ID 5828340 - DfE - Skills for Life and Work Programme 2025
Estimated value
—
Awarded value
£195.0m
Suppliers
20
Lots
1
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 2027Possible 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
- 80000000802100008031000080500000805210008053000080531000805311008053120080570000
- Contract locations
- Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Award criteria
Criteria the buyer will use to evaluate bids.
| Name | Description | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC1 Teaching and Learning | As per Tender documentation. | quality | 20.00% |
| AC2 Disability Support | As per Tender documentation. | quality | 15.00% |
| AC3 Staffing | As per Tender documentation. | quality | 20.00% |
| AC4 Resource Access | As per Tender documentation. | quality | 10.00% |
| AC5 Leadership and Management | As per Tender documentation. | quality | 15.00% |
| AC6 Partnerships | As per Tender documentation. | quality | 10.00% |
| AC7 Social Value | As per Tender documentation. | quality | 10.00% |
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