Find a TenderOpen admission
Published 2 Oct 2023, 11:00 BST

Official UK procurement notice

DPS for Skills and Investment Grant Funding

Authority: Worcestershire County Council (Local council)

Dynamic market5 lotsServicesRestricted procedure
Dynamic market estimate£25,000,000total for 5 lots · market-wide estimate, not attributable revenue
Admission open until 30 Sept 202817:00 BST · period end, not a bid countdown
Lots 5see the lot list below
Market period 4 yrs 11 moends 30 Sept 2028 · extension options published · starts 14 Nov 2023

What is being bought5 lots · detail below

Published requirement description

Worcestershire County Council is putting in place a DPS for Skills and Investment Grant Funding. The Council's Investment in Skills Team aims to help people into employment and to work towards improving skills in the county. The scope of the projects delivered by the Investment in Skills Team can vary in context, value and duration but, collectively, and over time they support the goals of the Team which is funded by various grant providers such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Department for Education, etc . The Team commissions the knowledge and skills of externally qualified, licensed and experienced providers to work on a variety of training projects as and when required to meet requirements. There are 5 Categories: Category 1 Employability and Skills, Category 2 Education, Category 3 Digital, Category 4 Consultancy and Category 5 Health and Wellbeing.

CPV: Education and training services · Higher education services

How this dynamic market works

From the published notice
Type
Dynamic market
Market period
4 yrs 11 mo from 14 Nov 2023

Lots and requirements (5)Procurement structure

5 lots · no lot values published
Lot #1Lot / Category 1 Employability and SkillsRenewal 4 yrs 11 mo

Training for people to build up sector-specific skills and/or upskill to help people gain skills for life, help support skills demands in their local area, and ultimately help people to get into employment and have the opportunity for a progression within their current job.

Contract period: 14 Nov 2023 – 30 Sept 2028 (4 yrs 11 mo)
Delivery: West Midlands
Extensions: Dependent on performance of the DPS and SuppliersVariant bids: not allowed

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #2Lot / Category 2 EducationRenewal 4 yrs 11 mo

Training and support to help adults improve their numeracy skills in everyday life and boost their employment prospects.

Contract period: 14 Nov 2023 – 30 Sept 2028 (4 yrs 11 mo)
Delivery: West Midlands
Extensions: Dependent on performance of DPS and Suppliers.Variant bids: not allowed

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #3Lot / Category 3 DigitialRenewal 4 yrs 11 mo

Developing digital tools to support various projects.

Contract period: 14 Nov 2023 – 30 Sept 2028 (4 yrs 11 mo)
Delivery: West Midlands
Extensions: Dependent on performance of DPS and suppliers.Variant bids: not allowed

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #4Lot / Category 4 ConsultancyRenewal 4 yrs 11 mo

Advice and support for businesses in the county via curriculum development, workforce planning, and supported internship. The aim will be to support businesses with growth and competitive advantage by fulfilling their staffing/skills needs.

Contract period: 14 Nov 2023 – 30 Sept 2028 (4 yrs 11 mo)
Delivery: West Midlands
Extensions: Dependent on performance of DPS and suppliers.Variant bids: not allowed

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

Lot #5Lot / Category 5 Health and WellbeingRenewal 4 yrs 11 mo

Training, advice and guidance to support health and wellbeing, and to improve confidence, resilience, motivation, social integration with the goal of empowering people to achieve their true employment potential.

Contract period: 14 Nov 2023 – 30 Sept 2028 (4 yrs 11 mo)
Delivery: West Midlands
Extensions: Dependent on performance of DPS and suppliers.Variant bids: not allowed

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

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
What this means for your bid
  • “DPS for Skills and Investment Grant Funding” is a dynamic market: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.

Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid

How Worcestershire County Council buys Higher education services (CPV 8030), and who usually turns up

Worcestershire County Council’s own published record, next to the published market for the same work. This notice is a framework or DPS, so only frameworks and DPS are compared. Whole-market view: Higher education services (CPV 8030) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.

