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Published 14 Aug 2026, 15:17 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship and Associated Learning Programmes

Official notice

Authority: Greater Manchester Combined Authority (Local council)

ServicesCompetitive flexible procedureAbove thresholdLight touch regime
Sectors: Education & Training (80) Delivery: North West (UKD3)
Published estimate£22,700,000≈ £2.8m / year · £22,700,000 inc. VAT
Submissions closed 2 Oct 2026
Contract term 8 yrsends 23 Aug 2035 · up to 23 Aug 2037 with extensions · starts 24 Aug 2027

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is undertaling a multi-stage Competitive Flexible Procedure, on behalf of Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), in order to identify a Higher Education Institution to deliver the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) programme for the Force. The programme will be a joint delivery between GMP and the chosen Higher Education Institute (HEI).

  • How the procedure runs: The service being procured is a "light touch" service, as defined in Section 9 of the Procurement Act 2023 and Schedule 1 of the Procurement Regulations 2024. Pursuant to those Regulations, the Authority has elected to follow a competitive Procurement Process akin to the Competitive Flexible Procedure, but this is not to be taken as acceptance by the Authority that any part of the Procurement Act 2023 or Procurement Regulations 2024 applies, other than those parts which apply to light touch contracts. The Competitive Flexible Procedure for this procurement will include 4 stages: 1. Invitation to Participate - Issue of the Invitation to Participate to all HEIs that express an interest. This will contain full details of the requirements, the draft terms and conditions of contract, the Conditions of Participation which HEIs must be able to meet in order to reach the next stage, and a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) for Bidders to complete. HEIs may request clarifications on any matter related to the procurement. GMP will also undertake a further round of site visits, for those who wish to view aspects of the Sedgley Park site. HEIs submit Tender Submissions in response to the Invitation to Participate (ITP) and GMP assesses these, longlisting to a maximum of 6 HEIs based on the scoring methodology outlined in the Invitation to Participate. All Bidders are notified of the outcome of their bid at this stage and provided with relevant feedback in the Assessment Summary. 2. Invitation to Bid - Issue of the Invitation to Bid to the longlisted HEIs, seeking initial proposals via a set of Method Statement questions and a draft pricing schedule. Again, HEIs may request clarifications on any matter related to the procurement. Longlisted HEIs submit Tender Submissions in response to the Invitation to Bid and GMP assesses these, shortlisting to a maximum of 3 HEIs based on the scoring methodology outlined in the Invitation to Bid. All longlisted Bidders are notified of the outcome of their bid at this stage and provided with relevant feedback in the Assessment Summary. 3. Invitation to Dialogue - Shortlisted Bidders are invited to discuss their proposals with GMP, clarifying assumptions by both parties and ensuring a clearer understanding of GMP’s requirements and the HEI proposals ahead of final bids. The number of dialogue sessions and the topics to be discussed will be identified following a review of the bids received. 4. Invitation to Tender - Issue of the Invitation to Tender to the shortlisted HEIs, seeking definitive proposals via a refined set of Method Statement questions and the submission of ‘Best and Final Offers’ in a finalised pricing schedule. Again, HEIs may request clarifications on any matter related to the procurement. Shortlisted HEIs submit Tender Submissions in response to the Invitation to Tender and GMP assesses these, identifying the ‘Preferred Bidder’ based on the scoring methodology outlined in the Invitation to Tender. All shortlisted Bidders are notified of the outcome of their final bid, and provided with relevant feedback in the Assessment Summary, following ratification of the process through GMP governance. This will be followed by a period of due diligence and governance prior to contract signing, including any final discussions required with the selected HEI Provider. Completion of the business case and publication of the UK6 Contract Award Notice. Signing of the contract followed by publication of the UK7 Contract Details Notice.
  • No preliminary market engagement: A UK2 notice has been published under notice identifier 2025/S 000-012934.

