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Find a TenderAwarded without competitionContract details notice
Published 22 May 2025, 18:12 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Connect to Work (Supported Employment) - SEQF and West Kent IPS Provision

Official notice

Authority: Kent County Council (Local council)

ServicesDirect awardLight touch regimeSME suitable
Sectors: Education & Training (80) Delivery: North East (UKC)North West (UKD)Yorkshire & Humber (UKE)
+6 moreEast Midlands (UKF)West Midlands (UKG)East of England (UKH)London (UKI)South East (UKJ)South West (UKK)
Contract value (direct award)£16,000,000≈ £13m / year · £16,000,000 inc. VAT
Awarded 10 Jul 2025no call for competition
Awarded to Edseco Limited Trading as The Education People
Contract term 1 yr 3 moends 31 Mar 2027 · starts 1 Jan 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has launched a new national supported employment programme called 'Connect to Work' (C2W). Connect to Work is a key part of the Government's new 'Get Britain Working Strategy' and its commitment to supporting the 1.8m people in the UK who would like to work but are not currently participating in the labour market.

The programme aims to support 81,000 individuals per year overall nationally. Connect to work will be delivered by 43 accountable bodies across the UK. Kent County Council (KCC) are one of 43 Accountable bodies and will be delivering the programme on behalf of Kent and Medway.

The "Connect to Work" programme is an initiative aimed at providing employment support to individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions, or other disadvantaged groups. The programme offers targeted interventions, job coaching, workplace support, and other support to ensure that individuals facing challenges can participate in and retain employment.

This Contract award relates to provision of SEQF Supported Employment Services for Kent and Medway, and IPS Services in West Kent. This also relates to piloting of IPS services across Kent and Medway during year one of the Connect to Work programme.

This Contract award concerns the following areas:

SEQF (Kent and Medway)

IPS (West Kent, comprising Dartford, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells). This will also include piloting of IPS provision across the Kent and Medway area for year one of the connect to work programme (until April 2026).

The Council has opted to award this element of the Connect to Work Programme to its Local Authority Trading Company (LATCO) edseco limited t/a the education people in accordance with the Vertical arrangement exemption under Schedule 2 of the Procurement Act 2023.

The remainder of commissioned services to deliver the Connect to Work Programme were subject to a competitive procurement process in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.

CPV: Training services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1Awarded 1 yr 3 moSME
Contract period: 1 Jan 2026 – 31 Mar 2027 (1 yr 3 mo)
Delivery: North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South WestEligibility: SME eligible
80500000 Training services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Direct award
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Light touch regime
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Direct award (no call for competition)
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
22 May 2025, 18:12 BST
Last source update
25 Mar 2026, 15:00 GMT
Authority reference
CN250240
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-027414
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Training services
Delivery area
North East (UKC)North West (UKD)Yorkshire & Humber (UKE)East Midlands (UKF)West Midlands (UKG)East of England (UKH)London (UKI)South East (UKJ)
+1 moreSouth West (UKK)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-051f71 Find a Tender
Why no open competition
Switching Direct Award
Published justification

The Council has opted to award this element of the Connect to Work Programme to its Local Authority Trading Company (LATCO) edseco limited t/a the education people in accordance with the Vertical arrangement exemption under Schedule 2 of the Procurement Act 2023.

The remainder of commissioned services to deliver the Connect to Work Programme were subject to a competitive procurement process in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

22 May 2025 → 25 Mar 2026 · 5 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    22 May 2025, 18:12 BST
  2. Next notice expected
    1 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
  3. Standstill ends
    22 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
  4. Contract starts292 days ago
    1 Jan 2026
  5. Latest notice published209 days ago
    25 Mar 2026, 15:00 GMT

Notice history

7 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 22 May 2025
  1. Pipeline notice published
    22 May 2025, 18:12 BST
    UK1
  2. Transparency notice published
    10 Jul 2025, 15:42 BST
    UK5
  3. Status changed to complete
    10 Jul 2025, 15:42 BST
  4. Procurement method changed
    10 Jul 2025, 15:42 BST
  5. Contract award notice published
    10 Jul 2025, 15:52 BST
    UK6
  6. Contract signature expected
    23 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
  7. Contract details notice published
    25 Mar 2026, 15:00 GMT
    UK7
Routine re-releases (4)
  • 2025-05: 1 release · 22 May 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value (inc. VAT) £15,292,2241 award inc. VAT; no net value published
Contracts signed 1latest 23 Jul 2025
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Edseco Limited Trading as The Education People23 Jul 2025 – 31 Mar 2027 · up to 31 Mar 2030Extensions: There will be potential for extension period(s) of up to a total of 3 years (36 months). Any extension period taken will be subject to satisfactory performance of the contract, and continued delivery of the DWP Connect to Work Programme. · Options: The anticipated contract value (based on indicative participant numbers, and all potential extensions) is £15,292,224. The Council reserves the right to modify these contracts to include additional participant volumes, and/or additional service areas in the following circumstances: There has been a supplier failure within another lot area(s) within Kent and Medway An awarded supplier has declined to deliver further services under this programme, or is unable to meet the specified participant targets within their lot area(s) Additional Connect to Work Funding is made available by DWP for Kent and Medway Local government reorganisation changes to current Council/district boundaries necessitate amendment of specified contract areas and volumes Should additional service areas or additional participant volumes be awarded via a contract modification process, the total estimated value of this lot could range from £15,292,224 up to c£32,000,000.£15,292,224 inc. VAT10 Jul 2025Awarded

Contracts

  • Contract 1 · Edseco Limited Trading as The Education People

    Signed
    23 Jul 2025
    Value
    £15,292,224 inc. VAT
    Period
    23 Jul 2025 – 31 Mar 2027 · up to 31 Mar 2030 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    There will be potential for extension period(s) of up to a total of 3 years (36 months). Any extension period taken will be subject to satisfactory performance of the contract, and continued delivery of the DWP Connect to Work Programme.
    Options
    The anticipated contract value (based on indicative participant numbers, and all potential extensions) is £15,292,224. The Council reserves the right to modify these contracts to include additional participant volumes, and/or additional service areas in the following circumstances: There has been a supplier failure within another lot area(s) within Kent and Medway An awarded supplier has declined to deliver further services under this programme, or is unable to meet the specified participant targets within their lot area(s) Additional Connect to Work Funding is made available by DWP for Kent and Medway Local government reorganisation changes to current Council/district boundaries necessitate amendment of specified contract areas and volumes Should additional service areas or additional participant volumes be awarded via a contract modification process, the total estimated value of this lot could range from £15,292,224 up to c£32,000,000.
    3 agreed KPIs: Job Starts · Outcomes (in work participants) · Outcomes (out of work participants)
    • Job Starts
    • Outcomes (in work participants)
    • Outcomes (out of work participants)

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Kent County Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PLDL-8938-YGYW County Hall, Maidstone, South East, ME14 1XQContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • EDSECO LTDAwarded supplierGB-COH: 10970974GB-PPON: PBLN-3559-VBWM 1 Abbey Wood Road, West Malling, South East, ME19 4YTContact email

Official documents & specifications (5)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender
  • Pipeline notice planningPipeline noticeUK1Pipeline notice on Find a Tender