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Future Employment Support Programme

AKG (UK) Employment Limited

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

28 Jul 2026 at 10:27

Planned Procurement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

AKG (UK) Employment Limited is preparing for the Department for Work and Pensions’ Future Employment Support Programme, a person-centred employment and skills service to help people enter and sustain work. The planned support covers employability training, work experience, job trials, job fairs, employer matching, job brokering, CV and application writing, interview preparation, workplace health support and help with barriers such as housing, transport and childcare. Specialist provision may include ESOL, addiction support and neurodiversity services. Participants will include long-term unemployed people aged 25 and over, young people aged 18 to 24, lone parents, lead carers and disadvantaged groups such as ex-offenders, veterans, refugees, care leavers and people affected by homelessness or domestic abuse. Delivery is expected across England, including London, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the South East and the East of England.

This procurement is at the planning stage: AKG is preparing to bid as a prime provider and is seeking potential delivery partners through early market engagement, rather than inviting tenders. The programme name and Contract Package Areas remain subject to confirmation following further DWP engagement. AKG is currently considering seven areas: Central and West London; South and Local London; the West Midlands and surrounding counties; York and North Yorkshire, Hull and East Yorkshire and Greater Lincolnshire; the East Midlands and Northamptonshire, Rutland and Leicestershire; Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex and Brighton; and Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and Bedfordshire. Providers interested in being considered as delivery partners are expected to submit an expression of interest by 28 August 2026 at 23:00. The planned programme is suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises.

The engagement will suit organisations able to deliver employment support at scale while providing tailored help for people with different barriers to work. Relevant capabilities include employability and vocational training, work experience, employer engagement, job matching and brokerage, CV and interview coaching, digital or e-learning delivery, and sustained in-work support. Specialist partners may contribute expertise in English for speakers of other languages, mental health, musculoskeletal and chronic health conditions, addiction, neurodiversity, homelessness, domestic abuse, offending, refugee support, veterans or care leavers. Organisations with strong local employer networks and referral relationships across public, voluntary and community services will be well placed. The buyer is seeking diverse specialisms, expertise and experience to support a high-quality, person-centred service. SMEs and VCSEs are explicitly considered suitable, including as potential delivery partners within wider prime-provider arrangements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Future Employment Support Programme

Notice Description

AKG, a leading provider of employment, skills, health and behaviour change programmes in the UK, is preparing to bid as a prime provider in the DWP's forthcoming commissioning of the Future Employment Support programme (a working title). The range of support the programme will provide includes: * Employability support, such as skills training or work experience opportunities for those with a lack of or no recent work experience. * Matching Participants with employers through job trials, jobs fairs and job brokering. * Intensive and repeated support with drafting of CVs, job applications and interviewing skills. * Support in managing health conditions in the workplace (e.g. mental health; musculoskeletal/physical injury; chronic/systemic health conditions). * Barrier-based support for complex issues (e.g. housing, transport, childcare). * Specialist support (e.g. ESOL, addiction problems and neurodiversity). Participant groups will include mandatory participation for: * Long term unemployed 25+ access at 12 months on Universal Credit * Young People 18-24 access at 6 months on Universal Credit Voluntary participation at any point in their Universal Credit claim for: * Lone Parents and lead carers * Disadvantaged Groups Disadvantaged groups include: Ex-offenders, including person serving community sentence; ex-carers; those experienced, experiencing or at risk of homelessness; veterans; those with current or previous drug/alcohol dependency; care leavers; refugees; victims of domestic abuse; young people involved in or at risk of serious violence; victims of modern slavery Although subject to further confirmation based on ongoing market engagement events being held by DWP over the coming months, the indicative Contract Package Areas that AKG is currently considering include: * CPA 1: Central and West London * CPA 2: South and Local London * CPA 4: West Midlands, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Warwickshire * CPA 6: York and North Yorkshire, Hull and East Yorkshire and Greater Lincolnshire * CPA 8: East Midlands (EMCCA), Northamptonshire, Rutland, Leicestershire * CPA 11: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex and Brighton; and * CPA12: Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Bedfordshire We would like to engage providers with diverse specialisms, expertise and experience to support the delivery of a high quality person-centred programme which will enable individuals to access sustainable employment and thrive in work. If you are interested in this opportunity and would like AKG to consider your organisation as a potential delivery partner for this service, please complete our Expression of Interest which can be found here. https://akguk.co.uk/partnership-portal/ the deadline for responding to the EOI is 28th August 2026 @ 23:00. If you have any questions about completing the EOI, please contact BD@akguk.co.uk

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-683c9c94-6543-4f02-b457-7dbfe8adaa73
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/408fc65f-f0f5-4fbf-a235-d203e207e7c9
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planned Procurement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Not specified
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

75 - Administration, defence and social security services

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

80 - Education and training services

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

75110000 - General public services

75131000 - Government services

75311000 - Sickness benefits

75314000 - Unemployment compensation benefits

79611000 - Job search services

80420000 - E-learning services

80510000 - Specialist training services

80522000 - Training seminars

80533000 - Computer-user familiarisation and training services

80561000 - Health training services

85141000 - Services provided by medical personnel

85312400 - Welfare services not delivered through residential institutions

85312500 - Rehabilitation services

85312510 - Vocational rehabilitation services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
AKG (UK) Employment Limited
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
MILTON KEYNES
Postcode
MK9 1NA
Postcode Area
Milton Keynes
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ12 Milton Keynes
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Milton Keynes
Electoral Ward
Central Milton Keynes
Westminster Constituency
Milton Keynes Central

Further Information

Notice URLs

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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