adopter schools from September 2020 and to all other schools as they prepare for national implementation in the lead up to September 2021.

We expect around ten events across the eight regions, offering free places for up to two representatives from each Local Authority. We would expect the supplier to plan and deliver ten events for Local Authority representatives in summer 2020, including: - Managing communications with LAs and organising sign-up to events; - Acting as facilitator for all ten events; - Liaising with external speakers stipulated by the DfE; - Arranging venue hire, refreshments and administrating reimbursement for travel costs; - Collating and evaluating event feedback.

In order to maximise impact of the events we are seeking a delivery organisation with experience of working with the Early Years sector. Indicative dates for procurement: Please note: these timescales are indicative and are subject to change at DfE's absolute discretion. - February 2020 - Early Market Engagement - Early March 2020 - Publish Invitation To Tender (ITT) - May 2020 - Indicative contract award Additional information: A market engagement webinar was hosted by the DfE on 20 February 2020.

The market engagement information pack, including webinar slides, recording and Q&A pack will be made available shortly after the event and will be embedded in to this prior information notice (PIN) as and when available. For information: Attendance at the market engagement webinar is not a pre-requisite for being able to submit a tender against this opportunity.

The DfE will be administering the procurement processes electronically via the DfE e-Tendering Portal; Jaggaer. No hard copy documents will be issued and all communications with DfE (including final submission of tenders) will be conducted via the Jaggaer Portal.

The Department reserves the right not to enter a formal procurement process and not award contract(s). Accordingly, the Authority will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work or effort incurred by a supplier in acting on the basis of this notice