Description of the contract
Statement of purpose
This is the Centre for Alternative Technology’s (CAT’s) Invitation to Tender (ITT) for a contractor to provide a Theory of Change (ToC) evaluation of its Zero Carbon Britain (ZCB) Hub and Innovation Lab (HIL) project.
CAT wishes to appoint a contractor for a period of 30 months - the remaining period of the Hub and Innovation Lab 3-year project
Background
CAT is an educational charity dedicated to researching and communicating positive solutions for environmental change. We speak to government and campaigners about policies that would help create a zero carbon Britain; we train students in all aspects of sustainability; we help schoolchildren to understand the importance of action on climate change; and we give advice to householders on what they can do in their own homes.
CAT has received a donation from the Moondance Foundation to establish the 3-year ZCB-HIL project, recruiting 3 new full-time staff and seconding 2 existing CAT staff. This experienced team has been brought together from a diverse range of backgrounds in campaigning and advocacy, co-creation and stakeholder engagement, modelling and optimisation, project management, education and outreach.
CAT’s ZCB research over the last 13 years has demonstrated that as a nation we have all the technology we need to live healthy, happy, comfortable lives with net zero carbon emissions. We now need to get on with making the changes required to achieve this. Reports are freely available here: https://www.cat.org.uk/info-resources/zero-carbon-britain/
The Project
The ZCB-HIL team aims to increase the capacity of councils, communities and organisations to act on the climate and ecological emergency, create systemic change and increase resilience to climate change. We will build upon CAT’s ZCB end-point vision, using this to inspire people that a healthier, happier, and comfortable zero carbon future is possible and preferable. Drawing on the ZCB legacy, we know we already have the technology to reach net-zero so we will focus on overcoming the political, cultural, economic and psychological barriers that will lead to the systemic change that is needed.
We have recently completed a strategy development process which identified six key objectives for the next 2.5 years:
1) Provide a user-friendly online platform for accessing diverse resources and enabling coordinated local climate action.
2) Increase the knowledge, skills and capacity of councils, communities and organisations to reduce emissions through the delivery of ZCB training and access to resources and peer learning.
3) Identify key barriers and their solutions to achieving net zero through a series of innovation labs.
4) Inform policy making, from local councils to national governments
5) Identify and secure further funding and establish income streams in order for the hub and lab to thrive and deliver beyond 2023.
6) Support CAT’s organisational strategy and contribute towards the delivery of its mission.
The ZCB-HIL team have developed a Theory of Change as the basis for project evaluation and is in the process of recruiting an advisory group to provide diverse stakeholder perspectives and take a co-creative approach to the theory of change, strategy, and project activities throughout the life of the project. This is likely to be first convened in September 2020.
Our aims and objectives will be delivered primarily through three overarching methods: an online resource hub, an innovation lab and training, all supported, at key times, by policy and communications activities. As mentioned previously, we believe that co-creative processes through collaboration with key stakeholders and partners is crucial to the success of our work, and this will be integral in all of our delivery methods.
Specification
This specification will form the basis for evaluating the proposals.
We require a specialist theory of change evaluation supplier to:
-Collaborate with the ZCB-HIL team to establish a monitoring and evaluation framework and outcome-based KPIs for the project
-Advise on data collection methods, which (where appropriate) can be carried out by the ZCB-HIL team to support the evaluation work
-Provide ongoing evaluation throughout the life of the project, reporting regularly and collaborating with the ZCB-HIL team to adjust and adapt to changes in information/context as the project progresses in order to maximise impact and progress towards meeting project objectives
-Provide interim reports throughout the project as agreed at the inception meeting
-Produce a final report at the end of the project.
The evaluation supplier will be required to commence work immediately on award of contract, in order to feed-in to the monitoring and evaluation component of the strategy which has been postponed for this reason.
Given a limited budget for implementing the project in excess of staff costs and contribution to core costs, the evaluation budget is limited to £30,000 exc. VAT. The ZCB-HIL team would like to conduct as much of the data collection work themselves to keep costs down.
Management and Organisation
CAT’s ZCB-HIL Project Manager will be the Contract Manager and the Contractor shall be responsible to CAT for discharging its responsibilities under the Contract to the reasonable satisfaction of the Contract Manager.
The Contractor shall appoint a named person as the Contractor's Representative who will be responsible for the overall quality and timeliness of the Services to be provided and will be CAT’s first point of contact with the Contractor.
CAT’s ZCB-HILProject Manager will be the Contractor’s first point-of-contact within CAT for all matters concerning the Contract and shall be primarily responsible for providing the Contractor with all instructions, releases, approvals and the like and for accepting all Deliverables under the Contract and for clearing the Contractor’s claims for payment.
Procurement Process
Proposal Requirements
Your proposal should address each of the points in the specification above, showing:
-how you intend to carry out the evaluation to meet the requirements requested
-examples of similar services carried out, including name(s) of organisation(s) to which the services were provided and a contact name, address and telephone number of a person or persons able to provide a reference
-how you will ensure that the outcomes and outputs in the above specification will be met
-that you have the capacity to provide the services, providing details of how you will ensure cover for the services, should the key members of the proposed team be unavailable
-a clear cost breakdown of the proposed charges and resources, including a breakdown of staff days and costs
-CVs of the proposed team members, outlining their experience in this area of work.
Assessment of tenders and tender evaluation criteria
The assessment criteria below will form the quality component of a 50:50 weighted cost-quality scoring assessment:
-Understanding of the specification
-Quality of proposal and its ability to meet objectives
-Experience and relevance of proposed services for the task
-Balance of skills and experience within the team as evidenced by CVs
-Enthusiasm and commitment
-Track record
-Transparency of pricing structure and value for money (time offered)
-Suggestions for added value, innovative ways of working/cost saving
CAT reserves the right not to accept the highest scoring, or any, tender.
Procurement timetable
CAT will work to the following target dates, but reserves the right to amend timescales due to unforeseen circumstances. In event of timescales being revised, all bidders will be notified in advance:
Invitations to tender issued - Wednesday 19th August 2020
Deadline for return of tenders - 12:00 Friday 18th September 2020
Assessment of tenders - 18-25th September 2020
Award notification - 28th September 2020
Contract start date and inception meeting - 1st October 2020
Interviews may be undertaken at our discretion. If so, these will take place in the week beginning 21st September.
Submission of Tenders
One copy of the tender should be emailed to anthony.hurford@cat.org.uk by 12:00 on Friday 18th September. CAT will safeguard all tenders received and open them once the tender deadline has expired. All late tenders, and all information received after this deadline, will be rejected.
Questions on the Specification
If you have any immediate questions please contact anthony.hurford@cat.org.uk. Questions need to be received by 17:00 on 16th September 2020.
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