Procurement of an Integrated Online Assessment System for Schools in Ireland

Educational Research Centre

The Educational Research Centre (ERC) has a statutory mandate to provide and support standardised testing in schools. The ERC is aiming to provide schools and test-takers (who have access to appropriate devices and internet connection) with an easy to use online assessment system that is reliable, secure, engaging for test-takers, and meaningful in terms of the reports that it provides. The ERC wishes to procure an integrated end-to-end testing system that supports the ERC’s aims of providing a range of high-quality standardised tests and reports to schools, enabling schools to manage the purchase and administration of tests, and facilitating the ERC’s development of innovative assessment solutions.The integrated online assessment system will cover test development, item banking, assignment of test credits, test session set-up and implementation, test-taker and test item level reporting, hosting and technical support.

Deadline

The time limit for receipt of tenders was 2019-11-08. The procurement was published on 2019-10-07.

Suppliers

The following suppliers are mentioned in award decisions or other procurement documents:

• Prodigy Learning Ltd

Who?

• Educational Research Centre

What?

Where?

• Éire/Ireland › Ireland

Procurement history

Date	Document
2019-10-07	Contract notice
2020-08-06	Contract award notice

Contract notice (2019-10-07)
Object
Scope of the procurement
Title: Educational software development services
Short description:

Notice metadata
Original language: English 🗣️
Document type: Contract notice
Nature of contract: Services
Regulation: European Union, with participation of GPA countries
Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
Code: Educational software development services 📦
Additional CPV: IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support 📦
Place of performance
NUTS region: Ireland 🏙️

Procedure
Procedure type: Competitive dialogue
Type of bid: Submission for all lots
Award criteria
The most economic tender

Contracting authority
Identity
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Awarding authority type: Body governed by public law
Awarding authority name: Educational Research Centre
Postal address: DCU St Patrick's College Campus, Drumcondra
Postal code: D09 AN2F
Postal town: Dublin 9
Contact
Internet address: http://www.erc.ie 🌏
E-mail: anne.comey@erc.ie 📧
Phone: +353 18373789 📞
URL for documents: https://irl.eu-supply.com 🌏
URL for participation: https://irl.eu-supply.com 🌏

Reference
Dates
Date dispatched: 2019-10-07 📅
Submission deadline: 2019-11-08 📅
Publication date: 2019-10-09 📅
Identifiers
Notice number: 2019/S 195-474008
Refers to notice: 2019/S 174-424224
OJ-S issue: 195
Additional information

1) The ERC will use the Irish Government Procurement portal (www.etenders.gov.ie) for this competition. Access to this portal is free of charge. Interested parties must formally register their expression of interest for this competition on eTenders before they can gain access to the PQQ documentation. All information relating to and including the pre-qualification documents, any clarifications and changes will be issued/published via this portal. The ERC will not accept responsibility for information relayed (or not relayed) via third parties; 2) The ERC will not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by candidates or tenderers; 3) Contract award will be subject to the approval of the competent authorities; 4) It will be a condition of award that candidates are tax compliant; 5) At its absolute discretion, the ERC may elect to terminate this procurement process at any time; 6) Please note in relation to all documents, where reference is made to a particular standard, make, source, process, trademark, type or patent, this is not to be regarded as a de facto requirement. In all such cases it should be understood that such indications are to be treated strictly and solely for reference purposes only, to which the words ‘or equivalent’ will always be appended; 7) Without prejudice to the principle of equal treatment, the ERC is not obliged to engage in a clarification process in respect of PQQ Submissions with missing or incomplete information. Therefore, candidates are advised to ensure that they return fully completed questionnaires in order to avoid the risk of elimination from the competition; 8) The estimated value set out at II.1.5) is the estimated value over the potential 8-year term of the contract. The ERC estimates that the value of the contract over the potential 8-year term is between 800 000 to 900 000 EUR. The estimated value of the contract over the initial 5 years is in the region of 500 000 to 600 000 EUR.

Additional information

1) The ERC will use the Irish Government Procurement portal (www.etenders.gov.ie) for this competition. Access to this portal is free of charge. Interested parties must formally register their expression of interest for this competition on eTenders before they can gain access to the PQQ documentation. All information relating to and including the pre-qualification documents, any clarifications and changes will be issued/published via this portal. The ERC will not accept responsibility for information relayed (or not relayed) via third parties;

2) The ERC will not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by candidates or tenderers;

3) Contract award will be subject to the approval of the competent authorities;

4) It will be a condition of award that candidates are tax compliant;

5) At its absolute discretion, the ERC may elect to terminate this procurement process at any time;

6) Please note in relation to all documents, where reference is made to a particular standard, make, source, process, trademark, type or patent, this is not to be regarded as a de facto requirement. In all such cases it should be understood that such indications are to be treated strictly and solely for reference purposes only, to which the words ‘or equivalent’ will always be appended;

7) Without prejudice to the principle of equal treatment, the ERC is not obliged to engage in a clarification process in respect of PQQ Submissions with missing or incomplete information. Therefore, candidates are advised to ensure that they return fully completed questionnaires in order to avoid the risk of elimination from the competition;

8) The estimated value set out at II.1.5) is the estimated value over the potential 8-year term of the contract. The ERC estimates that the value of the contract over the potential 8-year term is between 800 000 to 900 000 EUR. The estimated value of the contract over the initial 5 years is in the region of 500 000 to 600 000 EUR.

Object
Scope of the procurement
Estimated total value: 900 000 EUR 💰
Short description:

The ERC has a statutory mandate to provide and support standardised testing in schools. The ERC is aiming to provide schools and test-takers (who have access to appropriate devices and internet connection) with an easy to use online assessment system that is reliable, secure, engaging for test-takers, and meaningful in terms of the reports that it provides. The ERC does not view the online assessment system as a static entity — quite the opposite. To respond to changes in education policies and curricula, digital technologies and assessment and measurement technologies, the ERC needs a flexible and responsive assessment system that also fits with its strategic priorities of internal capacity building and research and development. This procurement sets out to achieve this.

The dual mission of the ERC is:

+ 6 more

(i) to develop high quality assessments and provide strong assessment support services to schools and centres of education; and

(ii) to conduct and disseminate commissioned and independently-initiated national and international research, assessment and evaluation studies.

The ERC’s strategic plan (2019-2021) has as one of its 10 goals to produce a regularly updated suite of high-quality and relevant assessments that reflects best international practice and serves the needs of the educational system, as well as those of schools, teachers, parents and learners.

A key element of this goal is the procurement of a new online assessment system.

The ERC wishes to procure an integrated end-to-end testing system that supports the ERC’s aims of providing a range of high-quality standardised tests and reports to schools, enabling schools to manage the purchase and administration of tests, and facilitating the ERC’s development of innovative assessment solutions.

The integrated online assessment system will cover test development, item banking, assignment of test credits, test session set-up and implementation, test-taker and test item level reporting, hosting and technical support.

Duration: 60 months
Description of renewals:

It is envisaged that the term of the contract will be 5 years (60 months) with the option to extend for up to a further 3 years. The maximum term shall not exceed 8 years in total.

Description of options:

It is envisaged that the term of the contract will be 5 years (60 months) with the option to extend for up to a further 3 years. The maximum term shall not exceed 8 years in total.

Place of performance
Main site or place of performance: Dublin.

Legal, economic, financial and technical information
Conditions for participation
Suitability to pursue the professional activity: As stated in the information memorandum and pre-qualification questionnaire.
Economic and financial standing: As stated in the information memorandum and pre-qualification questionnaire.
Technical and professional ability: As stated in the information memorandum and pre-qualification questionnaire.
Contract execution
Contract performance conditions: As may be specified in the invitation to participate in dialogue.

Procedure
Legal basis: 32014L0024
Envisaged number of candidates: 4
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates:

As set out in the information memorandum and pre-qualification questionnaire. It is envisaged that the 4 top-scoring candidates will be invited to participate in the dialogue, subject to that number qualifying.

