Tender

T Level Industry Placement Support Services

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

Tender

30 Mar 2026 at 14:01

Planning

12 Mar 2026 at 10:28

Planning

22 Oct 2025 at 09:32

Planning

29 Jul 2025 at 08:57

Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education (DfE) is currently at the tender stage for the procurement of the T Level Industry Placement Support Services. This contract aims to enhance employer and provider capability for delivering industry placements integral to T Level qualifications across the United Kingdom. The procurement is structured as an open procedure, inviting bids through the Jaggaer platform, with submissions required by 1 May 2026. The anticipated start date for the contract is 1 August 2026, following a one-month mobilisation period. The service falls under the industry category of Education and Training Services and encompasses various regions within the UK such as UKC, UKD, and UKF, among others. Prospective bidders are encouraged to participate in a "How to Bid" webinar scheduled for 1 April 2026, which will provide crucial insights into the bidding process and procurement requirements.

This tender presents significant opportunities for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) interested in expanding their scope within the educational sector. Businesses possessing capabilities in providing educational and training services, especially those experienced in scaling innovative solutions, stand to gain substantially by aligning their offerings with the goals of strengthening T Level placements. Consortia bids and collaborative approaches are also welcomed, allowing businesses to bring together diverse expertise to achieve comprehensive support solutions. With a focus on enhancing employer awareness and fostering sustainable collaboration, this contract holds promise for businesses capable of delivering scalable, impactful educational solutions across England's regions, thereby contributing to long-term strategic educational goals.

Find more tenders on our Open Data Platform.
How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

T Level Industry Placement Support Services

Notice Description

The Department for Education (DfE) intends to procure a Supplier to deliver the T Level Industry Placement Support Services contract. The Supplier will deliver a comprehensive support service that strengthens employer and provider capability to implement high-quality T Level industry placements. The service must achieve the specified outcomes across the five work strands set out below, while allowing flexibility for innovative approaches. Delivery should be responsive to emerging needs, lessons learned, and changes in policy or demand. The Department expects the Supplier to propose creative, evidence-based solutions that meet the objectives of the specification, ensuring value for money and sustainable impact. This planned procurement follows earlier market engagement activity, during which the DfE outlined the evolving strategic direction for T Level Industry Placement Support Services. The contracted service will focus on: -Enhance employer and provider awareness of T Level Industry Placements and encourage greater use of the digital service. -Strengthen provider capability and confidence to embed and scale high-quality industry placement delivery. -Build employer capability and readiness to deliver meaningful placements at scale. -Foster sustainable collaboration across employers, providers and wider partners within the T Level ecosystem. -Generate actionable intelligence and insights to inform ongoing policy, strategy, and delivery decisions. The contract is expected to commence on 1 August 2026, allowing for a one-month mobilisation period prior to the start of live delivery from September 2026. Upcoming "How to Bid" Webinar - To support potential suppliers, the DfE will host an online "How to Bid" webinar on Wednesday 1 April 2026 at 2pm, providing an overview of the procurement, key requirements, and the bidding process. Webinar link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/c5ff7c98-baec-474f-870e-65a2fc6303f0@fad277c9-c60a-4da1-b5f3-b3b8b34a82f9 The DfE is keen to maximise opportunities to participate in procurement for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consideration will also be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The contract includes 2 optional 1 year extension options.

Planning Information

Market Engagement Event Invitation We would like to invite all interested organisations to attend a market engagement event which will provide an opportunity to hear about our initial thinking. We will also be seeking structured feedback through a follow-up survey, which will play a key role in shaping the future delivery and commercial model. Your insights will be critical to informing our approach. Through this engagement, the DfE aims to: • Share initial thinking and early insights into the potential scope and structure of a future contract model. • Gather feedback from the market to inform the design and scope. • Understand any innovative approaches, delivery mechanisms and outputs that could improve outcomes for providers, employers and learners. • Provide an opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions and offer input. • Help the DfE gauge the level of market interest in bidding for a contract in 2026. Date: Thursday 6th November 2025 Time: 10:00 – 11:00am Location: Microsoft Teams Online Webinar How to Register To register your interest and secure a place at the event, please use this link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2a294675-26f8-4a54-8ceb-7876a3837fe0@fad277c9-c60a-4da1-b5f3-b3b8b34a82f9 Next Steps Following the event, participants will be invited to complete a short survey to provide structured feedback on the proposed delivery and commercial model. Important: Please note that this is not a call for competition and does not commit the Department to procuring, or procuring services in any specific way. Any future opportunities will be subject to budgetary decisions and the availability of funding.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0567aa
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029186-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services


CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

80210000 - Technical and vocational secondary education services

80211000 - Technical secondary education services

80212000 - Vocational secondary education services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£2,000,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Mar 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
1 May 20266 days to go
Future Notice Date
30 Mar 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Jul 2026 - 31 Aug 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 3BT
Post Town
South West London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)

Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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.

{
    "tag": [
        "compiled"
    ],
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-0567aa-2026-03-30T15:01:27+01:00",
    "date": "2026-03-30T15:01:27+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0567aa",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PDZG-3487-DPVD",
            "name": "Department for Education",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PDZG-3487-DPVD"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street",
                "locality": "London",
                "postalCode": "SW1P3BT",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKI32"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "CommercialDelivery.SKILLS@education.gov.uk",
                "name": "David Etherington"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - central government"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PDZG-3487-DPVD",
        "name": "Department for Education"
    },
    "planning": {
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "Market Engagement Event Invitation We would like to invite all interested organisations to attend a market engagement event which will provide an opportunity to hear about our initial thinking. We will also be seeking structured feedback through a follow-up survey, which will play a key role in shaping the future delivery and commercial model. Your insights will be critical to informing our approach. Through this engagement, the DfE aims to: * Share initial thinking and early insights into the potential scope and structure of a future contract model. * Gather feedback from the market to inform the design and scope. * Understand any innovative approaches, delivery mechanisms and outputs that could improve outcomes for providers, employers and learners. * Provide an opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions and offer input. * Help the DfE gauge the level of market interest in bidding for a contract in 2026. Date: Thursday 6th November 2025 Time: 10:00 - 11:00am Location: Microsoft Teams Online Webinar How to Register To register your interest and secure a place at the event, please use this link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2a294675-26f8-4a54-8ceb-7876a3837fe0@fad277c9-c60a-4da1-b5f3-b3b8b34a82f9 Next Steps Following the event, participants will be invited to complete a short survey to provide structured feedback on the proposed delivery and commercial model. Important: Please note that this is not a call for competition and does not commit the Department to procuring, or procuring services in any specific way. Any future opportunities will be subject to budgetary decisions and the availability of funding.",
                "dueDate": "2025-11-06T23:59:59+00:00",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "043707-2025",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043707-2025",
                "datePublished": "2025-07-29T09:57:13+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            },
            {
                "id": "067362-2025",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/067362-2025",
                "datePublished": "2025-10-22T10:32:28+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            },
            {
                "id": "022196-2026",
                "documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK3",
                "description": "Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022196-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-03-12T10:28:19Z",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "project_10008",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "T Level Industry Placement Support Services",
        "description": "The Department for Education (DfE) intends to procure a Supplier to deliver the T Level Industry Placement Support Services contract. The Supplier will deliver a comprehensive support service that strengthens employer and provider capability to implement high-quality T Level industry placements. The service must achieve the specified outcomes across the five work strands set out below, while allowing flexibility for innovative approaches. Delivery should be responsive to emerging needs, lessons learned, and changes in policy or demand. The Department expects the Supplier to propose creative, evidence-based solutions that meet the objectives of the specification, ensuring value for money and sustainable impact. This planned procurement follows earlier market engagement activity, during which the DfE outlined the evolving strategic direction for T Level Industry Placement Support Services. The contracted service will focus on: -Enhance employer and provider awareness of T Level Industry Placements and encourage greater use of the digital service. -Strengthen provider capability and confidence to embed and scale high-quality industry placement delivery. -Build employer capability and readiness to deliver meaningful placements at scale. -Foster sustainable collaboration across employers, providers and wider partners within the T Level ecosystem. -Generate actionable intelligence and insights to inform ongoing policy, strategy, and delivery decisions. The contract is expected to commence on 1 August 2026, allowing for a one-month mobilisation period prior to the start of live delivery from September 2026. Upcoming \"How to Bid\" Webinar - To support potential suppliers, the DfE will host an online \"How to Bid\" webinar on Wednesday 1 April 2026 at 2pm, providing an overview of the procurement, key requirements, and the bidding process. Webinar link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/c5ff7c98-baec-474f-870e-65a2fc6303f0@fad277c9-c60a-4da1-b5f3-b3b8b34a82f9 The DfE is keen to maximise opportunities to participate in procurement for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consideration will also be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations.",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "80000000",
                        "description": "Education and training services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "80210000",
                        "description": "Technical and vocational secondary education services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "80211000",
                        "description": "Technical secondary education services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "80212000",
                        "description": "Vocational secondary education services"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKC",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKD",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKF",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKG",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKH",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKJ",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKK",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKC",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKD",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKF",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKG",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKH",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKJ",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKK",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKC",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKD",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKF",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKG",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKH",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKJ",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKK",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKE",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKC",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKD",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKF",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKG",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKH",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKJ",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKK",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    },
                    {
                        "region": "UKE",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 2400000,
            "amount": 2000000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true,
                    "vcse": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-08-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2028-08-31T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2030-08-31T23:59:59+01:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "status": "active",
                "value": {
                    "amountGross": 2400000,
                    "amount": 2000000,
                    "currency": "GBP"
                },
                "renewal": {
                    "description": "The contract includes 2 optional 1 year extension options."
                },
                "awardCriteria": {
                    "criteria": [
                        {
                            "type": "quality",
                            "name": "Document 2 - Quality Questionnaire",
                            "description": "Tenders will be scored using the Price per Quality Point (PQP) methodology. PQP divides the whole life cost of a tender with the total quality score for the tender, to give a PSs per technical/quality point value for the tender, (Cost/Quality Score=PQP Score). The bidder's submission to Document 2 - Quality Questionnaire will form 100% of the Quality score for this procurement. Each question within Document 2 will be evaluated in line with the published scoring criteria, and the resulting scores will be totalled to give the bidder's overall Quality Score (expressed as a numerical value). The bidder's submitted \"Document 3 - pricing Schedule\" whole-life cost will then be divided by the bidder's total Quality Score to determine a PS cost per Quality Point.",
                            "numbers": [
                                {
                                    "number": 100,
                                    "weight": "percentageExact"
                                }
                            ]
                        }
                    ]
                }
            }
        ],
        "communication": {
            "futureNoticeDate": "2026-03-30T23:59:59+01:00"
        },
        "status": "active",
        "procurementMethod": "open",
        "procurementMethodDetails": "Open procedure",
        "submissionMethodDetails": "https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html Bid submissons only through Jaggaer platform",
        "submissionTerms": {
            "electronicSubmissionPolicy": "allowed",
            "languages": [
                "en"
            ]
        },
        "tenderPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-05-01T12:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "enquiryPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-04-17T17:00:00+01:00"
        },
        "awardPeriod": {
            "endDate": "2026-07-06T23:59:59+01:00"
        },
        "specialRegime": [
            "lightTouch"
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "conflictOfInterest",
                "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
                "description": "Not published"
            },
            {
                "id": "029186-2026",
                "documentType": "tenderNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK4",
                "description": "Tender notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029186-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-03-30T15:01:27+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "language": "en"
}