ID 5828340 - DfE - Skills for Life and Work Programme 2025

Department for the EconomycontractFind a TenderRef ocds-h6vhtk-0517acProcurement Act 2023Light-touch servicespending
View buyer

Estimated value

Awarded value

£195.0m

Awarded 31 Jul 2025

Suppliers

20

11 SME

Lots

1

1 awarded

Published

01 Aug 2025

Description

The Department for the Economy is seeking tenders for the delivery of the Skills for Life and Work Programme 2025. The programme will support a diverse cohort of young people through a relevant and empowering vocational education and training experience that equips them for progression to higher levels of learning or to employment, according to their own aspirations. The overall aim of the Programme is to ensure continuity of youth vocational education and training provision, contribute to social and economic inclusion, deliver skills learning and achievement, and act as a pathway to any next step. Many participants will enter the Programme with a disability or disabilities, and/or with a complex range of issues and barriers to learning and achievement, including mental wellbeing challenges and mental health difficulties. Additional disability support will be the responsibility of the training provider to deliver or source. Payment for this support will be covered in the funding table and contractual measures will be in place to ensure that this additional funding is ring-fenced and directed towards those young people with disabilities. Suppliers should refer to the Specification Schedule for full detail on the deliverables of this contract.

Scope

Reference
ID 5828340
Commercial tool
Standalone contract
Contract dates
31 Aug 2025 to 31 Jul 2027
Possible extension to 31 Jul 2031

The Award of Contract is anticipated to be August 2025 with the Initial Contract Period of up to two years commencing in September 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter (where ‘up to two years’ pertains to the period of recruitment of participants to the programme). There will be a run-off period following the Initial Contract Period during which all Contract provisions, terms and conditions will continue to apply. This is to accommodate the participant training entitlements set out in the Operational Requirements. Service delivery cannot commence until the first Monday of the September 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter following Contract commencement and the programme will close to new participant entrants after July 2027. There will be an option to extend the Initial Contract Period for a further four one-year periods , and if the Contract is extended the Programme will remain open to new participant entrants during the extension period. Participants recruited during the Initial Contract Period or the extension period will have a training entitlement as set out in the Operational Requirements.

CPV classifications
80000000
80210000
80310000
80500000
80521000
80530000
80531000
80531100
80531200
80570000
Contract locations
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Award criteria

Criteria the buyer will use to evaluate bids.

NameDescriptionTypeWeighting
AC1 Teaching and Learning As per Tender documentation.quality20.00%
AC2 Disability SupportAs per Tender documentation.quality15.00%
AC3 StaffingAs per Tender documentation.quality20.00%
AC4 Resource AccessAs per Tender documentation.quality10.00%
AC5 Leadership and Management As per Tender documentation.quality15.00%
AC6 Partnerships As per Tender documentation.quality10.00%
AC7 Social ValueAs per Tender documentation.quality10.00%

Participation

Conditions suppliers must meet to bid.

As per Tender documentation.

Submission & procedure

Procedure
Open procedure

Award details

Awarded supplier(s), contract period and value as published in the award notice.

Awarded value

£195.0m

Award date

31 Jul 2025

Contract start

31 Aug 2025

Contract end

01 Sept 2025