Official UK procurement notice
Employability Flexible Framework · UK public procurement notice
Authority: Stirling Council (Local council)·Consortium: 2 public authorities
What is being bought3 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionStirling Council and Clackmannanshire Council are seeking to award a flexible framework for the provision of employability support services. There will be three separate lots.
This application is for: (1) providers who have not previously been awarded onto the framework and would like to apply; or (2) providers who have already been awarded a position on one or two of the lots on the framework and would like to apply to join a lot that they haven't been previously awarded onto.
- Recurrence: This is a flexible framework so applications may reopen again over the course of the term.
CPV: Computer-user familiarisation and training services · Education and training services · Job search services · Personal development training services · Social work and related services · Specialist training services · Training programme services · Training services · Vocational training services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Places
- up to 50 suppliers · 23 bids on the busiest of 3 lots (0.5 per place) · 23 appointed
Lots and requirements (3)Procurement structure
3 lots · no lot values published · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Engagement and Barrier RemovalCancelled
Providers will be required to demonstrate significant levels of understanding and experience in successfully identifying the barriers that affect people’s participation in employability support, together with detail around a range of strategies and approaches that they would then employ to help people tackle barriers. Providers should also be able to demonstrate the impact of the support that their work has had on participants.
This will cover Stages 1 and 2 of the Employability Pipeline. Additional information: 11.2.10 (Variants)- Owing to the vastness of employability services, variants may be required.
Lot #2Vocational Training and Work Related SkillsCancelled
Providers will be required to demonstrate a range of experience in delivering pre-employment training opportunities. This may include those in specific sectors like hospitality, tourism, construction and social care. Any experience of delivering work experience opportunities should clearly show how these prepare people for work, and how they support individuals to build a work ethic.
This will cover Stages 3 and 4 of the Employability Pipeline. Additional information: 11.2.10 (Variants) - Owing to the vastness of employability services, variants may be required.
Lot #3In-Work Support and Work Based TrainingCancelled
Providers will be required to demonstrate a track record of supporting people to retain employment, along with an ability to build meaningful relationship with employers (and the wider workforce), supporting both employers and participants to find creative solutions to difficult work place situations which may arise and be able to detail how these approaches have supported job sustainment.
This will cover Stage 5 of the Employability Pipeline. Additional information: 11.2.10 (Variants) - Owing to the vastness of employability services, variants may be required.
What 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 sub-criteria (9)
- MS1 Project Team: 20%
- MS2 Programme Delivery: 20%
- MS3 Contract Management: 20%
- MS4 Risk Management: 10%
- MS5 Added Value and Innovation: 10%
- MS7 Health and Safety: 5%
- MS8 Community Benefits: 5%
- MS9 Fair Working Practices: 5%
- MS6 Sustainability: 5%
Published award criteria (10)
- MS1 Project Team: 20
- MS2 Programme Delivery: 20
- MS3 Contract Management: 20
- MS4 Risk Management: 10
- MS5 Added Value and Innovation: 10
- MS6 Sustainability: 5
- MS7 Health and Safety: 5
- MS8 Community Benefits: 5
- MS9 Fair Working Practices: 5
- Price: 0
- Economic & financial standing
Tenderers are required to hold, or commit to obtaining prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded call-off contractS through the framework, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:
a. Employers (Compulsory) Liability Insurance - GBP10m
b. Public Liability Insurance - GBP5m
c. Professional Indemnity - GBP2m
In order to protect the interests of both your organisation and Stirling Council, we will undertake a financial standing check on your organisation, and reserve the right not to take your application further should you not meet our requirements for this commission.
- Technical & professional ability
Tenderers will be required to provide two examples of services carried out in the past three years that demonstrate that they have the relevant experience to deliver the work. This will be reviewed by the procurement lead and will not be seen by the evaluation panel. Feel free to make the examples concise and bullet pointed.
- “Employability Flexible Framework” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 50 suppliers, not a single contract.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · This is a flexible framework so applications may reopen again over the course of the term.
- First published
- 2 Dec 2025, 16:05 GMT
- Last source update
- 25 Sept 2026, 14:49 BST
- Award evaluation window
- 16 Jan 2026 – …
- Authority reference
SC2324-0174- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-091066- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05ed43Find a Tender
Publisher note: This is only an award notice for the 2026 intake of providers being added to the approved provider list. This is not a new contract notice. If you are already on the employability framework, there is no action required from you. (SC Ref:836855)
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 19 Jan 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
- Bid validity
- 150 days from the deadline
- Bids opened
- 16 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
Timeline
16 Jan 2026 → 25 Sept 2026 · 3 dates- Bids opened280 days ago16 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Admission / appointment period ends277 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown19 Jan 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Notice published28 days ago25 Sept 2026, 14:49 BST
Notice history
2 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 12 Jan 2026- Deadline moved to 19 Jan 2026, 17:00 GMT12 Jan 2026, 10:52 GMT+3 days · was 16 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Status changed to complete25 Sept 2026, 14:49 BST
Published amendments (1 · 1 deadline change)
| When | What | Before | After | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | DeadlineTime limit · IV.2.2 | 16 Jan 2026 | 19 Jan 2026 | +3 d |
| — | Bid openingConditions for opening of tenders · IV.2.7 | 16 Jan 2026 | 19 Jan 2026 | +3 d |
Moving the deadline from 12pm Friday 16/1 to 5pm Monday 19/1 due to a staff absence on Friday.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast3 suppliers are admitted to this framework without individual award values or dates, see the supplier list below.
Contracts
All 3 of these contracts carry the same published figure, £2,333,333, the framework's maximum for the whole notice, not each contract's own value. They are not eleven separate sums.
In-Work Support and Work Based Training
- Signed
- 10 Mar 2026
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Engagement and Barrier Removal
- Signed
- 10 Mar 2026
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Vocational Training and Work Related Skills
- Signed
- 10 Mar 2026
- Value
- ceiling above
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Engagement and Barrier Removal | 23bids · 23 electronic · 23 from abroad | 21 | — | — |
| 2 · Vocational Training and Work Related Skills | 14bids · 14 electronic · 14 from abroad | 14 | — | — |
| 3 · In-Work Support and Work Based Training | 5bids · 5 electronic · 5 from abroad | 4 | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeConsortium members and other public bodies
- Clackmannanshire CouncilContracting authority
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Stirling Sheriff CourtReview body
Framework contractors & participating bidders
23 commercial parties on the notice- ACTS Scotland (CiC)Framework contractor
- Apex ScotlandFramework contractor
- Carr GommFramework contractor
- Change Mental Health LtdFramework contractor
- Dynamic Community Fusion CICFramework contractor
- Elementary Spark LtdFramework contractor
- Flosverse Techsphere CICFramework contractor
- Future Fit for BusinessFramework contractor
- Go! Youth TrustFramework contractor
- HSTAR Scotland SCIOFramework contractor
Show 13 more suppliers
- Hub InternationalFramework contractor
- Inclusion ScotlandFramework contractor
- Into WorkFramework contractor
- Launch Exercise TherapyFramework contractor
- Radical Weavers Experiences LtdFramework contractor
- Reachout With Arts In MindFramework contractor
- Salus Return to Work ServicesFramework contractor
- Scotia Training Academy LimitedFramework contractor
- Sinclair Wellbeing and Training Solutions LtdFramework contractor
- Successful Learning Solutions LtdFramework contractor
- The Larder West LothianFramework contractor
- Venture TrustFramework contractor
- Wasp Community ClubFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.