TVCA-PROC-0911 - Adult Skills Fund 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29

This Lot is for the delivery of high-quality English, maths and digital entitlement provision for Tees Valley residents aged 19 and over who need to develop their essential skills for everyday life, further learning and employment.

Provision must include the full range of government-approved qualifications, from Entry Level to Level 2, enabling learners to access the most appropriate starting point and progress through clear learning pathways as their skills, confidence and aspirations develop.

Delivery should be designed to engage adults who have low prior attainment, limited confidence in learning, or other barriers to participation. Providers must support learners to achieve positive outcomes, including progression into further learning, employment and improved outcomes in work.

Funding through this Lot is additional to the provision already delivered by Tees Valley's grant-funded providers. Successful Bidders will therefore be expected to work collaboratively with grant-funded providers and relevant local partners to ensure that provision complements existing services, avoids unnecessary duplication, and maximises participation and access across the Tees Valley.

The primary objectives of this Lot are to:

• Re-engage adults who have previously had negative educational experiences or who have been disengaged from learning.
• Enable adults to gain the essential English, maths and digital skills needed to participate confidently in everyday life and the workplace.
• Build learners' confidence, motivation and readiness to progress into further learning, apprenticeships, employment or improved in-work opportunities.
• Deliver flexible, accessible and high-quality learning that responds to individual needs and local labour market demand.
• Support learners to progress through qualifications and learning pathways from Entry Level to Level 2.

This Lot is for the delivery of high-quality Level 2 and Level 3 legal entitlement provision for Tees Valley residents aged 19 and over who do not already hold a full qualification at the level being studied.

Provision must support learners to progress into employment, further learning, higher-level study and/or improved outcomes within work. Delivery must be through government-approved qualifications and/or qualifications included on the Tees Valley Flexible Qualifications List.

The funding available through this Lot is additional to the provision already delivered by Tees Valley's grant-funded providers. Successful Bidders will be expected to ensure that their provision complements existing delivery, avoids unnecessary duplication, and maximises opportunities for Tees Valley residents to access learning and progress.

This Lot provides a universal offer for adults aged 19 and over who are unemployed and actively seeking work.

Provision delivered through this Lot must equip learners with the skills needed to secure, sustain and progress in employment. This includes:

• Essential skills, including English, maths and digital skills;
• Essential employment skills (as set out in Appendix 3); and
• Sector-specific technical skills aligned to local labour market opportunities and employer demand.

The Pathways to Employment programme is intended to support the Government's ambition to increase the employment rate to 80% by 2035 and to contribute to reducing unemployment across the Tees Valley.

Where bidders propose to include essential skills provision (English, maths and digital) as part of a Pathways to Employment programme, they must submit a separate funding request under Lot 1: Legal Entitlements (English, Maths and Digital). Any such request must meet the minimum contract value specified for that Lot.

Providers must ensure that learners who are not yet ready to enter employment on completion of their initial programme are supported to continue their learning journey. This should include access to further skills development, qualifications and progression opportunities that move learners closer to sustainable employment.

Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) is seeking providers to deliver collaborative, employer-led Skills Bootcamps that respond directly to identified skills shortages and workforce needs within the Tees Valley.

Skills Bootcamps must be developed in partnership with employers and aligned to one or more of TVCA's priority sectors:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Clean Energy
• Digital, Creative and Culture
• Life Sciences and Biomanufacturing
• Chemical Process Industries
• Foundational Economy
• Construction
• Business Start-up and Scale-up
• Building Smarter Businesses

Bidders must demonstrate clear and evidenced employer demand for their proposed Skills Bootcamp, including the skills gaps and recruitment challenges identified by participating employers.

Skills Bootcamps must support Tees Valley residents aged 19 and over to:

• Move into sustainable employment;
• Secure improved employment outcomes, including progression into self-employment;
• Progress within their current role through upskilling; or
• Access new employment opportunities created through workforce development, including backfill vacancies arising from employee progression.

Bidders must clearly demonstrate how employers have been involved in the design and delivery of the programme and how this collaboration will enable learners to secure, sustain and progress in employment while meeting the workforce needs of local businesses.