Big Issue Invest was selected by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council (DMBC) to provide social investment into an ‘outcome contract’ for a new personalised education offer for Key Stage 3 (KS3) and Key Stage 4 (KS4) students in late 2018. In December 2019 a new Special Purpose Vehicle (BPI Ltd) entered into a social outcome contract/Social Impact Bond to fund the delivery of interventions to support the cohort with outcomes paid for by DMBC and The National Community Lottery Fund (NCLF) through the Life Chances Fund – launched by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. This contract runs from 2019 to 2024.
Over the last 9 months BPI has worked with commissioners and the founding delivery partner (BPI UK) to refine the interventions and service model based on learning, evidence and data from the delivery of the contract to date, as well as the response to/impact of COVID on the cohort since March 2020. This has focused on the KS3 cohort offer and building on a blended learning platform developed to support staff and students to maintain learning progression and engagement over recent months.
BPI Ltd is seeking a partner/partners to co-develop an intervention model to support disengaged older secondary age students to access employment. Building on work with DMBC over recent months developing a revised high-level specification and outcome framework, we are seeking partners to engage in this process. Expressions of interest will be sought from partners to enter into a co-development process with a view to entering into a contract for provision from January 2021. Development work will be at partner risk with full transparency on the outcome funding available to support the service provision from contract start date.
Initial responses are invited from partners with the following capabilities:
- existing expertise in delivery to the cohort in Doncaster;
- current engagement with education, vocational skills and employment partners in Doncaster;
- comprehensive understanding and ability to work with agencies in health and social care;
- experience of working with outcome-based contracts;
- ability to evidence working with ambiguity and adaptive/learning contracts;
- knowledge of the future strategic education/skills and employability context in the city region;
- genuine desire to work in partnership to innovate, develop new service models and explore ways to scale and mainstream successful approaches;
- willingness to work with social investors and evaluators to review and adapt approaches.
Please contact Shayla shayla.meyer@bigissue.com by 20th November at the latest to confirm your interest in working with BPI Ltd, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and other delivery partners on this exciting project.
