Contract award notice
Results of the procurement procedure
Section I: Contracting
entity
I.1) Name and addresses
Ministry of Justice
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
UK
Telephone: +44 02033343555
E-mail: Commercial-prisoneducationservice@justice.gov.uk
NUTS: UK
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.justice.gov.uk
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Prisoner Education Services Core Education Lot 10: West Midlands
II.1.2) Main CPV code
75231200
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
This notice is for the award of Lot 10: West Midlands.
The Prisoner Education Services (PES) is a UK government initiative with three overarching strategic priorities - improving prisoner numeracy and literacy skills, incentivizing prisoners to improve their qualifications and skills to increase their prospects of finding work on release, and ensuring that Governors and their teams have the knowledge, tools, support and accountabilities that they need to make this work. PES seeks to transform learning in jails as part of a renewed push to skill up offenders and protect the public.
PES Core Education will include teaching and delivery of a two-layered curriculum for independence and for opportunity which meets the needs of prisoners, as well as high quality, timely screening and assessment delivery and tailored and impactful additional learning needs support.
The Ministry of Justice launched the PES Panel to reform how education is delivered across the adult prison estate in England. The first call-offs under this framework focused on Core Education Services, including teaching and delivery of a two-layered curriculum for independence (essential subjects such as English, Maths, digital skills) and curriculum for opportunity, which meets the needs of prisoners.
The Core Education contracts also include high quality, timely screening and assessment delivery; tailored and impactful additional learning needs support; and (where applicable) prison library services. The contracts are split into 11 regional lots and aim to provide a consistent, high-quality education offer that supports rehabilitation, reduces reoffending, and improves employability and resettlement outcomes for prisoners.
The procurement was conducted under the Open Procedure in accordance with the Light Touch Regime of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
Yes
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
80 000 000.00
GBP
II.2) Description
Lot No: 10
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
75231200
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UK
Main site or place of performance:
West Midlands
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Ministry of Justice launched the PES Panel to reform how education is delivered across the adult prison estate in England. The first call-offs under this framework focused on Core Education Services, including teaching and delivery of a two-layered curriculum for independence (essential subjects such as English, Maths, digital skills) and for opportunity which meets the needs of prisoners. The Core Education contracts also include high quality, timely screening and assessment delivery, tailored and impactful additional learning needs support, and (where applicable) prison library services. The contracts are split into 11 regional lots and aim to provide a consistent, high-quality education offer that supports rehabilitation, reduces reoffending, and improves employability and resettlement outcomes for prisoners.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion: Scenario based question
/ Weighting: 18
Quality criterion: Vision
/ Weighting: 15
Quality criterion: Curriculum
/ Weighting: 12
Quality criterion: Workforce
/ Weighting: 10
Quality criterion: Quality Assurance and Improvement
/ Weighting: 9
Quality criterion: Mobilisation
/ Weighting: 8
Quality criterion: Screening and Assessment
/ Weighting: 7
Quality criterion: Inclusion and Equality
/ Weighting: 6
Quality criterion: Collaboration
/ Weighting: 5
Quality criterion: Social Value (Tackling economic inequality)
/ Weighting: 10
Cost criterion: Quality / Price Score
/ Weighting: 100
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Restricted procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
No
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2023/S 000-027125
Section V: Award of contract
Lot No: 10
Title: Prisoner Education Services Core Education Lot 10: West Midlands
A contract/lot is awarded:
Yes
V.2 Award of contract
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
16/04/2026
V.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 2
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 2
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators:
No
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
LTE Group (trading as Novus)
Whitworth House, Ashton Old Road
Manchester
M11 2WH
UK
NUTS: UK
The contractor is an SME:
No
V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot:
: 80 000 000.00
GBP
V.2.5) Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3) Additional information
Linked to the following Contracts Finder notice with redacted contract: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/8389f845-f4c0-4c0b-b035-cae2143359ae
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice, Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
27/04/2026