Official UK procurement notice
Cumbria Connect to Work (CtW) Programme
Authority: Cumberland Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Cumbria Connect to Work Programme has been commissioned for the Cumberland Council and the Westmorland and Furness Council and is being delivered by Enterprising Cumbria for the whole county, an initiative from the Department for Work and Pensions.
Cumberland Council (the Accountable Body for Cumbria Connect to Work Programme) and Westmorland and Furness Council are seeking, through the CtW programme, to break down barriers to employment and provide sustainable job opportunities for individuals with complex needs.
The estimated total value of the contract over the total contract period (including the potential extension periods) is a maximum value of £9,883,966 excluding VAT, but no guarantee is given as to the actual value of the contract.
CPV: Adult and other education services · Equal opportunities consultancy services · General public services · Government services · Provision of services to the community · Recruitment services · Training services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedWhat it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
Published award criteria (3)
- Quality
- Social Value
- Price
- Price carries 5 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 0.5 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
- 4 Jul 2025, 18:08 BST
- Last source update
- 1 Apr 2026, 12:55 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 10 Oct 2025
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-051891- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-055984Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 29 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 16 Sept 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
4 Jul 2025 → 1 Apr 2026 · 11 dates- Planning notice published4 Jul 2025, 18:08 BST
- Market engagement31 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
An engagement session will be held face-to-face in Carlisle on Friday 18th July 2025 at 10am.
To register for this event, visit enterprisingcumbria.org.uk/latest-news-4/2025/c… ↗ or send an email to [email protected] by Tuesday 15th July 2025. Please note only registered attendees will be allowed into the engagement event.
An additional briefing session will be held for those who cannot attend the in-person session. This will be held virtually on Thursday 24th July, 15:30-16:30. If you would to attend, please also email the Registration Form into [email protected] and explicitly state your interest to attend the Virtual Briefing in your email.
A question-and-answer log will be published following the event alongside the slide used at the event. Questions can be sent to use either before the market engagement event, raised at the event, or up to close of business on 24th July, and we will seek to answer all questions either at the event or shortly afterward. Questions after 24th July may not be responded to.
We recognise the burden that maybe placed on smaller local organisations in responding to requests for information from potential Service Coordinators. To help alleviate this,s we
a) will be seeking to build a directory of local services;
b) encourage potential Service Coordinators to use that directory of services as part of any Expression of Interest process they may have.
If you wish your details to be included in a service directory, hosted on Enterprising Cumbria Connect to Work website, please complete and return the service directory form found at enterprisingcumbria.org.uk/cumbria-connect-work… ↗.
Particular suitability
Organisations that can deliver and specifically coordinate the deliver across the whole of Cumbria and all participant groups.
Suitability includes consortiums and joint ventures.
- Next notice expected4 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published28 Aug 2025, 11:48 BST
- Clarification questions by399 days ago16 Sept 2025, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline386 days ago29 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
- Award decision expected by374 days ago10 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent364 days ago21 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST
- Contract starts358 days ago27 Oct 2025
- Standstill ends354 days ago30 Oct 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Latest notice published202 days ago1 Apr 2026, 12:55 BST
Notice history
11 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 4 Jul 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published4 Jul 2025, 18:08 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published17 Jul 2025, 10:26 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published28 Aug 2025, 11:48 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £9,883,96628 Aug 2025, 11:48 BSTwas £10,000,000
- Status changed to active28 Aug 2025, 11:48 BST
- Procurement method changed28 Aug 2025, 11:48 BST
- Deadline published: 29 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST28 Aug 2025, 11:48 BST
- Contract award notice published21 Oct 2025, 16:08 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete21 Oct 2025, 16:08 BST
- Contract signature expected31 Oct 2025, 23:59 GMTscheduled
- Contract details notice published1 Apr 2026, 12:55 BSTUK7
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2025-07: 2 releases · 4 Jul 2025, 17 Jul 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspira 01SME31 Oct 2025 – 31 Mar 2028 · up to 31 Mar 2030Extensions: There is the potential for two contract extensions of up to 12 months each, depending on both the success in achieving the required outcomes and availability of further funding. | £9,883,966 | 21 Oct 2025 | Awarded |
Contracts
Cumbria Connect to Work (CtW) Programme · Inspira 01SME
- Signed
- 20 Jan 2026
- Value
- £9,883,966
- Period
- 20 Jan 2026 – 31 Mar 2028 · up to 31 Mar 2030 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- There is the potential for two contract extensions of up to 12 months each, depending on both the success in achieving the required outcomes and availability of further funding.
4 agreed KPIs: Caseload Management · Delivery Partner return · Performance Indicators [PI] …
- Caseload Management
- Delivery Partner return
- Performance Indicators [PI]
- Social Value
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9final-stage tenders | 4 | 0 | — |
Who bid
- wonINSPIRA (01)SME · North West England
- did not winAJ TRAINING ACADEMY LIMITEDSME · North West England
- did not winASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY & TRAINING LTDSME · Greater London
- did not winFEDCAP EMPLOYMENT LIMITED · North East England
- did not winG4S LIMITED · Greater London
- did not winINGEUS UK LIMITED · Greater London
- did not winSTANDGUIDE LIMITED · North West England
- did not winTHE WISE GROUP · Scotland
- did not winPEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACYSME · North West England
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
Bidders & participating suppliers
9 commercial parties on the notice · 1 awarded- AJ TRAINING ACADEMY LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY & TRAINING LTDBidder / tenderer
- FEDCAP EMPLOYMENT LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- G4S LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- INGEUS UK LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- INSPIRA (01)Awarded supplier
- PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACYBidder / tenderer
- STANDGUIDE LIMITEDBidder / tenderer
- THE WISE GROUPBidder / tenderer
Official documents & specifications (6)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Signed contract Cost and methodology details have been redacted as commercially sensitive under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Section 94(1)(b) of the Procurement Act 2023. Disclosure could prejudice the provider's commercial interests by revealing pricing structures, o…
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender