CALL FOR TENDERS
for the provision of consultancy services in the framework of activities of the Education Department in the field of Digital tRANSFORMATION IN Education
2023/AO/101
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Object of the procurement procedure ► |
Consultancy Services in the field of digital transformation in education |
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Project ► |
Education Department - Digital transformation in education |
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Organisation and buying entity ► |
Council of Europe Education Department |
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Type of contract ► |
Framework Contract |
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Duration ► |
Until 23 December 2025 |
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Expected starting date ► |
22 January 2024 |
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Tender Notice Issuance date ► |
05 December 2023 |
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Deadline for tendering ► |
07 January 2024 23h59 CET |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Tender File contains:
The ACT OF ENGAGEMENT (See Document attached) is the document formalising the consent of the Parties to be bound by the LEGAL CONDITIONS, which are the legal provisions which will be applicable between the Council of Europe and the selected Providers. It also contains the TABLE OF FEES, which indicates the applicable fees, throughout the duration of the contract.
PART I –TERMS OF REFERENCE
CALL FOR TENDERS
for the provision of CONSULTANCY SERVICES IN THE FRAMEWORK OF ACTIVITIES OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IN THE FIELD OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN EDUCATION
2023/AO/101
A. Background
The Strategy also addresses the rapid digital transformation in education, heavily influenced by AI, emphasizing the integration of digital technologies to improve teaching, learning, and access to resources. A human rights-based approach is crucial in this transformation, focusing on inclusive, equitable, and empowering learning environments that respect individual rights. The Council of Europe plans to extend its work in this area, leveraging technology to fundamentally reshape education, with a focus on digital citizenship and AI's role in education.The work on digital transformation in education will focus on the following areas:
- Artificial Intelligence and Education
- Digital Citizenship Education
- Digitalisation in Education, particularly in Higher Education.
Main expected outputs under Pilar 3 for 2024-2027 are inter alia:
- A Review report of the implementation of the Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)10 on developing and promoting digital citizenship education
- A curriculum framework for digital citizenship education to guide/assist schools in incorporating digital citizenship education in the school curricula
- A legal instrument to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence systems in education
- A policy recommendation on teaching and learning about Artificial Intelligence
- A framework to Assess the Impact of AI-Driven and EdTech Tools and Resources in formal education and higher education
- A white paper on teaching profession in the digital age
- A framework for partnerships between education institutions and the private and civil sectors in education
- A framework for professional development to facilitate peer learning and exchange among professionals in education at European level
- Guidelines on the use of education data and data analytics in education systems
- Instruments to promote Transparency in Education and Higher Education
o Open School/University data jointly with UNESCO
o Inception phase – preparatory study on launching in a restricted number of countries a pilot project
o Students Data in the digital /education
o Algorithmic transparency in Higher Education
o AI and Education / Academic Fraud – Review
- Activities organised under the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education in 2025.
The Council of Europe is looking for 40 Providers (provided enough tenders meet the criteria indicated below) with particular knowledge and expertise in the fields of interest to this Call to contribute to the development of the above-mentioned outputs and to support their dissemination and implementation.
This Framework Contract is currently estimated to cover up to 60 activities, to be held by 23 December 2025.This estimate is for information only and shall not constitute any sort of contractual commitment on the part of the Council of Europe. The Contract may potentially represent a higher or lower number of activities, depending on the evolving needs of the Organisation.
For information purposes only, the total budget of the project amounts to 640 000 Euros and the total amount of the object of present tender should in principle not exceed 320 000 Euros for the whole duration of the Framework Contract. This information does not constitute any sort of contractual commitment or obligation on the part of the Council of Europe.
LOTS
The present tendering procedure aims to select Providers into the following lots:
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Lots |
Maximum number of Providers to be selected |
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Lot 1: Policy Development and Expert Advisory |
15 |
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Lot 2: Awareness and Institutional Support |
15 |
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Lot 3: Data Collection and Analysis |
10 |
Brief explanation of the purpose of each of the lots:
Lot 1 focuses on the formulation and development of legal and policy instruments, including recommendations, white papers, guidelines, and policy briefs. It involves providing expert opinions and advice on a range of education policies and practices at both international and national levels. The aim is to offer insightful guidance in shaping effective educational strategies and frameworks.
Lot 2 focuses on the design and development of comprehensive guidelines for model training courses, along with resources specifically tailored for school administrators, educators, parents, and learners. This lot plays a crucial role in enhancing the capacities of educational institutions and other key stakeholders in the education sector. It includes the creation of educational resources and tools aimed at raising awareness and supporting the diverse needs of school administrators, educators, parents, carers, and learners.
Lot 3 focuses on the systematic collection and analysis of data, including conducting baseline assessments to gauge the effectiveness of policy implementation. It involves the development of structured surveys and interview guides for different stakeholder groups, and the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to identify statistical trends and patterns. Additionally, thematic analysis of qualitative data is conducted to extract meaningful insights and narratives. This lot also includes generating comparative reports that align findings with best practices and international standards.
The Council of Europe will select the abovementioned number of Provider(s) per lot, provided enough tenders meet the criteria indicated below. Tenderers are invited to indicate which lot(s) they are tendering for (see Section A of the Act of Engagement).
B. SCOPE OF THE FRAMEWORK CONTRACT
Throughout the duration of the Framework Contract, pre-selected Providers may be asked to:
Under Lot 1:
- Draft policy instruments including, but not limited to recommendations, white papers and guidelines, and supporting documents such as explanatory memoranda, background and/or discussion documents;
- Draft policy briefs, opinion papers and articles;
- Review relevant Council of Europe policy instruments and/or national education policies and practices, and provide expert opinion and advice on them;
- Conduct desk studies, consultations and interviews, and draft reports;
- Contribute to the planning and organisation of in person and/or online meetings (e.g., working group/expert/network meetings) and events (e.g., conferences, forums, roundtables, workshops) related to policy development, and/or participate in them. This will involve inter alia preparing and giving presentations and keynote speches, drafting discussion documents, moderating sessions and drafting reports;
- Advise the Steering Committee for Education (CDEDU) and the Secretariat on subjects related to this call.
Under Lot 2:
- Design and develop needs analysis for identifying the needs of educational institutions and educators concerning capacity development on the subjects of this call;
- Develop model training courses and associated resources (e.g., guides, manuals) tailored for school administrators, educators, parents, and carers. This will involve drafting the texts and scripts for videos (if aplicable) and identifying relevant stock images/videos, examples and links to pertinent, useful and trusted sources/resources). It will also involve preparing briefs for producing online training courses and/or MooCs as well as providing guidance during the production process;
- Design and develop educational resources and tools for school administrators, educators, parents and learners including but not limited to handbooks, manuals, guides, activity books, and lesson plans;
- Prepare guidance documents on capacity development in the fields relevant to this call;
- Contribute to the design and development of educational games (board and/or video games), video tutorials, animations and apps by developing the concept and content, and providing guidance to the technical experts to better understand and meet the expectations;
- Contibute to the design and development of audio-visual/visual visibility/informative materials (e.g., leaflets, brochures, infographics, posters) by developing the concept and content and providing guidance to the designers and producers.
Under Lot 3:
- Developing and administer structured surveys and interview guides, among other assessment tools, tailored to different stakeholder groups, to gather information and evaluate policy intervention, training courses, capacity development activities, developed resources and tools;
- Conduct initial assessments to establish baselines in the educational sector. Analyze data to identify statistical trends and patterns, with a view of informing decision-making processes;
- Collect data, sense making practices and evidence, and synthesise them into policy briefs, compendiums, practical guidance and news articles;
- Draft reports that compare findings with best practices and international standards.
The above list is not considered exhaustive. The Council of Europe reserves the right to request deliverables not explicitly mentioned in the above list of expected services, but related to the field of expertise object of the present Framework Contract.
In terms of quality requirements, the pre-selected Service Providers must ensure, inter alia, that:
- The services are provided to the highest professional/academic standard;
- Any specific instructions given by the Council of Europe – whenever this is the case – are followed.
In addition to the orders requested on an as needed basis, the Provider shall keep regular communication with the Council of Europe to ensure continuing exchange of information relevant to the project implementation. This involves, among others, to inform the Council of Europe as soon as it becomes aware, during the execution of the Contract, of any initiatives and/or adopted laws and regulations, policies, strategies or action plans or any other development related to the object of the Contract (see more on general obligations of the Provider in Article 3.1.2 of the Legal Conditions in the Act of Engagement).
Unless otherwise agreed with the Council of Europe, written documents produced by the Provider shall be in English (see more on requirements for written documents in Articles 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 of the Legal Conditions in the Act of Engagement).
C. FEES
Tenderers are invited to indicate their unit fees, by completing the table of fees, as attached in Section A of the Act of Engagement. These fees are final and not subject to review.
The Council of Europe will indicate on each Order Form (see Section E below) the global fee corresponding to each deliverable, calculated on the basis of the daily fees, as agreed by this Contract.
D. HOW WILL THIS FRAMEWORK CONTRACT WORK? (Ordering PROCEDURE)
Once this consultation and the subsequent selection are completed, you will be informed accordingly. Deliverables will then be carried out on the basis of Order Forms submitted by the Council of Europe to the selected Service Provider(s), by post or electronically, on an as needed basis (there is therefore no obligation to order on the part of the Council of Europe).
Each time an Order Form is sent, the selected Provider undertakes to take all the necessary measures to send it signed to the Council of Europe within 2 (two) working days after its reception. If a Provider is unable to take an Order or if no reply is given on his behalf within that deadline, the Council may call on another Provider using the same criteria, and so on until a suitable Provider is contracted.
Pooling
For each Order, the Council of Europe will choose from the pool of pre-selected tenderers the Provider for the relevant lot who demonstrably offers best value for money for its requirement when assessed – for the Order concerned – against the criteria of:
- quality (including as appropriate: capability, expertise, past performance, availability of resources and proposed methods of undertaking the work);
- availability (including, without limitation, capacity to meet required deadlines and, where relevant, geographical location); and
- price.
Providers subject to VAT
The Provider, if subject to VAT, shall also send, together with each signed Form, a quote[1] (Pro Forma invoice) in line with the indications specified on each Order Form, and including:
- the Service Provider’s name and address;
- its VAT number;
- the full list of services;
- the fee per type of deliverables (in the currency indicated on the Act of Engagement, tax exclusive);
- the total amount per type of deliverables (in the currency indicated on the Act of Engagement, tax exclusive);
- the total amount (in the currency indicated on the Act of Engagement), tax exclusive, the applicable VAT rate, the amount of VAT and the amount VAT inclusive .
Signature of orders
An Order Form is considered to be legally binding when the Order, signed by the Service Provider, is approved by the Council of Europe, by displaying a Council of Europe’s Purchase Order number on the Order, as well as by signing and stamping the Order concerned. Copy of each approved Order Form shall be sent to the Provider, to the extent possible on the day of its signature.
E. ASSESSMENT
Exclusion criteria (by signing the Act of Engagement, you declare on your honour not being in any of the below situations) [2]
Tenderers shall be excluded from participating in the tender procedure if they:
- have been sentenced by final judgment on one or more of the following charges: participation in a criminal organisation, corruption, fraud, money laundering, terrorist financing, terrorist offences or offences linked to terrorist activities, child labour or trafficking in human beings;
- are in a situation of bankruptcy, liquidation, termination of activity, insolvency or arrangement with creditors or any like situation arising from a procedure of the same kind, or are subject to a procedure of the same kind;
- have received a judgment with res judicata force, finding an offence that affects their professional integrity or serious professional misconduct;
- do not comply with their obligations as regards payment of social security contributions, taxes and dues, according to the statutory provisions of their country of incorporation, establishment or residence;
- are an entity created to circumvent tax, social or other legal obligations (empty shell company), have ever created or are in the process of creation of such an entity;
- have been involved in mismanagement of the Council of Europe funds or public funds;
- are or appear to be in a situation of conflict of interest;
- are currently employed by the Council of Europe or were employed by the Council of Europe on the date of the launch of the procurement procedure;
Eligibility criteria
Tenderers shall demonstrate that they fulfil the following criteria (to be assessed on the basis of all supporting documents listed in Section G).
For Lot 1:
- Minimum of a master’s degree in education policy, public policy, law, or a closely related field.
- At least 7 years of experience in policy development, legal advising, or a related field, preferably within the education sector. Demonstrated experience in formulating and evaluating education policies, white papers, guidelines, and policy briefs. Prior involvement in advisory roles, providing expert opinions on education policies at national or international levels.
- Proven track record of leading policy development initiatives and working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders.
- Proven experience working as a consultant, or in an advisory capacity, with regional or international organizations/institutions.
For Lots 2:
- Minimum of a master’s degree in education, educational administration, organisational development, or a related field.
- At least 7 years of experience in educational programme development, institutional support, or capacity-building initiatives.
- Proven track record in the design and implementation of training courses and educational resources for diverse audiences. Instructional and curriculum design skills and strong expertise in developing and evaluating educational curricula and training programs. Familiarity with innovative educational practices and the integration of technology in learning.
- Proven experience working as a consultant, or in an advisory capacity, with regional or international organisations/institutions.
- Excellent command of written and spoken English (at least C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
For Lot 3:
- A master’s degree in education sciences, statistics, data science, social sciences, or a related field.
- Minimum 7 years of proven work experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting, particularly in the education sector or related fields.
- Proven track record of conducting large-scale research projects, including designing surveys and interview guides, Experience in conducting both quantitative and qualitative research.
- Proven experience working as a consultant, or in an advisory capacity, with regional or international organisations/institutions.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, Ability to articulate complex data insights in clear, comprehensible language for diverse audiences. Proficiency in producing detailed reports and comparative analyses.
- Excellent command of written and spoken English (at least C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
Award criteria
For Lot 1:
- Criterion 1: Quality of the offer (70%), including:
o Analytical skills (ability to interpret complex legal and policy documents, experience in conducting policy impact assessments and in drafting policy recommendations) (40%);
o Communication skills (ability to communicate complex policy issues to diverse audiences, experience in advocacy or influencing policy decisions at various levels) (20%);
o Experience in working with regional or international organisations/institutions in relation to the education field, knowledge of Council of Europe would be an asset (10%).
- Criterion 2: Financial offer (30%).
For Lot 2:
- Criterion 1: Quality of the offer (70%), including:
o Ability to engage effectively with a variety of stakeholders in the education sector, including school administrators, educators, parents, and carers. Skills in facilitating workshops, training sessions, and professional development programs (40%);
o Communication skills (ability to communicate complex educational concepts to diverse audiences, and to advocate for and/or raise awareness about educational issues) (20%);
o Experience in working with regional or international organisations/institutions in relation to the education field, knowledge of Council of Europe would be an asset (10%).
- Criterion 2: Financial offer (30%).
Additional qualifications or certifications in training and development, instructional design, or educational leadership are advantageous.
For Lot 3:
- Criterion 1: Quality of the offer (70%), including:
o Proven understanding of educational policies, standards, and practices at both national and international levels. Familiarity with current challenges and trends in education, and how data analysis can inform policy and practice (40%);
o Strong skills in data visualization and the ability to present complex data in an accessible manner. Experience in thematic analysis and identifying trends and patterns in data (20%);
o Experience in working with regional or international organisations/institutions in relation to the education field, knowledge of Council of Europe would be an asset (10%).
- Criterion 2: Financial offer (30%).
Multiple tendering is not authorised.
F. DOCUMENTS TO BE PROVIDED
- One completed and signed copy of the Act of Engagement.[3]
- For legal entities only:
o Registration documents,
o a company/institutional profile including references and relevant work samplesdemonstrating that it is working on the area(s) covered by this call.
o CVs of the persons proposed to be assigned to this contract showing that they meet the eligibility criteria.
- A detailed CV, demonstrating compliance with the eligibility criteria and outlining Tenderer’s educational qualifications, professional engagements, and a list of relevant work undertaken, e.g., policy/literature reviews, policy papers/recommendations/opinions, scholarly articles, learning and teaching resources, books, training programmes and resources.
- Copy of Degree certificate
- Three examples of previous work
- A cover letter explaining, in no more than 500 words, “How would you contribute to one or more of the main outputs (as listed above) and what approach or methodology would you employ to do so?” and “How does your experience fit with the specific lot/s you are tendering for?”
- Three reference persons and their contact details (phone number and e-mail address).
All documents shall be submitted in English, failure to do so will result in the exclusion of the tender. If any of the documents listed above are missing, the Council of Europe reserves the right to reject the tender.
The Council of Europe reserves the right to reject a tender if the scanned documents are of such a quality that the documents cannot be read once printed.
* * *
PART II – TENDER RULES
for the provision of CONSULTANCY SERVICES IN THE FRAMEWORK OF ACTIVITIES OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IN THE FIELD OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN EDUCATION
2023/AO/101
ARTICLE 1 – IDENTIFICATION OF THE CONTRACTING AUTHORITY
1.1 Name and address
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity
Education Department
1.2 Background
The activities of the Organisation are governed by its Statute. These activities concern the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Organisation has its seat in Strasbourg and has set up external offices in about 20 member and non-member states (in Ankara, Baku, Belgrade, Brussels, Bucharest, Chisinau, Erevan, Geneva, Kyiv, Lisbon, Paris, Podgorica, Pristina, Rabat, Sarajevo, Skopje, Tbilisi, Tirana, Tunis, Warsaw, Venice and Vienna).
Council of Europe procurements are governed by the Financial Regulations of the Organisation and by Rule 1395 of 20 June 2019 on the procurement procedures of the Council of Europe.
The Organisation enjoys privileges and immunities provided for in the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe, and its Protocols, and the Special Agreement relating to the Seat of the Council of Europe.[4]
Further details on the project are provided in the Terms of Reference.
ARTICLE 2 – VALIDITY OF THE TENDERS
Tenders are valid for 180 calendar days as from the closing date for their submission.
ARTICLE 3 – DURATION OF THE CONTRACT
The duration of the framework contract is set out in Article 2 of the Legal Conditions in the Act of Engagement.
ARTICLE 4 – CHANGE, ALTERATION AND MODIFICATION OF THE TENDER FILE
Any change in the format, or any alteration or modification of the original tender will cause the immediate rejection of the tender concerned.
ARTICLE 5 – Content of the tender file
The tender file is composed of:
- Technical specifications/Terms of reference;
- Tender rules;
- An Act of Engagement, including the Legal Conditions of the contract.
ARTICLE 6 – LEGAL FORM OF TENDERERS
The tenderer must be either a natural person, a legal person or consortia of legal and/or natural persons.
ARTICLE 7 – SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
General information can be found on the website of the Council of Europe: http://www.coe.int
Other questions regarding this specific tendering procedure shall be sent at the latest by December 19, 2023, in English, and shall be exclusively sent to the following address: [email protected]
This address is to be used for questions only; for modalities of tendering, please refer to the below Article.
ARTICLE 8 – MODALITIES OF THE TENDERING
Tenders must be sent to the Council of Europe electronically.
Electronic copies shall be sent only to [email protected] with reference no. 2023AO101 in the subject field. Tenders submitted to another e-mail account will be excluded from the procedure.
ARTICLE 9 – Deadline for submission of tenders
The deadline for the submission of tenders is 7 January 2024 by 23:59 CET.
ARTICLE 10 – ASSESSMENT OF TENDERS
Tenders shall be assessed in accordance with Rule 1395 of 20 June 2019 on the procurement procedures of the Council of Europe. Assessment shall be based upon the criteria as detailed in the Terms of Reference.
ARTICLE 11 – NEGOTIATIONS
The Council reserves the right to hold negotiations with the bidders in accordance with Article 20 of Rule 1395.
* * *
1)BEFORE SENDING YOUR TENDER, CHECK THAT IT INCLUDES:
- One completed and signed copy of the Act of Engagement.
- For legal entities only:
o Registration documents, and a company/institutional profile including references and relevant work samples. Any legal entity will have to demonstrate in its bid that it is working on the area(s) in question by including the CVs of the persons making up its team for this call for tenders.
o CVs of the persons proposed to be assigned to this contract showing that they meet the eligibility criteria.
- A detailed CV, outlining Tenderer’s educational qualifications, professional engagements, and a list of relevant work undertaken, e.g., policy/literature reviews, policy papers/recommendations/opinions, scholarly articles, learning and teaching resources, books, training programmes and resources.
- Copy of Degree certificate
- Three examples of previous work
- A cover letter explaining, in no more than 500 words, “How would you contribute to one or more of the main outputs (as listed above) and what approach or methodology would you employ to do so?” and “How does your experience fit with the specific lot/s you are tendering for?”
- Three reference persons and their contact details (phone number and e-mail address).
2) HOW TO SEND TENDERS?
Tenders must be sent to the Council of Europe electronically.
Electronic copies shall be sent only to [email protected] with reference no. 20YYAO101 in the subject field. Tenders submitted to another e-mail account will be excluded from the procedure.
The deadline for the submission of tenders is 7 January 2024 by 23:59 CET.
[1]. It must strictly respect the fees indicated in Section A of the Act of Engagement as recorded by the Council of Europe. In case of non-compliance with the fees as indicated in the Act of Engagement, the Council of Europe reserves the right to terminate the Contract with the Service Provider, in all or in part.
[2]. The Council of Europe reserves the right to ask tenderers, at a later stage, to supply the following supporting documents:
- An extract from the record of convictions or failing that an equivalent document issued by the competent judicial or administrative authority of the country of incorporation, indicating that the first three and sixth requirements listed above under “exclusion criteria” are met;
- A certificate issued by the competent authority of the country of incorporation indicating that the fourth requirement is met.
[3]. The Act of Engagement must be completed, signed and scanned in its entirety (i.e. including all the pages). The scanned Act of Engagement may be sent page by page (attached to a single email) or as a compiled document, although a compiled document would be preferred. For all scanned documents, .pdf files are preferred.
[4]. Available on the website of the Council of Europe Treaty Office: www.conventions.coe.int