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UK4

Perceptions of Practice Placements on Social Work Courses

  • First published: 11 April 2026
  • Last modified: 11 April 2026
  • Version: N/A
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The buyer is not using this website to administer the notice.

To record your interest or obtain additional information or documents please find instructions within the Full Notice Text. (NOTE: Contract Award Notices and Prior Information Notices do not normally require a response)

Contents

Summary

OCID:
ocds-h6vhtk-067fc7
Published by:
Social Work England
Authority ID:
AA84602
Publication date:
11 April 2026
Deadline date:
07 May 2026
Notice type:
UK4
Has documents:
No
Has SPD:
No
Has Carbon Reduction Plan:
N/A

Abstract

Social Work England is commissioning independent research to strengthen its understanding of practice‑based learning across qualifying routes into social work in England. This work supports Social Work England's role as the regulator of social work education and training, and will inform future regulatory standards, guidance and quality assurance activity.The requirement is for the design and delivery of a mixed‑methods research study exploring perceptions and experiences of practice‑based learning, including statutory and non‑statutory placements. The research will examine issues of placement quality, placement sufficiency and variation across regions, qualifying routes and workforce contexts.The supplier will be expected to engage with a range of stakeholders, which may include education providers, employers, practice educators, placement providers and newly qualified social workers. Research activity is likely to include a combination of desk‑based review and primary research methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups and/or case studies.Key outputs will include a midpoint findings presentation, a final written report suitable for publication, and a final presentation of findings. The supplier must ensure proportionate but robust research governance, inclusive methods, and compliance with ethical standards and UK GDPR.The contract is expected to commence on 19 June 2026 and conclude by 19 December 2026. The estimated value of the contract is £50,000. Full technical requirements are set out in the specification.

Full notice text

Scope

Procurement reference

SWE10611

Procurement description

Social Work England is commissioning independent research to strengthen its understanding of practice‑based learning across qualifying routes into social work in England. This work supports Social Work England's role as the regulator of social work education and training, and will inform future regulatory standards, guidance and quality assurance activity.

The requirement is for the design and delivery of a mixed‑methods research study exploring perceptions and experiences of practice‑based learning, including statutory and non‑statutory placements. The research will examine issues of placement quality, placement sufficiency and variation across regions, qualifying routes and workforce contexts.

The supplier will be expected to engage with a range of stakeholders, which may include education providers, employers, practice educators, placement providers and newly qualified social workers. Research activity is likely to include a combination of desk‑based review and primary research methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups and/or case studies.

Key outputs will include a midpoint findings presentation, a final written report suitable for publication, and a final presentation of findings. The supplier must ensure proportionate but robust research governance, inclusive methods, and compliance with ethical standards and UK GDPR.

The contract is expected to commence on 19 June 2026 and conclude by 19 December 2026. The estimated value of the contract is £50,000. Full technical requirements are set out in the specification.

Main category

Services

Delivery regions

  • UKC - North East (England)
  • UKD - North West (England)
  • UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
  • UKF - East Midlands (England)
  • UKG - West Midlands (England)
  • UKH - East of England
  • UKI - London
  • UKJ - South East (England)
  • UKK - South West (England)

Total value (estimated, excluding VAT)

41666.67 GBP to 41666.67GBP

Contract dates (estimated)

19 June 2026, 00:00AM to 19 December 2026, 23:59PM

Contracting authority

Social Work England

Identification register:

  • GB-PPON

Address 1: 1 North Bank, Blonk Street

Town/City: Sheffield

Postcode: S3 8JY

Country: United Kingdom

Public Procurement Organisation Number: PZYZ-1666-HXBQ

NUTS code: UKE32

Contact name: Andrew Bailey

Email: commercial.team@socialworkengland.org.uk

Organisation type: Public authority - central government

Procedure

Procedure type

Below threshold - open competition

Is the total value above threshold?

Below threshold

Lots

Divided into 1 lots

Lot number: 1

CPV classifications

  • 73110000 - Research services
  • 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
  • 80300000 - Higher education services

Delivery regions

  • UKC - North East (England)
  • UKD - North West (England)
  • UKE - Yorkshire and the Humber
  • UKF - East Midlands (England)
  • UKG - West Midlands (England)
  • UKH - East of England
  • UKI - London
  • UKJ - South East (England)
  • UKK - South West (England)

Lot value (estimated)

41666.67 GBP Excluding VAT

50000 GBP Including VAT

Sustainability

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)

Contract start date (estimated)

19 June 2026, 00:00AM

Contract end date (estimated)

19 December 2026, 23:59PM

Simple description of award criteria

The contract will be awarded on the basis of the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT), using a 70% quality and 30% price evaluation model.

Quality will be assessed through bidders' written responses to the Quality Evaluation Questionnaire and will account for 70% of the total tender score.

Evaluation will consider:

the bidder's understanding of Social Work England's regulatory role and the purpose of the research;

the appropriateness, robustness and feasibility of the proposed research methodology in addressing the specified workstreams;

the quality of project management, delivery plan and risk management; relevant experience, capability and expertise of the proposed team;

the approach to data collection, processing, ethics, inclusivity and data protection; and;

the quality, accessibility and suitability of proposed reporting and outputs.

A minimum overall quality threshold of 50% applies. Any tender failing to meet this threshold will be excluded from further consideration.

Price will account for 30% of the total tender score and will be evaluated based on the total contract price inclusive of VAT, as submitted in the Pricing Schedule. The price score will be calculated using the following formula: (lowest total cost ÷ bidder's total cost) × 30.

The final award decision will be based on the combined quality and price score, with the highest scoring tender recommended for award, subject to completion of due diligence and contract execution.

Submission

Tender submission deadline

06 May 2026, 17:00PM

Enquiry deadline

29 April 2026, 17:00PM

Submission address and any special instructions

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/socialworkengland/aspx/HomeAll submissions must be made through the Social Work England In-Tend e-procurement portal.

May tenders be submitted electronically?

Yes

Documents

ID

L-1

Document type

Bidding documents

ID

L-2

Document type

Technical specifications

Coding

Commodity categories

ID Title Parent category
80300000 Higher education services Education and training services
73200000 Research and development consultancy services Research and development services and related consultancy services
73110000 Research services Research and experimental development services

Delivery locations

ID Description
There are no delivery locations for this notice.

Alert region restrictions

The buyer has restricted the alert for this notice to suppliers based in the following regions.

ID Description
There are no alert restrictions for this notice.

About the buyer

Main contact:
N/a
Admin contact:
N/a
Technical contact:
N/a
Other contact:
N/a

Further information

Date Details
No further information has been uploaded.

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