CPV: Adult-education services at university level · Higher education services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Renewal 8 yrsPublished value£22,700,000
Contract period: 24 Aug 2027 – 23 Aug 2035 (8 yrs) · up to 23 Aug 2037 with extensionsValue: £22,700,000 exc. VAT · £22,700,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: North West
Extensions: The initial term of 8 years includes the teach out phase of the 3-year apprenticeship programme (i.e. the requirement for in-flight students to complete their qualification with the same provider) and means the initial term of the contract will cover student officer intakes over 5 years. There is an option to extend the contract by a further 2 years, which can be taken as a single extension or in increments. As above, it should be noted that acceptance of the full 2-year extension would increase the duration of the contract to cover intakes over a total of 7 years. Regardless of the total duration of the contract, the final 3 years will see no further intakes and a phased reduction in the number of students, as those already studying complete their qualification.
80300000 Higher education services80430000 Adult-education services at university level
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)3
  • Economic & financial standing

    There are no legal conditions of participation. Bidders must be willing to allow GMCA to undertake an assessment of their financial standing using one or more recognised financial assessment tools.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Any Bidder wishing to Bid for this contract must be able to demonstrate relevant prior experience and equivalent current capabilities against the following Conditions of Participation:

    a) Hold taught degree awarding powers (TDAPs)

    b) Hold Main Provider status on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR)

    c) Have experience of administering and delivering degree-level apprenticeship programmes or equivalent, as well as delivery of apprenticeships at other qualification levels

    d) Have experience of delivering a qualification face-to-face at a site external to their own estate.

    e) Comply with the QAA’s UK Quality Code for Higher Education requirements.

    f) Have a current Ofsted rating of ‘good’ or better under the old grading system, or ‘expected standard’ or better under the new grading system.

  • Condition of participation

    The selection criteria are outlined in full in the Invitation to Participate, including the number of participants that will be longlisted and shortlisted at different stages of the procurement process.

    shortlisting

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
How bids were scored
Quality: 70%Price: 30%
Published award criteria (2)
  • Quality: Full details of the assessment criteria are available in the Invitation to Participate for this procurement process
  • Price: Assessment will consider the whole life cost of the contract. Full details of the assessment criteria are available in the Invitation to Participate for this procurement process
Conditions of participation3
  • Economic & financial standing

    There are no legal conditions of participation. Bidders must be willing to allow GMCA to undertake an assessment of their financial standing using one or more recognised financial assessment tools.

  • Technical & professional ability

    Any Bidder wishing to Bid for this contract must be able to demonstrate relevant prior experience and equivalent current capabilities against the following Conditions of Participation:

    a) Hold taught degree awarding powers (TDAPs)

    b) Hold Main Provider status on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR)

    c) Have experience of administering and delivering degree-level apprenticeship programmes or equivalent, as well as delivery of apprenticeships at other qualification levels

    d) Have experience of delivering a qualification face-to-face at a site external to their own estate.

    e) Comply with the QAA’s UK Quality Code for Higher Education requirements.

    f) Have a current Ofsted rating of ‘good’ or better under the old grading system, or ‘expected standard’ or better under the new grading system.

  • Condition of participation

    The selection criteria are outlined in full in the Invitation to Participate, including the number of participants that will be longlisted and shortlisted at different stages of the procurement process.

    shortlisting
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 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
Competitive flexible procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Closed
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
14 Aug 2026, 15:17 BST
Last source update
14 Aug 2026, 15:17 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 10 Aug 2027
Authority reference
C20983
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-077776
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Adult-education services at university levelHigher education services
Delivery area
North West (UKD3)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06e4db Find a Tender
How it runs

The service being procured is a "light touch" service, as defined in Section 9 of the Procurement Act 2023 and Schedule 1 of the Procurement Regulations 2024.

Pursuant to those Regulations, the Authority has elected to follow a competitive Procurement Process akin to the Competitive Flexible Procedure, but this is not to be taken as acceptance by the Authority that any part of the Procurement Act 2023 or Procurement Regulations 2024 applies, other than those parts which apply to light touch contracts.

The Competitive Flexible Procedure for this procurement will include 4 stages:

  1. Invitation to Participate - Issue of the Invitation to Participate to all HEIs that express an interest. This will contain full details of the requirements, the draft terms and conditions of contract, the Conditions of Participation which HEIs must be able to meet in order to reach the next stage, and a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) for Bidders to complete. HEIs may request clarifications on any matter related to the procurement. GMP will also undertake a further round of site visits, for those who wish to view aspects of the Sedgley Park site. HEIs submit Tender Submissions in response to the Invitation to Participate (ITP) and GMP assesses these, longlisting to a maximum of 6 HEIs based on the scoring methodology outlined in the Invitation to Participate. All Bidders are notified of the outcome of their bid at this stage and provided with relevant feedback in the Assessment Summary.
  2. Invitation to Bid - Issue of the Invitation to Bid to the longlisted HEIs, seeking initial proposals via a set of Method Statement questions and a draft pricing schedule. Again, HEIs may request clarifications on any matter related to the procurement. Longlisted HEIs submit Tender Submissions in response to the Invitation to Bid and GMP assesses these, shortlisting to a maximum of 3 HEIs based on the scoring methodology outlined in the Invitation to Bid. All longlisted Bidders are notified of the outcome of their bid at this stage and provided with relevant feedback in the Assessment Summary.
  3. Invitation to Dialogue - Shortlisted Bidders are invited to discuss their proposals with GMP, clarifying assumptions by both parties and ensuring a clearer understanding of GMP’s requirements and the HEI proposals ahead of final bids. The number of dialogue sessions and the topics to be discussed will be identified following a review of the bids received.
  4. Invitation to Tender - Issue of the Invitation to Tender to the shortlisted HEIs, seeking definitive proposals via a refined set of Method Statement questions and the submission of ‘Best and Final Offers’ in a finalised pricing schedule. Again, HEIs may request clarifications on any matter related to the procurement. Shortlisted HEIs submit Tender Submissions in response to the Invitation to Tender and GMP assesses these, identifying the ‘Preferred Bidder’ based on the scoring methodology outlined in the Invitation to Tender. All shortlisted Bidders are notified of the outcome of their final bid, and provided with relevant feedback in the Assessment Summary, following ratification of the process through GMP governance.

This will be followed by a period of due diligence and governance prior to contract signing, including any final discussions required with the selected HEI Provider. Completion of the business case and publication of the UK6 Contract Award Notice. Signing of the contract followed by publication of the UK7 Contract Details Notice.

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: Atamis (Health Family) · Who buys & how to bid on Atamis
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free · one account PER buying organisation portal · password resets come "from Salesforce.com" (check spam)
Requests to participate (first stage)
2 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission deadline
2 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline
23 Sept 2026, 18:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Interested parties are required to upload and submit their response to the Invitation to Participate, including the documents and sections outlined in Section 9.9.1 of the Invitation to Participate.

Tender Submissions will only be accepted when submitted through the e-Tendering portal - atamis-7459.my.site.com/s/Welcome ↗ - before the relevant deadline for the stage in question.

Timeline

14 Aug 2026 → 24 Aug 2027 · 5 dates
  1. Tender notice published73 days ago
    14 Aug 2026, 15:17 BST
  2. Clarification questions by33 days ago
    23 Sept 2026, 18:00 BST
  3. Submission deadline25 days ago
    2 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
  4. Today
    27 Oct 2026
  5. Award decision expected byin 287 days
    10 Aug 2027, 23:59 BST
  6. Contract startsin 300 days
    24 Aug 2027, 00:00 BST

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender
  1. Tender notice published
    14 Aug 2026, 15:17 BST
    UK4

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PXBN-3793-LCTQ 56 Oxford Street, Manchester, North West, M1 6EUContact name, email

Official documents & specifications (1)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender