UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) sought to procure Functional Skills provision on behalf of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS). GMCA is an Employer-Provider delivering the Level 3 Operational Firefighter Standard to its Apprentices. As part of this Standard, Apprentices are required to gain their Level 2 in English and Maths prior to completing their Apprenticeship if they don't already hold the equivalent certification. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) offer additional funding for eligible Apprentices requiring English and Maths certification. This funding will be used for both the training delivery and subsequent certification and therefore any organisation will be subject to the associated scrutiny of acting as a subcontractor for ESFA funded provision. The initial contract period is 3 years from 1st December 2024 to 30th November 2027, with the option to extend for a further 12-month period up to 30th November 2028. The contract value per year is up to £20,000 (the total for the initial contract period of 3 years is up to £60,000). The extension period also has a value of up to £20,000, therefore the total for 3 years plus 1 year extension option is up to £80,000. This opportunity was commissioned as a further competition/call off from the GMCA Education, Work and Skills Flexible Procurement System.

Due to the extension of the Working Well: Individual Placement Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme until September 2026, GMCA sought to procure additional services from the current evaluation partner to carry out additional evaluation activities, ensuring an end-to-end longitudinal evaluation of the programme. Due to their existing involvement in the evaluation of this programme and to ensure that the evaluation is end-to-end, GMCA decided that the best route to market is to award a new contract to SQW Limited via an exemption.

The GMCA sought to procure additional support to GM residents accessing a GMCA funded Skills Bootcamp intervention with funding from the GM Multiply Scheme. The procurement process for this contract was a restricted procedure under the Light Touch Regime, limited to providers who hold a current Skills Bootcamp contract with GMCA. All 13 providers who hold current Skills Bootcamps contracts with GMCA were invited to bid for this opportunity. The budget for this contract had been set at a maximum of £600,000 with an intention to award multiple contracts that make up this maximum value.

The Greater Manchester Levy Matchmaking Service was launched in August 2018 to provide an online portal that facilitated the transfer of Apprenticeship Levy funds between large levy paying employers and non or smaller levy paying employers who had run out of funding as per national Apprenticeship Funding Rules. It comprises an online portal (Home | GM Levy Matchmaking Service (levymatchfinder.co.uk)) and a member of staff that supports and advises employers to help them navigate the system. The Service is funded by GMCA and currently delivered by The Growth Company. Due to an ongoing review of the Apprenticeship Levy by central government, the GMCA decided that an exemption would be the best route to market to ensure a short term extension of the service.

The overall vision for the Integrated Drainage Strategy for Stockport Town Centre is to create a resilient, sustainable, and thriving urban environment in Stockport town centre. This vision aligns with Homes England's broader objectives of accelerating housing delivery, supporting economic development, and improving infrastructure. By addressing flood risks and enhancing drainage systems, the project aims to facilitate the development of new homes, support local businesses, and improve the quality of life for resident. • The strategic solutions developed during this commission will be implemented to mitigate flood risks and improve drainage infrastructure. This may involve construction projects, upgrades to existing systems, and the introduction of new technologies. Mini competition under the Homes England DARTS framework Additional information: Closed opportunity - this is an award notice and a further competition under the framework has been completed

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) looked to procure a lead provider to deliver the Working Well: Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (WW: IPSPC) service for Greater Manchester (GM) residents. Funded via GMCA's Integrated Settlement allocation for employment support, the service will provide support for 2,000 GM residents between May 2025 and 31st March 2027. Referrals to WW: IPSPC for both out-of-work and in-work participants can be accepted up to the end of March 2026. The budget for the initial period of the contract (end-May 2025 to 31st March 2027) is a maximum of £5,000,000. The contract also includes provision for a 12-month extension up to 31st March 2028 with an additional maximum value of £2,400,000. This would bring the potential total lifetime value of the contract to a maximum of £7,400,000. The WW: IPSPC service will sit within the Working Well suite of programmes and delivery is expected to take place in co-locations within a range of primary and community NHS health services. Participants will come from two distinct cohorts: • Out-of-work participants with a health condition, disability, or who are experiencing disadvantage and require assistance and support to move into competitive employment. • In-work participants who are off sick or struggling in the workplace due to their disability, health condition, or disadvantage and require assistance and support to return to or retain employment. WW: IPSPC builds on the successful Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, derived from Supported Employment. The service will support individuals with a physical or mental health disability, or those in a specified disadvantaged group. The model moves away from a 'train and place' model that focuses on job readiness, to a 'place, train, maintain' model focused on engagement with employers to make jobs possible - that is real jobs with real pay. Evidence shows consistently that this approach, with its focus on rapid job search, is more effective than a step-by-step pathway to employment for certain cohorts of people. This opportunity was commissioned as a further competition/call off from the GMCA Education, Work and Skills Flexible Procurement System.