Question for the bid
This buyerWorcestershire County Council · all categories
The marketHigher education services (CPV 8030) · West Midlands
What to do with it
How often do SMEs win?
i

How often small and medium firms win.

Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.

The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 1 of 5 known-size awards · market: division 80 · West Midlands, n=35
20%54%

Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.

How often do local suppliers win?
i

How often local firms win similar work.

Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.

Here, local means registered in West Midlands.

A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 3 of 6 known-location awards · market: division 80 · West Midlands, n=44
50%43%

Most of this buyer’s recorded winners are registered in West Midlands.

How long to a decision?
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the deadline to the first award notice, on competitions that published both dates.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 14 decided notices · market: division 80 · West Midlands, n=9
40 days49 days

Half of these awards were announced within 40 days of the bid deadline.

How often single-bid or direct?
i

How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.

Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.

Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.

Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: at least 2 of 5 procurements with awards had no recorded rival · market: division 80 · West Midlands, n=19
40%21%

Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.

How many bids did past lots attract?

i

How many bids past lots received.

Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.

Past bids do not predict this tender.

Last 36 months.

This buyer10 lots with bid counts · all categories
10% had one bid
The market42 lots with bid counts · division 80 · West Midlands
7% had one bid
Buyer / market · select a colour for counts
1 bid10% / 7%
Buyer: 1 of 10 lots with published bid counts. Market: 3 of 42 lots with published bid counts.
2–310% / 24%
Buyer: 1 of 10 lots with published bid counts. Market: 10 of 42 lots with published bid counts.
4–610% / 24%
Buyer: 1 of 10 lots with published bid counts. Market: 10 of 42 lots with published bid counts.
7+70% / 45%
Buyer: 7 of 10 lots with published bid counts. Market: 19 of 42 lots with published bid counts.

How did awards compare with estimates?

i

Where winning prices landed against estimates.

Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.

On a framework or DPS, prices are agreed when work is called off.

Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.

Last 36 months.

Not comparable on a framework or DPS. The notice sets up a supplier panel and a ceiling value; what the work actually costs is agreed later, on each call-off or mini-competition, and those publish as contract notices of their own. The award-vs-estimate record of this market therefore sits on the call-offs; this page shows it on the contracts, not on the panel that frames them.

2

Assess each lot
i

What past awards tell you about each lot.

See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.

No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.

Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list

Lot #1Lot / Category 1 Employability and SkillsCPV 8030000059 monthsEstimate not published
Expected competition
i

How many bids this lot may attract.

The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.

Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

6expected bids10% chance of a single bid
forecast from 1 past contest
Forecast chances for this lot
1 bid10%
Chance this lot gets 1 bid: 10%. This is a forecast.
2–312%
Chance this lot gets 2–3: 12%. This is a forecast.
4–613%
Chance this lot gets 4–6: 13%. This is a forecast.
7+65%
Chance this lot gets 7+: 65%. This is a forecast.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the award price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

No comparable awards for this lot yet.

A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.

—Priced at call-off
On a framework or DPS the price is agreed on each call-off, so there is no award price to forecast here: the published figure is a ceiling.

Who has supplied this buyer on similar work?
i

Who has done similar work for this buyer.

Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.

A past supplier may not bid again.

No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.

Who could compete for this lot?
i

Who could compete for this lot?

Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.

None is confirmed as a bidder.

Restricted route (Stage 2 ITT / Shortlist): Bidding is restricted to invited candidates who qualified at Stage 1. Uninvited suppliers cannot participate in this round.
SupplierWon in this categoryLive contractsAward vs estimate
1 win in West Midlands9 panel places
£3.0m25 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago7 live · £31m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=3
£355k3 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago1 live · £100k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

no comparable pairs
1 panel places
£625k1 awards in 36m · last 22 months agoNone on fileno comparable pairs
1 win in West Midlands1 panel places
1 awards in 36m · last 33 months agoNone on fileno comparable pairs
2 panel places
1 awards in 36m · last 27 months agoNone on fileno comparable pairs
Lot #2Lot / Category 2 EducationCPV 8030000059 monthsEstimate not published
Expected competition
i

How many bids this lot may attract.

The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.

Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

6expected bids11% chance of a single bid
forecast from 1 past contest
Forecast chances for this lot
1 bid11%
Chance this lot gets 1 bid: 11%. This is a forecast.
2–312%
Chance this lot gets 2–3: 12%. This is a forecast.
4–614%
Chance this lot gets 4–6: 14%. This is a forecast.
7+63%
Chance this lot gets 7+: 63%. This is a forecast.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the award price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

No comparable awards for this lot yet.

A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.

—Priced at call-off
On a framework or DPS the price is agreed on each call-off, so there is no award price to forecast here: the published figure is a ceiling.

Who has supplied this buyer on similar work?
i

Who has done similar work for this buyer.

Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.

A past supplier may not bid again.

No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.

Who could compete for this lot?
i

Who could compete for this lot?

Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.

None is confirmed as a bidder.

Restricted route (Stage 2 ITT / Shortlist): Bidding is restricted to invited candidates who qualified at Stage 1. Uninvited suppliers cannot participate in this round.
SupplierWon in this categoryLive contractsAward vs estimate
1 win in West Midlands9 panel places
£3.0m25 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago7 live · £31m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=3
1 win in West Midlands3 panel places
£4.6m6 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago3 live · £8.1m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

8% above n=2
£355k3 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago1 live · £100k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

no comparable pairs
2 panel places
1 awards in 36m · last 27 months agoNone on fileno comparable pairs
1 panel places
2 awards in 36m · last 30 months agoNone on fileno comparable pairs
Lot #3Lot / Category 3 DigitialCPV 8030000059 monthsEstimate not published
Expected competition
i

How many bids this lot may attract.

The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.

Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

6expected bids8% chance of a single bid
forecast from 1 past contest
Forecast chances for this lot
1 bid8%
Chance this lot gets 1 bid: 8%. This is a forecast.
2–314%
Chance this lot gets 2–3: 14%. This is a forecast.
4–611%
Chance this lot gets 4–6: 11%. This is a forecast.
7+67%
Chance this lot gets 7+: 67%. This is a forecast.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the award price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

No comparable awards for this lot yet.

A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.

—Priced at call-off
On a framework or DPS the price is agreed on each call-off, so there is no award price to forecast here: the published figure is a ceiling.

Who has supplied this buyer on similar work?
i

Who has done similar work for this buyer.

Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.

A past supplier may not bid again.

No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.

Who could compete for this lot?
i

Who could compete for this lot?

Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.

None is confirmed as a bidder.

Restricted route (Stage 2 ITT / Shortlist): Bidding is restricted to invited candidates who qualified at Stage 1. Uninvited suppliers cannot participate in this round.
SupplierWon in this categoryLive contractsAward vs estimate
1 win in West Midlands9 panel places
£3.0m25 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago7 live · £31m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=3
£355k3 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago1 live · £100k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

no comparable pairs
£18k1 awards in 36m · last 5 months ago1 live · £18k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

no comparable pairs
1 win in West Midlands2 panel places
2 awards in 36m · last 3 months ago2 live · £1.2m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

no comparable pairs
1 panel places
£625k1 awards in 36m · last 22 months agoNone on fileno comparable pairs
Lot #4Lot / Category 4 ConsultancyCPV 8030000059 monthsEstimate not published
Expected competition
i

How many bids this lot may attract.

The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.

Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

6expected bids10% chance of a single bid
forecast from 1 past contest
Forecast chances for this lot
1 bid10%
Chance this lot gets 1 bid: 10%. This is a forecast.
2–312%
Chance this lot gets 2–3: 12%. This is a forecast.
4–614%
Chance this lot gets 4–6: 14%. This is a forecast.
7+63%
Chance this lot gets 7+: 63%. This is a forecast.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the award price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

No comparable awards for this lot yet.

A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.

—Priced at call-off
On a framework or DPS the price is agreed on each call-off, so there is no award price to forecast here: the published figure is a ceiling.

Who has supplied this buyer on similar work?
i

Who has done similar work for this buyer.

Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.

A past supplier may not bid again.

No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.

Who could compete for this lot?
i

Who could compete for this lot?

Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.

None is confirmed as a bidder.

Restricted route (Stage 2 ITT / Shortlist): Bidding is restricted to invited candidates who qualified at Stage 1. Uninvited suppliers cannot participate in this round.
SupplierWon in this categoryLive contractsAward vs estimate
4 panel places
£1.8m35 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago14 live · £4.7m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

no comparable pairs
1 win in West Midlands1 panel places
1 awards in 36m · last 33 months agoNone on fileno comparable pairs
2 panel places
1 awards in 36m · last 27 months agoNone on fileno comparable pairs
4 panel places
1 awards in 36m · last 32 months agoNone on fileno comparable pairs
1 panel places
—None on fileno comparable pairs
Lot #5Lot / Category 5 Health and WellbeingCPV 8030000059 monthsEstimate not published
Expected competition
i

How many bids this lot may attract.

The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.

Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

6expected bids10% chance of a single bid
forecast from 1 past contest
Forecast chances for this lot
1 bid10%
Chance this lot gets 1 bid: 10%. This is a forecast.
2–312%
Chance this lot gets 2–3: 12%. This is a forecast.
4–612%
Chance this lot gets 4–6: 12%. This is a forecast.
7+66%
Chance this lot gets 7+: 66%. This is a forecast.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the award price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

No comparable awards for this lot yet.

A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.

—Priced at call-off
On a framework or DPS the price is agreed on each call-off, so there is no award price to forecast here: the published figure is a ceiling.

Who has supplied this buyer on similar work?
i

Who has done similar work for this buyer.

Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.

A past supplier may not bid again.

No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.

Who could compete for this lot?
i

Who could compete for this lot?

Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.

None is confirmed as a bidder.

Restricted route (Stage 2 ITT / Shortlist): Bidding is restricted to invited candidates who qualified at Stage 1. Uninvited suppliers cannot participate in this round.
SupplierWon in this categoryLive contractsAward vs estimate
Buyer regular2 wins in West Midlands
£213m17 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago3 live · £653k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

4% above n=1
Buyer regular
£17m6 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago1 live · £100k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

no comparable pairs
1 win in West Midlands2 panel places
£6.7m28 awards in 36m · last this month8 live · £74m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

4% above n=2
1 win in West Midlands1 panel places
£5.6m11 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago4 live · £70m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

13% above n=4
1 win in West Midlands1 panel places
1 awards in 36m · last 33 months agoNone on fileno comparable pairs
About this data
  • Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
  • Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
  • Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
  • Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Restricted procedure
Legal basis
CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Open admission
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Dynamic market
Who may use this agreement
Any qualifying supplier may apply while the market is open
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
No (one-off requirement)
First published
2 Oct 2023, 11:00 BST
Last source update
2 Oct 2023, 11:00 BST
Authority reference
CFC/3477/2023
FTS notice number
2023/S 000-028925
Classification (CPV)
Education and training servicesHigher education services
Delivery area
West Midlands (UKG12)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-040703 Find a Tender

How to participate & submission route

Official notice Apply via In-tend
Submission portal named on this notice: In-tend · Who buys & how to bid on In-tend
Supplier login requiredLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · one account per buying organisation's portal · reCAPTCHA on signup
Requests to participate (first stage)
—
Admission period ends
30 Sept 2028, 17:00 BST
Clarification deadline
—
Submission channel
{"electronicSubmission","written"}
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Timeline

2 Oct 2023 → 30 Sept 2028 · 3 dates
  1. Notice published
    2 Oct 2023, 11:00 BST
  2. Contract starts
    14 Nov 2023
  3. Today
    22 Oct 2026
  4. Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown
    30 Sept 2028, 17:00 BST

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Nothing awarded yet
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Worcestershire County Council

Contracting authorityLocal CouncilRegional or local authorityGeneral public services County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester , West Midlands, WR5 2NPContact name, email Published organisation website ↗

Dispute resolution & review bodies

  • High Court of England, Wales and Northern Ireland Review body London

Official documents & specifications

Official links; attachments are not copied

No document links were published on the notice; the tender pack is on the portal.