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Dundee City Council Partners with Supplier Development Programme to Provide Free Training to Early Learning and Childcare Providers

Evening Session for Dundee City Council

In order to meet the Scottish Government’s pledge to increase free childcare hours from 600 per year to 1,140 by August 2020, Dundee City Council will go out to tender in November 2019 for delivery of Early Learning and Childcare Services. The Supplier Development Programme and Dundee City Council, supported by Business Gateway, have been working together to help local business prepare for the tendering process.

More than 50 local childcare providers who may have limited or no experience in bidding for a contract have benefitted from two specialist, local training sessions to help SMEs apply and bid for this contract opportunity. During the training sessions, one of which was scheduled during the afternoon and the other in the evening, representatives from Dundee City Council’s Early Years and the Procurement team discussed the requirements for the tender, including the authority’s ambitious plans and targets. The sessions were both held on Monday, 21 October 2019.

Material presented by Dundee City Council included information on the set Criteria for the tender, including set rates, inclusion, business sustainability, Fair Work and more. The Supplier Development Programme also provided free training on Public Contracts Scotland Tender – the service through which childminders and nurseries will apply and bid for the tender to deliver the Early Learning and Childcare Services for the Council – and the ESPD.

One attendee said: “It was good to know there was a printed copy of content at the end so that you could concentrate on information being given. It was also reassuring to know there was further support from Business Gateway.” Another said: “It was an easy to understand presentation. I found the step by step guidance particularly useful.”

Ann Conway, Contracts Officer for Dundee City Council, said: “The Supplier Development Programme’s model of early engagement helped Dundee City Council Procurement team meet our goals to provide an open and transparent process for potential suppliers for our upcoming contract for Early Learning and Childcare Services. SDP staff seamlessly managed the pre-event booking process, and helped organise bespoke content that was tailored to this specific contract opportunity. The free training was beneficial for those who attended.”

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