DNO 513 - Career Switchers

• How the procedure runs: This procedure provides contracting authorities with the opportunity and flexibility to design and undertake a bespoke multi-stage procurement process. The Authority is undertaking a two-stage procurement, stage 1 is seeking expressions of interest, via the completion of a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) from Potential Providers. Following the evaluation of PSQ responses up to four Potential Providers shall be invited to Stage 2, the full Invitiation to Tender (ITT) for each lot.
• No preliminary market engagement: Publishing a PMEN was not deemed necessary as the Authority's requirement is suitably well defined and the competitive flexible procedure is being conducted over two stages, where interested parties will have the opportunity to register their interest and submit a PSQ response.

CPV: Adult-education services at university level · Advertising campaign services · Direct marketing services · World wide web (www) site operation host services

Procedure method

Competitive flexible procedure

Legal basis

UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023

Procurement category

Services

Notice status

Awarded

Procurement threshold

Above threshold (FTS publication)

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Competitive procedure

GPA / WTO covered

Unspecified in notice

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

27 Oct 2025, 16:18 GMT

Last source update

11 Jun 2026, 11:45 BST

Award evaluation window

Submission end – 12 Mar 2026

FTS notice number

2025/S 000-068696

Latest notice

Contract details notice (UK7)

Classification (CPV)

Adult-education services at university levelAdvertising campaign servicesDirect marketing servicesWorld wide web (www) site operation host services

Delivery area

UK

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-05d48e Find a Tender

Contract terms summary

All payments will be made through the Authority's Contracting, Purchasing & Finance (CP&F) system (Exostar) and will be in accordance with future contractual arrangements.

This tender notice is for the award of a public contract through a competitive flexible procedure in accordance with section 20(1) and (2)(b) of the Procurement Act 2023.

The Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) (including Conditions of Participation) is available within DSP and will be used to down-select so that no more than 4 Potential Providers per Lot will be invited to Tender. This will also include the assessment of whether a Potential Provider, its connected persons, associated persons or any intended subcontractors are excluded or excludable persons and whether the Potential Providers are UK Potential Providers under the Procurement Act. A clarification process will be used during the PSQ period to allow Potential Providers to seek clarification from the Authority.

Within the PSQ there are a mix of questions: Pass/Fail, where a Fail in any question will result in exclusion from further participation in the tendering process; and scored Questions.

For those Potential Providers who Pass all of the Pass/Fail questions, their overall technical score will determine their ranking. Those Potential Providers ranking in the top 4 will be invited to Tender.

Where there is a tie at Positions 4 and 5 (or more), the decision on which Potential Provider will be Invited to Tender will be based initially on the highest score on question 1 of the Technical Questions. Where this still results in a tie, the decision will be based on the highest score for question 2. This will continue sequentially down the list of Technical Questions until a Potential Provider is selected for 4th place. If this sequential process does not result in a clear 4th place then the Authority reserves the right to proceed to tender with additional Potential Providers who share equal 4th position.

An Invitation to Tender (ITT) will be issued to those successful at PSQ. A clarification process will be used during the tendering period to allow Potential Providers to seek clarification from the Authority. A summary of the award criteria is in this notice and will be explained in the Tender Evaluation Strategy, which will be published in DSP, with the ITT.

The Authority reserves the right to refine the award criteria before and during the Tender period in accordance with section 24 of the Procurement Act 2023. This may include revision to the scored quality questions including potential revision to the weightings.

The following supplementary processes may be used, with further details set out in the additional tender documents at ITT Stage;

• Clarifications - during the tender evaluation period
• Dialogue
• Potential Provider presentations
• Best and Final Offer
• Preferred Potential Provider Stage - an opportunity to review and apply any economies of scale to pricing where a Potential Provider is awarded multiple lots; and/or to confirm solutions; and/or to finalise the draft contract(s). A review of pricing at this stage does not form part of the tender evaluation process.

The Authority reserves the right to amend the procurement, where such amendment would not be substantial, as follows, including and not limited to;

• amendments to the tender documents which may provide clarification
• refining the specification as the competitive flexible procedure progresses
• reducing timescales.

If any amendments are made, the Authority will consider whether any applicable tender deadlines should be revised, and whether any tender documents or notices need to be re-issued.

Under Section 43 of the Procurement Act 2023, the Authority reserves the right to Direct Award should no suitable tenders or requests to participate be received.

How it runs

This procedure provides contracting authorities with the opportunity and flexibility to design and undertake a bespoke multi-stage procurement process. The Authority is undertaking a two-stage procurement, stage 1 is seeking expressions of interest, via the completion of a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) from Potential Providers. Following the evaluation of PSQ responses up to four Potential Providers shall be invited to Stage 2, the full Invitiation to Tender (ITT) for each lot.

Requests to participate (first stage)

26 Nov 2025, 12:00 GMT

Submission deadline

26 Nov 2025, 12:00 GMT

Clarification deadline

14 Nov 2025, 17:00 GMT

Submission channel

Official e-sourcing portal

Electronic submission

Allowed

Accepted languages

en

• Cogent Skills LimitedAwarded supplierGB-COH: 07806185 1st Floor, 720 Mandarin Court, Warrington, North West, WA1 1GGContact emailShow contact details
• Cogent Skills LimitedAwarded supplierGB-COH: 09361100 First Floor, 720 Mandarin Court, Warrington, North West, WA1 1GGContact emailShow contact details
• Ernst and Young LLPAwarded supplierGB-COH: OC300001 1 More London Place, London, London, SE1 2AFContact emailShow contact details
• MHP Group LimitedAwarded supplierGB-COH: 14106014 60 Great Portland Street, London, London, W1W 7RTContact emailShow contact details
• MTC Operations LimitedAwarded supplierGB-COH: 08707642 Ansty Park, Pilot Way, Coventry, West Midlands, CV7 9JUContact emailShow contact details
• National Skills Academy NuclearAwarded supplierGB-COH: 06423637 The Base, Warrington, North West, WA2 7NGContact emailShow contact details