Clarifications

Can you please complete any outstanding fields within your submission, which will progress you to the 'Agreeing' stage of the DMP process. Once you have entered the 'Agreeing' stage, you will have the option to 'Update DPSQ' option from 'Your dashboard'; where you will be able to update your service offerings (Q.13 onwards in your DPS questionnaire). This will allow you to remove any apprenticeship standards or frameworks for which you aren't able to provide prospectus data and pricing for at this stage. Following which you can resubmit your DMP submission and enter the 'Agreeing' stage once again. Once in the 'Agreeing' stage you can accept the CCS Terms and Conditions; as detailed in section 5 of this READ First DPS Needs document. You will then become 'Appointed' to the DMP. When your organisation is ready to add your additional standards and/ or frameworks and their corresponding pricing schedules, you can do this via the 'Update DPSQ' option from Your dashboard.

Bidders should only complete a prospectus for those services which they are able to provide and which they have selected in their DPSQ. All prospectus information should be fully compliant with the requirements and bidders should NOT complete non-compliant prospectus's with the aim to update at a later date. In the event that a bidder wants to add new services with the corresponding compliant prospectus information at a later date, bidders can do this as per the instructions in the READ First DPS Needs document in the bid pack. In the event that a bidders submission is rejected as an interim measure to allow the bidder to update their service offering, CCS will reappoint the bidder to the DMP as soon as the necessary changes have been made by the bidder. CCS will aim to complete this action on the same day the bidder resubmits their Selection Questionnaire.

CCS would expect responses to enrolment to be completed once you have received the information required from the apprentice/employer.

CCS can confirm that any bidders who have not yet undergone an Ofsted review, should select 'Not Applicable' to question 17 of the DPSQ which states 'Please confirm which of the following Ofsted registration and/or any accreditation status apply to your organisation'? In the event that the response to question 17 of the DPSQ is 'Not Applicable', please insert your organisations internet address at question 86 of the generic prospectus; as the link to your Ofsted report is also not applicable in this instance. In the event that a bidders Ofsted report or status chnages, bidders must ensure their Ofsted Rating and reports are updated in their submission. Bidders should be aware that customers may request confirmation of their Ofsted status as part of the Rapid and/ or Standard Award process.

The financial threshold score for the RM6102 Apprenticeships Training Dynamic Marketplace is 35. Please refer to (section 8 - Economic and Financial Standing) of the DPS Needs document within the bid pack for further information regarding financial requirements/ guidance to support the RM6018 Apprenticeships Training Dynamic Marketplace.

CCS can confirm that there is no separate section for Apprenticeship provision to public sector Employees in devolved countries as any requirement will be specified separately and agreed between the contracting customer and provider.

CCS can confirm that you will need to add some information in any outstanding fields which will progress your submission to 'Agreeing' stage. Once you have entered 'Agreeing' stage and accepted the CCS Terms and Conditions to become 'Appointed' as detailed in section 5 of the READ First DPS Needs document which forms part of the bid pack. CCS can then temporarily reject your submission which will then enable you to be redirceted to the DPSQ where you will be able to update your service offerings; resubmit your questionnaire and become reappointed to the DMP.

CCS can confirm that you will need to add some information in any outstanding fields which will progress your submission to 'Agreeing' stage. Once you have entered 'Agreeing' stage and accepted the CCS Terms and Conditions to become 'Appointed' as detailed in section 5 of the READ First DPS Needs document which forms part of the bid pack. CCS can then temporarily reject your submission which will then enable you to be redirceted to the DPSQ where you will be able to update your service offerings; resubmit your questionnaire and become reappointed to the DMP. Bidders should only complete a prospectus for those services which they are able to provide and which they have selected in their DPSQ. All prospectus information should be fully compliant with the requirements and bidders should NOT complete non-compliant prospectus's with the aim to update at a later date. In the event that a bidder wants to add new services with the corresponding compliant prospectus information at a later date, bidders can do this as per the instructions in the READ First DPS Needs document in the bid pack. In the event that a bidders submission is rejected as an interim measure to allow the bidder to update their service offering, CCS will reappoint the bidder to the DMP as soon as the necessary changes have been made by the bidder. CCS will aim to complete this action on the same day the bidder resubmits their Selection Questionnaire.

CCS can confirm that your organisation can complete the standard Selection Questionnaire (SQ) and the DPSQ (procurement specific questions - i.e. service filter offerings). If you have not uploaded your Cyber Certification as part of the DPSQ, your submission will enter into 'assessing' stage. Bidders can only remain in the 'Assessing' stage for a maximum of 15 working days, and if the bidders cyber certificate is not uploaded during that timescale the submission will be rejecetd an an interim measure until the bidder is able to provide a copy of their certificate in their SQ. This can be done by re-applying for the DMP, using all previous responses. Please refer to the READ First (Updating Answers section) for full details. Bidders will not be able to progress to Qualified stage to complete their generic and apprenticeship standards/ framework specific prospectus data until the selection criteria for the SQ and DPSQ has been successfully met.

CCS can confirm that question 131 of the standard selection questionnaire is not a mandatory exclusion question.

CCS can confirm the Part 3 questions relating to Steel 'Supply Chain Management' question 147 - 149 are not applicable and a response is therefore NOT required. Please refer to section 9 of the READ First DPS Needs document for all 'Not Applicable' questions.

All evidence related questions detailed align to a response the bidder has provided in the standard Selection Questionnaire. For example, question 180 relates to Past Performance evidence to support questions 150 - 154 in the standard selection questionnaire, which as detailed in the READ First DPS Needs document in the bid pack (Section 9) is not applicable. N.B. Section 9 details all not applicable questions. Bidders can submit evidence where applicable following completion of their RM6102 submission, CCS would therefore recommend that bidders continue to progress with their submission and disregard the evidence requests in the interim. Bidders will however as part of the award process be requested to provide evidence of insurance certification. In addition, suppliers will only be required to provide financial evidence in the event they fail to meet the financial threshold score of 35, full details of this process can be found at (section 8 - Economic and Financial Standing) of the DPS Needs document within the bid pack.

Please disregard the previous response provided in error. CCS can confirm that bidders should include the cost of the End-point Assessment in the "Cost of delivery per apprentice" fields in Attachment 5 - Pricing Matrix for Apprenticeship Training Providers. Completion of Attachment 6 - Pricing Matrix for End-Point Assessment Providers and the generic and EPA prospectuses do not require completion.

Bidders should list all known sub-contractors as defined in DPS Schedule 1 of the DMP Agreement which forms part of the RM6102 bid pack, which states 'means any person other than the Supplier who is a party to a Sub-Contract and the servants or agents of that person'. The sub-contractors listed as part of the supplier SQ (where applicable) will for part of the suppliers 'Contract Order Form' as detailed in DPS Schedule 4, if awarded a contract under the DMP. Bidders are able to use different sub-contractors during the lifetime of their DPS Agreement, however any changes to sub contracting arrangements are subject to the obligations under clause 18 ( Supply Chain Rights and Protection) of the Contract Terms which form part of the RM6102 bid pack.

Bidders Dun and Bradstreet number provided as part of their submission will generate a financial threshold score. The financial threshold score for the RM6102 is 35 or above. In the event your organisation fails to meet or exceed this score, further financial assessment will be undertaken as detailed in Section 8 (Economic and Financial Standing) of the READ First DPS Needs document within the bid pack. Please refer to this document for full details.

CCS can confirm that cyber certification for an individual is NOT sufficient, and must be provided for the supplier organisation. Additionally, CCS can confirm if the supplier organisation has the required information in place to support the cyber certification process, certification can be obtained within a week at the earliest. Please refer to the following website to obtain further information regarding cyber essentials and how to obtain appropriate certification: https://www.cyberessentials.ncsc.gov.uk/getting-certified/

CCS can confirm that the DPS remains open for the lifetime of it's duration, meaning suppliers can join at anytime. The intended duration period of the RM6102 DMP Agreement is for 4 years (48 months). However the DMP will go live to customers on 30th April, therefore delay in uploading offers may result in missed opportunities.

Bidders should list all known sub-contractors as defined in DPS Schedule 1 of the DMP Agreement which forms part of the RM6102 bid pack, which states 'means any person other than the Supplier who is a party to a Sub-Contract and the servants or agents of that person'. The sub-contractors listed as part of the supplier SQ (where applicable) will for part of the suppliers 'Contract Order Form' as detailed in DPS Schedule 4, if awarded a contract under the DMP. Bidders are able to use different sub-contractors during the lifetime of their DPS Agreement, however any changes to sub contracting arrangements are subject to the obligations under clause 18 ( Supply Chain Rights and Protection) of the Contract Terms which form part of the RM6102 bid pack.

CCS can confirm the word count limit is 300 for all fields in the prospectuses, and not 300 characters (a previously published response has since been amended to reflect this). - Apart from one of the text fields, in the Generic Apprenticeship / EPA Prospectus Template - where a Supplier is requested to provide following information about their Organisation: What your organisation does in the Apprenticeship Training / EPA context How your organisation does this, where and who for How you ensure high standards in apprenticeship training are delivered Unique Selling Point - what makes the business unique and valuable to the public sector market The word count for this field is 500. Each of the text fields have a counter for the number of words available, so you can keep track of your responses.

CCS can confirm the word count limit is 300 for all fields in the prospectuses, (a previous response stating 300 characters has been amended). - Apart from one of the text fields, in the Generic Apprenticeship / EPA Prospectus Template - where a Supplier is requested to provide following information about their Organisation: What your organisation does in the Apprenticeship Training / EPA context How your organisation does this, where and who for How you ensure high standards in apprenticeship training are delivered Unique Selling Point - what makes the business unique and valuable to the public sector market The word count for this field is 500.