Pre Employability Projects

Procurement description

The Council is considering the procurement of services to support delivery of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer through targeted, community-based interventions designed to help individuals address the underlying barriers preventing them from entering or returning to employment. The requirement is expected to complement existing employability provision, including Communities for Work Plus, by focusing on people who are economically inactive and furthest from the labour market, particularly those affected by disability, long-term health conditions, caring responsibilities, low confidence, poor wellbeing or other complex and interrelated barriers. Potential provision may include tailored one-to-one and group-based support, mentoring, confidence building, wellbeing-related interventions, skills development, and other locally responsive activities that help individuals move closer to work. The Council is particularly interested in innovative and flexible delivery models that can respond to local need, work collaboratively with existing services and community partners, and demonstrate how support can be designed around the needs of participants rather than a standardised approach. Through this preliminary market engagement, the Council wishes to better understand the range of services available in the market, delivery capacity, potential models for partnership working, and approaches to achieving positive employability and wellbeing outcomes for this client group.

Main category

Services

Delivery regions

• UKL14 - South West Wales

Total value (estimated)

170000.00 GBP Excluding VAT

204000.00 GBP Including VAT

Contract dates (estimated)

01 September 2026, 00:00AM to 31 March 2027, 23:59PM

Carmarthenshire County Council

Is the total value above threshold?

Below threshold

CPV classifications

• 79634000 - Career guidance services
• 85312300 - Guidance and counselling services
• 80500000 - Training services

Delivery regions

• UKL14 - South West Wales

Sustainability

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)

Contract start date (estimated)

01 September 2026, 00:00AM

Contract end date (estimated)

31 March 2027, 23:59PM

Engagement process description

The Council seeks market feedback on:

• The availability of providers with relevant experience in delivering community-based employability, wellbeing, mentoring, or early intervention support for individuals facing complex barriers to employment.

• Views on the most effective delivery models, including one-to-one, group-based, outreach, and partnership approaches, and how these could be tailored to meet local need.

• Feedback on the scope of services that the market could offer to address the root causes of economic inactivity and support individuals to move closer to the labour market.

• Information on market capacity, geographic coverage, and any factors that may affect the ability of organisations to deliver services within Carmarthenshire.

• Feedback on opportunities for innovation, partnership working, and social value that could strengthen delivery and improve outcomes for participants.

Interested parties to contact Gaynor Price via email gcprice@carmarthenshire.gov.uk.

Responses will be treated as commercially confidential. Aggregated feedback may inform procurement strategy.

This notice does not constitute an invitation to tender. The Council is not obliged to proceed with procurement or award a contract.

Due date

16 July 2026, 23:59PM

Has the engagement period already ended?

No

Publication date of tender notice (estimated)

22 July 2026