Invest to Save

Please note - Invest to Save is a working title for the programme and may therefore be subject to change during the competition

17 February 2010

In December 2008 the Government published the white paper 'Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future'. This set out the Department for Work and Pension' (DWP) policy intent to provide support for existing Incapacity Benefits customers through an Invest to Save programme, upon migration to Employment and Support Allowance. The programme would utilise the funding arrangements outlined in David Freud's report 'Reducing Dependency, Increasing Opportunity' which was published in March 2007. This proposed using benefit savings to reward suppliers for supporting claimants back into work, based on an innovative financing agreement between DWP and HMT (Her Majesty's Treasury). The programme would be underpinned by a supportive regime of conditionality set out in Paul Gregg's independent report 'Realising Potential: A Vision for Personalised Conditionality and Support' which was published in December 2008.

DWP is offering organisations the opportunity to compete through a Competitive Dialogue tendering process. It is anticipated that contract durations will be for a period of 4 years, commencing in March 2011 in five pathfinder areas:

Glasgow
Greater Manchester (Central, East & West)
West Midlands (Birmingham & Solihull, Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire)
Norfolk
London (Lambeth, Southwark & Wandsworth)

Competitive Dialogue is a procurement method designed to provide a flexible procedure for awarding complex contracts. The procedure was introduced in the EU Public Sector procurement Directive 2004/18/EC and implemented into UK law with effect from January 2006. It is now widely used in the UK for procurement of infrastructure and services under Private Finance Initiative, as well as other complex projects such as major IT procurements and complex service contracts. Further guidance can be found on the OGC website.

The high-level Competitive Dialogue process is planned as set out below:

Bidders invited to submit a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) to select long-list
Long-listed bidders invited to participate in Phase 1 Dialogue
Long-listed bidders submit an Outline Solution to select short-listed bidders
Short-listed bidders invited to participate in Phase 2 Dialogue
Short-listed bidders submit full Final Tender
Bid clarification, where necessary
Selection of Bidder and commencement of implementation activities

Interested parties may download and consider the PQQ and associated supporting material for the competition. Please complete the Invest to Save Registration Form below to obtain a reference number for the PQQ. Submissions are invited from Public, Private and Voluntary Sector organisations to deliver Invest to Save in conjunction with local partners and stakeholders. Note that DWP intends to contract with only one legal entity per contract package area. Please note that the closing date for submitting a PQQ is 10am on Friday 19th March 2010.

We hosed bidder events in London and Birmingham on 24th and 25th February respectively.

Bidder event slides (148KB)

We appreciate that after considering the Specification you may have questions and we hope to be able to answer most of these at the bidder event. We will also open a formal Q&A process following the event to deal with any ongoing queries. In the meantime if you have any urgent enquiries relating to the event or to this stage of the competition then please e-mail - Invest.tosave@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Invest to Save - The Vetting and Barring Scheme

Providers should comply with legislation in The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Independent Safeguarding Authority England and Wales). The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Order (Northern Ireland) 2007 and Protecting Vulnerable Groups Act 2007 (PVG Scotland).

Information and guidance with regard to these schemes please see the links below.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups

Protecting Vulnerable Groups