Planning

Soft Market Testing - Provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Education for Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Young people

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

21 May 2025 at 08:53

Summary of the contracting process

Nottinghamshire County Council is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process titled "Soft Market Testing - Provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Education for Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Young People." This initiative, categorised under youth education services and language courses, aims to address the educational needs of young asylum seekers in Nottinghamshire who are unable to access traditional educational settings. The key milestone includes a deadline for response submissions by 12 noon on Friday, 13th June 2025. This market engagement is part of a broader effort to establish a new service provision with the potential contract period beginning on 6th October 2025 and concluding on 5th October 2029.

This procurement offers significant opportunities for businesses, particularly those with experience in youth education or language course provision. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are encouraged to participate, given the suitability requirements. The soft market testing approach allows potential providers to influence the design of the tender, ensuring the service is effective and tailored to the needs of unaccompanied young asylum seekers. Engaging in this process could help businesses broaden their service offerings, establish new community ties, and contribute meaningfully to the educational landscape within Nottinghamshire.

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Notice Title

Soft Market Testing - Provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Education for Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Young people

Notice Description

The Council is undertaking a soft market testing exercise and is asking organisations to submit comments & ideas to support and shape the development of the ESOL Education offer to unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people. We have included some questions at the end of this document that should be completed on the response form and returned to us by 12 noon on Friday, 13th June 2025. The information and insight we obtain from this will then support the development of a tendering exercise later in the year. The Virtual School and local authority have a statutory duty to ensure children who are looked after have access to appropriate education provision up to the age of 18 years old and this include children and young people who are unaccompanied and seeking asylum. The objective is to commission roll on roll off ESOL educational provision for unaccompanied young people seeking asylum who are unable to access a college setting due to local further education and small provider courses already being full. Children and young people who are unaccompanied and seeking asylum can arrive in Nottinghamshire at any time during the year and this means that some young people arrive part way through the academic year when local colleges and settings are full. In order to enable our young people who are post-16 (aged 16-18 years) and arriving in Nottinghamshire part way through a year, additional ESOL education provision is required as locally courses are full within the autumn term. Therefore, there is a requirement for roll on roll off ESOL course to provide education to post-16 new arrivals until the end of the academic year when they will then be able to transition to a college setting the following September.

Planning Information

Responses should be sent via the portal by 12 noon on Friday, 13th June 2025.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0519d5
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/023591-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services


CPV Codes

80310000 - Youth education services

80580000 - Provision of language courses

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 May 20259 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Sep 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
5 Oct 2025 - 5 Oct 2029 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Jessica Chong
Contact Email
jessica.chong@nottscc.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
NOTTINGHAM
Postcode
NG2 7QP
Post Town
Nottingham
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF1 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF16 South Nottinghamshire
Delivery Location
TLF15 North Nottinghamshire, TLF16 South Nottinghamshire

Local Authority
Rushcliffe
Electoral Ward
Trent Bridge
Westminster Constituency
Rushcliffe

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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