ASQA Regulatory Panel (ARP)

⁠⁠⁠The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) sector. Established under the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011, ASQA’s role is to ensure quality outcomes for students, employers and the community by regulating training providers and accrediting courses in accordance with national standards.

ASQA manages the VET sector through a range of regulatory functions, including national regulation of approximately 4,000 Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), course accreditation to ensure compliance with national standards, compliance and enforcement activities through regulatory investigations, and the promotion of fair regulation through sector engagement and education.

The Commonwealth of Australia, represented by ASQA, is conducting this Request for Tender (RFT) to establish the ASQA Regulatory Panel (ARP), which will replace the existing Regulatory Operating Model Services (ROMS) Panel. The ARP is a multi-service, multi-pillar arrangement, as set out in the Statement of Requirements (SOR). This RFT relates to all service pillars within the arrangement.

Current panellists providing Student Assessment Validation services are only required to re-tender where they propose to include additional industry groupings within the scope of their Head Agreement, or where they propose to provide services under Pillar 2.

ASQA invites interested parties to submit a Tender to provide services under one or more of the following service pillars, as detailed in the SOR:

• Pillar 1: Student Assessment Validations
• Pillar 2: Regulatory Assessments, including:
• Assessment, evidence review or monitoring activities; and
• Accredited course evaluation services.

Tenderers may elect to tender for one or more service pillars and must clearly identify the service pillars for which they are tendering in the Response Template. Tenders will be evaluated independently against the requirements and Evaluation Criteria applicable to each nominated service pillar. Appointment to the panel will be made where tenders represent value for money

Other Instructions:

Conditions for Participation:

The Tenderer confirms that, at the Closing Time, it satisfies all Conditions for Participation set out in the Request for Tender, including that the Tenderer:

• is a legal entity with the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract with the Commonwealth;
• is not bankrupt, insolvent, or subject to any form of external administration;
• is not subject to any judicial decision (not under appeal) relating to unpaid employee entitlements;
• is not listed as a non?compliant employer under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Cth);
• holds, or will hold prior to contract execution, the required levels of insurance as specified in the draft Head Agreement;
• holds all required Valid and Satisfactory Statement(s) of Tax Record (STR) for its entity type, and has submitted the required STR(s) with this Tender;
• where applicable, holds or will hold Valid and Satisfactory STR(s) for any proposed first?tier subcontractors delivering services with an estimated value of $4 million or more (GST inclusive);
• has disclosed any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest in accordance with the RFT; and
• complies with all applicable Commonwealth legislation and policy requirements relevant to this procurement.

The Tenderer acknowledges that failure to meet any Condition for Participation may result in exclusion from further consideration and confirms that the information provided in support of these Conditions is true and correct as at the Closing Time.

Timeframe for Delivery:

The Tenderer confirms its ability to deliver the Services within the timeframes specified in the Request for Tender and the Statement of Requirements.

The Tenderer acknowledges that service delivery will be initiated in accordance with Orders issued under the Head Agreement and commits to commencing Services promptly within the timeframes specified in each Order. The Tenderer confirms it has the capacity, capability, and resources to meet required delivery schedules, including any urgent, short notice, or priority requirements.

The Tenderer further confirms its ability to deliver Services in a timely, efficient, and professional manner throughout the term of the Head Agreement, and to meet all milestones, reporting requirements, and turnaround times specified by ASQA or agreed under individual Orders.