UK SBS BLOJEU-CR17032HEFCE Call for an evaluator to identify and share lessons learnt from HEFCE-funded projects on innovation in learning and teaching

HEFCE aims to create and sustain the conditions for a world-leading system of higher education which transforms lives, strengthens the economy, and enriches society. We support excellence and innovation in research, learning and teaching and knowledge exchange through providing funding, supportive challenge and information on national trends.

HEFCE's Catalyst Fund supports the delivery of our strategic aims for higher education (HE) across learning and teaching, driving innovation in the HE sector, enhance excellence and efficiency in HE, and support innovative solutions. As part of our commitment to support continuous improvement in the HE sector - including through the sharing of risk - in August 2016 we invited bids for small-scale, radical and experimental innovative activity in learning and teaching.

The Catalyst Fund call (Call A) offered funding on a matched basis for projects to develop innovations in either undergraduate or postgraduate taught provision and deliver short-term outputs over an 18-month period. Universities or colleges were permitted to submit up to two bids, one in each area.

To appoint an external evaluator (individual or team) (from April 2017 to October 2018) to support and enable learning, exchange and dissemination of good practice from and between a cohort of 67 small experimental projects on innovation in learning and teaching funded through HEFCE's Catalyst Fund [http://www.hefce.ac.uk/funding/catalyst/]. Working directly to and for HEFCE (and successor in OfS), the external evaluator will: • Draw out learning, to inform government policy and institutional practice, about how well-managed innovation works, with a focus on the student perspective and the role of students in the innovation process. • Support projects to maximise opportunities for networking with each other and dissemination of findings. • Ensure learning from the projects is identified and shared for the benefit of the wider HE sector. • Inform HEFCE recommendations to Government on future learning and teaching policy, including the use of funding in supporting innovation. • Support projects to deliver maximum value from public investment.

Additional information: How to Apply As part of the strategic alliance between UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) and Crown Commercial Service (CCS), UK SBS will be using the CCS eSourcing Suite for this procurement. To register on the CCS eSourcing portal please follow the details contained within the Additional Information section of this notice.

DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO BUYER All submissions will be assessed in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, for procurement values that exceed Regulation 5 (Threshold amounts) Responses must be received by the date in the bid documents. Responses received outside or concurrently using the eSourcing process will not be accepted or considered further for this opportunity.

How to Register on the CCS eSourcing Suite Full details of this opportunity can be found on the e-sourcing portal please follow instructions below. If you have not yet registered on the eSourcing Suite, this can be done online at https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk by following the link 'Register for CCS eSourcing'.

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This is done by emailing expressionofinterest@crowncommercial.gov.uk. Your email must clearly state: • name and reference for the procurement you wish to register for; • name of the registered Bidder; • name and contact details for the registered individual sending the email.

Crown Commercial Service will process the email and then enable the Bidder to access the procurement online via the e-Sourcing Suite. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done.

The Sourcing documents can then be accessed on the eSourcing Suite at: https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk using the instructions detailed in the Specification documents within Contracts Finder. As a user of the e-Sourcing Suite you will have access to Emptoris email messaging service which facilitates all messages sent to you and from you in relation to any specific RFX event.