Date of dispatch of invitations: 2019-11-25 📅
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English 🗣️

Contracting authority
Contact
Contact point: Anne Comey
Address of the buyer profile: https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Company/CompanyInformation/Index/1014 🌏
Documents URL: https://irl.eu-supply.com 🌏

Reference
Additional information

2) The ERC will not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by candidates or tenderers;

+ 6 more

3) Contract award will be subject to the approval of the competent authorities;
4) It will be a condition of award that candidates are tax compliant;

5) At its absolute discretion, the ERC may elect to terminate this procurement process at any time;

6) Please note in relation to all documents, where reference is made to a particular standard, make, source, process, trademark, type or patent, this is not to be regarded as a de facto requirement. In all such cases it should be understood that such indications are to be treated strictly and solely for reference purposes only, to which the words ‘or equivalent’ will always be appended;

7) Without prejudice to the principle of equal treatment, the ERC is not obliged to engage in a clarification process in respect of PQQ Submissions with missing or incomplete information. Therefore, candidates are advised to ensure that they return fully completed questionnaires in order to avoid the risk of elimination from the competition;

8) The estimated value set out at II.1.5) is the estimated value over the potential 8-year term of the contract. The ERC estimates that the value of the contract over the potential 8-year term is between 800 000 to 900 000 EUR. The estimated value of the contract over the initial 5 years is in the region of 500 000 to 600 000 EUR.

Complementary information
Review body
Name: The High Court of Ireland
Postal address: Four Courts, Inns Quay
Postal town: Dublin 7
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Internet address: http://www.courts.ie 🌏
Information about review deadlines:

Please refer to Statutory Instrument 130 of 2010, the European Communities (Public Authorities' Contracts) (Review Procedures) Regulations 2010, and in particular Regulation 7.

Source: OJS 2019/S 195-474008 (2019-10-07)

Contract award notice (2020-08-06)
Object
Scope of the procurement
Total value of the procurement: 183 000 EUR 💰
Notice metadata
Document type: Contract award notice

Procedure
Type of bid: Not applicable

Reference
Dates
Date dispatched: 2020-08-06 📅
Publication date: 2020-08-11 📅
Identifiers
Notice number: 2020/S 154-377568
Refers to notice: 2019/S 195-474008
OJ-S issue: 154
Additional information

The value of the contract set out at sections II.1.7) and V.2.4) of EUR 183 000 relates to the fixed fees for Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the contract over a 5-year term, together with the costs of providing 30 000 tests in Phase 3. The cost of providing the tests during Phase 4 is not included in the figure of EUR 183 000 and will depend on the number of tests delivered and whether the contract is extended. The estimated value set out in the contract notice of EUR 900 000 is the estimated value over the potential 8-year term of the contract. The ERC estimates that the value over the potential 8-year term is between EUR 800 000 and 900 000. The estimated value of the contract over the initial 5 years is in the region of EUR 500 000 to EUR 600 000.

Object
Scope of the procurement
Short description:

The ERC has a statutory mandate to provide and support standardised testing in schools. The ERC is aiming to provide schools and test-takers (who have access to appropriate devices and internet connection) with an easy to use online assessment system that is reliable, secure, engaging for test-takers and meaningful in terms of the reports that it provides. The ERC does not view the online assessment system as a static entity – quite the opposite. To respond to changes in education policies and curricula, digital technologies and assessment and measurement technologies, the ERC needs a flexible and responsive assessment system that also fits with its strategic priorities of internal capacity building and research and development. This procurement sets out to achieve this.

Description of options:

The term of the contract is 5 years (60 months) with the option to extend for up to a further 3 years. The maximum term shall not exceed 8 years in total.

Procedure
Award criteria
Quality criterion (name): Quality
Quality criterion (weighting): 70 %
Cost criterion (name): Cost
Cost criterion (weighting): 30 %

Award of contract
Date of contract conclusion: 2020-07-17 📅
Name: Prodigy Learning Ltd
Postal address: Q House, Furze Road, Sandyford
Postal town: Dublin 18
Country: Ireland 🇮🇪
Total value of the procurement: 183 000 EUR 💰
Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3

Reference
Additional information

The estimated value set out in the contract notice of EUR 900 000 is the estimated value over the potential 8-year term of the contract. The ERC estimates that the value over the potential 8-year term is between EUR 800 000 and 900 000. The estimated value of the contract over the initial 5 years is in the region of EUR 500 000 to EUR 600 000.

Source: OJS 2020/S 154-377568 (2020-08-06)

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