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Contract Award Notice

Adult Skills Course Delivery

  • First published: 02 October 2025
  • Last modified: 02 October 2025
  • Version: N/A
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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-048731
Published by:
East Durham College
Authority ID:
AA21883
Publication date:
02 October 2025
Deadline date:
-
Notice type:
Contract Award Notice
Has documents:
No
Has SPD:
No
Has Carbon Reduction Plan:
N/A

Abstract

East Durham College is looking to secure a maximum of two organisations to deliver adult education courses to people aged 19 years and over who live in postcodes within the North East Combined Authority area.

The contract value will be based on an 80/20 split. The full contract value will be a maximum of £450,000 - Tenderers are invited to bid for the contract amount they can effectively deliver within the specified contract requirements, it will then be at the discretion of the College to determine the split of the contract award.

Adults must live in an address with a North East Combined Authority postcode, it is not the delivery location. Provision is expected to be part-time and must be linked to the North East LEP or LSIP Strategic Aims for each area. East Durham College is seeking provision which moves adults either directly into jobs or closer to the employment market. We will not accept large volumes of employability provision or distance learning. We would expect all the funded provision to be AEB funded and not Skills for Jobs.

The training must be delivered in full by the contracted training provider, i.e. only one level of sub-contracting is permitted, and no second level subcontracting is permitted. The quality of provision and subcontractor financial health will be paramount as the College will retain responsibility to the ESFA and OFSTED for programme quality. Financial health and inspection outcomes will form important parts of the assessment process, where a credit rating is above average we may reject their tender.

The estimated contract value reflects the funding value of learning to be delivered and will be subject to a management fee which will not exceed 20%.

Providers must have experience of delivering provision to meet local skills needs and be able to provide verified data in the following areas:

Achievement rates which are above national averages

High levels of positive progression into employment

History of achieving contracts in the last two years

The positive progression must be into employment, further learning or improved prospects. We are not looking to deliver generic employability programmes.

We will only look to contract with providers who have a history of delivering in the North East and they must have a permanent base in County Durham, Sunderland or Gateshead.

Full notice text

Contract award notice

Results of the procurement procedure

Section I: Contracting entity

I.1) Name and addresses

East Durham College

10002111

Willerby Grove

PETERLEE

SR82RN

UK

Contact person: Joanne Wilson

E-mail: joanne.wilson@eastdurham.ac.uk

NUTS: UKC

Internet address(es)

Main address: https://www.edc.ac.uk

I.4) Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

I.5) Main activity

Education

Section II: Object

II.1) Scope of the procurement

II.1.1) Title

Adult Skills Course Delivery

Reference number: 2024/S000-024313

II.1.2) Main CPV code

80400000

 

II.1.3) Type of contract

Services

II.1.4) Short description

East Durham College is looking to secure a maximum of two organisations to deliver adult education courses to people aged 19 years and over who live in postcodes within the North East Combined Authority area.

The contract value will be based on an 80/20 split. The full contract value will be a maximum of £450,000 - Tenderers are invited to bid for the contract amount they can effectively deliver within the specified contract requirements, it will then be at the discretion of the College to determine the split of the contract award.

Adults must live in an address with a North East Combined Authority postcode, it is not the delivery location. Provision is expected to be part-time and must be linked to the North East LEP or LSIP Strategic Aims for each area. East Durham College is seeking provision which moves adults either directly into jobs or closer to the employment market. We will not accept large volumes of employability provision or distance learning. We would expect all the funded provision to be AEB funded and not Skills for Jobs.

The training must be delivered in full by the contracted training provider, i.e. only one level of sub-contracting is permitted, and no second level subcontracting is permitted. The quality of provision and subcontractor financial health will be paramount as the College will retain responsibility to the ESFA and OFSTED for programme quality. Financial health and inspection outcomes will form important parts of the assessment process, where a credit rating is above average we may reject their tender.

The estimated contract value reflects the funding value of learning to be delivered and will be subject to a management fee which will not exceed 20%.

Providers must have experience of delivering provision to meet local skills needs and be able to provide verified data in the following areas:

Achievement rates which are above national averages

High levels of positive progression into employment

History of achieving contracts in the last two years

The positive progression must be into employment, further learning or improved prospects. We are not looking to deliver generic employability programmes.

We will only look to contract with providers who have a history of delivering in the North East and they must have a permanent base in County Durham, Sunderland or Gateshead.

II.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

II.1.7) Total value of the procurement

Value excluding VAT: 450 000.00  GBP

II.2) Description

II.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS code:

UKC

II.2.4) Description of the procurement

You are invited to tender for the provision of Adult Skills Course Delivery, commencing September 2024 to 31st July 2025.

Tenderers are asked to confirm their intention to Tender for this Contract by 'Registering their Intent' to Joanne Wilson at joanne.wilson@eastdurham.ac.uk, procurement@eastdurham.ac.uk

East Durham College is looking to secure a maximum of two organisations to deliver adult education courses to people aged 19 years and over who live in postcodes within the North East Combined Authority area.

The contract value will be based on an 80/20 split. The full contract value will be a maximum of £450,000 - Tenderers are invited to bid for the contract amount they can effectively deliver within the specified contract requirements, it will then be at the discretion of the College to determine the split of the contract award.

Adults must live in an address with a North East Combined Authority postcode, it is not the delivery location. Provision is expected to be part-time and must be linked to the North East LEP or LSIP Strategic Aims for each area. East Durham College is seeking provision which moves adults either directly into jobs or closer to the employment market. We will not accept large volumes of employability provision or distance learning. We would expect all the funded provision to be AEB funded and not Skills for Jobs.

The training must be delivered in full by the contracted training provider, i.e. only one level of sub-contracting is permitted, and no second level subcontracting is permitted. The quality of provision and subcontractor financial health will be paramount as the College will retain responsibility to the ESFA and OFSTED for programme quality. Financial health and inspection outcomes will form important parts of the assessment process, where a credit rating is above average we may reject their tender.

The estimated contract value reflects the funding value of learning to be delivered and will be subject to a management fee which will not exceed 20%.

Providers must have experience of delivering provision to meet local skills needs and be able to provide verified data in the following areas:

Achievement rates which are above national averages

High levels of positive progression into employment

History of achieving contracts in the last two years

The positive progression must be into employment, further learning or improved prospects. We are not looking to deliver generic employability programmes.

We will only look to contract with providers who have a history of delivering in the North East and they must have a permanent base in County Durham, Sunderland or Gateshead.

II.2.5) Award criteria

Price

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

Open procedure

IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

IV.2) Administrative information

IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number in the OJ S:

2024/S 000-024313

Section V: Award of contract

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

V.2 Award of contract

V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

07/10/2024

V.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 9

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Learning Curve Group

05233487

Durham

UK

NUTS: UKC

The contractor is an SME: No

V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot: : 200 000.00  GBP

V.2.5) Information about subcontracting

Section V: Award of contract

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

V.2 Award of contract

V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

07/10/2024

V.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 9

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Utraining Limited

11518429

Newcastle Upon Tyne

UK

NUTS: UKC

The contractor is an SME: Yes

V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot: : 250 000.00  GBP

V.2.5) Information about subcontracting

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.4) Procedures for review

VI.4.1) Review body

East Durham College

Durham

UK

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice

01/10/2025

Coding

Commodity categories

ID Title Parent category
80400000 Adult and other education services Education and training services

Delivery locations

ID Description
100 UK - All

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:
joanne.wilson@eastdurham.ac.uk
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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