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Published 19 May 2025, 10:44 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Connect to Work (Greater Essex)

Official notice

Authority: Essex County Council (Local council)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdLight touch regimeSME suitableVCSE suitable
Sectors: Business Services & Consultancy (79)Education & Training (80) Delivery: East of England (UKH3)
Published estimate£10,698,000≈ £4.8m / year · £12,837,600 inc. VAT · 1 value update8.4% below published estimate
Submissions closed 8 Sept 2025awarded 31 Oct 2025
Award (standstill) to The Shaw Trust Limited
Contract term 2 yrs 3 moends 31 Mar 2028 · up to 31 Mar 2030 with extensions · starts 5 Jan 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Essex County Council, as the accountable body, is looking for a provider to assist in delivering the Connect to Work programme across Greater Essex.

The Government's "Get Britain Working" White Paper sets out the Government's intention to devolve funding for supported employment, including the Connect to Work Programme. Connect to Work aims to help connect local work, health and skills support and help eligible participants to secure sustainable work through a voluntary supported employment model, observing to Individual Placement & Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) frameworks. Through this, Connect to Work will expand the use of the proven five stage Supported Employment model of 'place, train and maintain'.

Essex County Council is looking for a Provider that will develop and lead a supply chain of specialist organisations with a track record of successfully working and building trusted relationships with our prioritised cohorts.

The successful bidder must be able to demonstrate a track record in delivering supported employment programmes, specifically through the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) models. Delivery must align with national best practice and local commissioning priorities, ensuring high fidelity to both models.

CPV: Career guidance services · Education and training services · Job search services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1AwardedRenewal 2 yrs 3 moSMEVCSEPublished value£10,698,000
Contract period: 5 Jan 2026 – 31 Mar 2028 (2 yrs 3 mo) · up to 31 Mar 2030 with extensionsValue: £10,698,000 exc. VAT · £12,837,600 inc. VAT
Delivery: East of EnglandEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
Extensions: 2 x 12 month extensions.
79611000 Job search services79634000 Career guidance services80000000 Education and training services

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
Quality: 60%Price: 30%Social value: 10%
Published sub-criteria (3)
  • Technical Quality: 60%
  • Commercial: 30%
  • Social Value: 10%
Published award criteria (3)
  • Technical Quality
  • Commercial
  • Social Value
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Light touch regime
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
19 May 2025, 10:44 BST
Last source update
31 Oct 2025, 15:23 GMT
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 5 Nov 2025
Authority reference
PL0106
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-042829
Latest notice
Contract award notice (UK6)
Classification (CPV)
Career guidance servicesEducation and training servicesJob search services
Delivery area
East of England (UKH3)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-051695 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: ProContract (Due North) · Who buys & how to bid on ProContract
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · short registration with manual review; public opportunity list
Submission deadline
8 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline
29 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

procontract.due-north.com/Login ↗

The tender name on the ProContract system is Connect to Work.

Timeline

19 May 2025 → 5 Jan 2026 · 11 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    19 May 2025, 10:44 BST
  2. Market engagement
    1 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST

    The Market Engagement Session is divided into three parts

    • Webinar on Wednesday 4th June 2025 10:00 - 11:30 for Employment Providers.
    • Webinar on Tuesday 10th June 2025 10:00 - 11:00 for Voluntary Sector.
    • In person session on Wednesday 25th June 2025 1:30 - 3:00pm at Watt Tyler Country Park for all.

    The, in person, event will provide an overview of the Connect to Work delivery model for Greater Essex, what SEQF/IPS provision (supported employment ) Essex County Council as the Accountable Body will be procuring and the timescales for the procurement process and answer any questions on that.

    The event will then introduce local organisations, often but not exclusively, VCSE organisations providing employment support to specified Connect to Work cohorts i.e Refugees across Greater Essex to potential Prime providers that want to deliver Connect to Work across Greater Essex.

    Outcomes for attendees:

    • An understanding of the delivery model for Connect to Work in Greater Essex,
    • An understanding of what ECC will be procuring and the timescales for this and how it fits with existing supported employment in Great Essex
    • Introductions/contacts between potential Prime providers and supply chain partners.

    All interested Suppliers who wish to register to take part in any sessions from above to complete the form using the link below to receive an invite to the webinar or in person event:

    forms.office.com/e/7HFd3ReTCr ↗

  3. Tender notice published
    24 Jul 2025, 14:47 BST
  4. Next notice expected
    31 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
  5. Clarification questions by
    29 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
  6. Submission deadline
    8 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
  7. Assessment summaries sent358 days ago
    31 Oct 2025
  8. Latest notice published357 days ago
    31 Oct 2025, 15:23 GMT
  9. Award decision expected by352 days ago
    5 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
  10. Standstill ends345 days ago
    12 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
  11. Contract starts292 days ago
    5 Jan 2026

Notice history

11 events · 7 releases on Find a Tender · since 19 May 2025
  1. Pipeline notice published
    19 May 2025, 10:44 BST
    UK1
  2. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    30 May 2025, 09:20 BST
    UK2
  3. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    4 Jun 2025, 13:09 BST
    UK2
  4. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    11 Jun 2025, 16:53 BST
    UK2
  5. Tender notice published
    24 Jul 2025, 14:47 BST
    UK4
  6. Status changed to active
    24 Jul 2025, 14:47 BST
  7. Deadline published: 8 Sept 2025, 12:00 BST
    24 Jul 2025, 14:47 BST
  8. Tender notice published
    30 Jul 2025, 13:54 BST
    UK4
  9. Contract award notice published
    31 Oct 2025, 15:23 GMT
    UK6
  10. Status changed to complete
    31 Oct 2025, 15:23 GMT
  11. Contract signature expected
    14 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
    scheduled
Published amendments (3)

Update to value including VAT.

Updated estimated tender notice date

Updated wording under the scope of the opportunity.

Routine re-releases (7)
  • 2025-06: 2 releases · 4 Jun 2025, 11 Jun 2025
  • 2025-05: 2 releases · 19 May 2025, 30 May 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £9,803,8981 award exc. VAT
Bids received 42 from SMEs
Named bidders 4published on the award notice
Awarded toValueDateStatus
The Shaw Trust LimitedVCSE5 Jan 2026 – 31 Mar 2028 · up to 31 Mar 2030Extensions: Possible extension as follows: 2 x 12 month extensions.£9,803,89831 Oct 2025standstill to 12 Nov 2025Standstill

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
4final-stage tenders22—

Who bid

Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Essex County Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PWVM-4844-NRQH County Hall, Market Road, Chelmsford, East of England, CM1 1QHContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

4 commercial parties on the notice · 1 awarded

Official documents & specifications (7)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure