Tenders

INVITATION TO TENDER: Implementation Support for Cheshire and Warrington Fair Employment Charter

ECW seeks a firm of consultants equipped to set up the systems and processes necessary to successfully launch the Cheshire and Warrington Fair Employment Charter and to hand them over to an in-house team to enable them to successfully operate the Charter on an ongoing basis. This will include taking the Charter itself and implementation plans from its current state to successful delivery and implementation, working with the Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington team, the local authority steering group, and other stakeholders.

The consultancy work is likely to involve the activities outlined in the draft implementation plan in Appendix 6, however is not limited to these. Consultants should set out in their response how they will manage and organise the project to bring it to its successful conclusion, working with key stakeholders, which needs to include:

• Policy: Finalised and agreed policies and procedures, charter policy and wording, application form, guidance and FAQs etc, that will support the smooth operation of the charter. Reviewing and setting up passporting to neighbouring areas as appropriate.
• Governance: setting up well-run and organised series of panel meetings and Board / steering groups, with experts and neighbouring charters involved as required to lend credibility externally, and implementing recommendations
• Communications and Engagement: a fit for purpose communications and stakeholder engagement plan with a targeting strategy for membership, to ensure that a minimum of 80 organisations can gain aspiring entry level membership within the first year, and stakeholders are kept informed/involved/empowered as appropriate. To include:
  • the adoption and roll out of attractive FEC branding and collateral building on the consultation brand
  • the development and implementation of a fit for purpose website / information and resources hub that will make the process of applying straight forward and effective
  • the setting up of wider partnership and referral channels to encourage a shared approach to delivery and economies of scale amongst organisations with similar objectives
  • a successful and well attended launch event and series of a minimum of 4 x annual seminars planned as well as a shared calendar of events across organisations with similar objectives
• Setting up the capacity and resource for ongoing delivery: the establishment of a suitably skilled and qualified ongoing delivery team and an effective handover and support period with them, ensuring job descriptions/person specifications are fit for purpose.
• Any other support that may be required to take the charter to successful delivery and implementation

Launch event

The launch event may take the form of a series of speakers, panels, and/or workshops exploring what good or fair employment means. This can draw from stakeholders within and outside the subregion, for which the steering group will have suggestions. It would be helpful to provide as long a lead in period as possible for bookings. The steering group will liaise on diaries for Leaders, who will wish to play a role in the event. 

Project management

Day to day project management will be provided by lead officer Melissa Crellin, ECW’s Strategy and Public Affairs Director, with input from Pat Jackson, the Director of Skills and Employment.

The Consultants should make allowance for attendance at any officer working group meetings for the charter in addition to the above, weekly check ins with the lead officer, and liaison via telephone and e-mail with officers and key stakeholders as necessary. 

Budget

The budget for this initially scoped c.7-month piece of work (mid May to December – subject to local authority approvals) will be up to £45k excluding VAT and is inclusive of all costs.

Proposals will need to include a price schedule (exclusive of VAT) with name of the staff member/s, amount of time available to be spent on the project, and day rate plus any other costs. Consortia are allowed, as long as there is a clear lead contracting organisation and firm tasks, roles and responsibilities identified.

Should the project encounter delays, the expectation is that the consultancy team would be able to flex / pause delivery as needed in discussion with ECW and use the budget to deliver on the contract outputs once delivery has resumed at full pace. In the event that the delays extend further, it may be necessary to curtail the contract. Please refer to ECW T&Cs for contractual arrangements in these circumstances.  

Timescales

The closing date and time for the receipt of submissions and all requested documentation relating to this stage is 16:00 hours (4pm) on 7^th May 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Submissions will only be accepted if they are returned via email to tenders@cheshireandwarrington.com Bidders should not send their completed submissions to/copy in any other email address.

Tenderers are advised that it is compulsory to complete and return all of the following documents in the format provided as per the instructions of this ITT. All questions must be answered, where a question does not apply please state “Not applicable”.  Failure to complete the documents in full and/or provide all documentation will result in a non-compliant tender submission and will mean that your tender is not considered.

1. Form of Tender Declaration (Appendix 1)
2. Pricing Schedule (Appendix 2)
3. Supplier Technical Questions & Answer Sheet (Appendix 3)