Award

Connect to Work (Lot 3)

DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

15 Dec 2025 at 14:50

Summary of the contracting process

Devon County Council leads the procurement initiative titled "Connect to Work (Lot 3)" under a direct award system. With the programme grant funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), this initiative targets economic inactivity and employment risk among persons with disabilities or other priority audiences. The procurement process, currently within the award stage, focuses on delivering Improved Placement and Support (IPS) services in Teignbridge, South Hams, and West Devon. The contract starts on 15th January 2026 and extends for a year, with a potential one-year renewal based on performance. Businesses interested in health, social work, and education service sectors can benefit from this opportunity, with a gross contract value of £679,320. Crystal Pathways Ltd has been selected as the supplier for delivering the services. The initiative adheres to the Procurement Regulations Act 2023, ensuring compliance and accessibility for SMEs and VCSEs.

This tender provides various avenues for businesses in job search services, education, training, health, and social work sectors, promoting inclusion in the open labour market. Designed to utilise Fidelity Models, the initiative integrates employment support with health services. Ideal candidates are those capable of providing comprehensive tailored employment support, as well as businesses with experience in working with disadvantaged individuals, especially those with mild to moderate mental health conditions. SMEs and enterprises aligned with service delivery through a Supported Employment model may find substantial growth opportunities, enhancing community support and employment sustainment for the target audience.

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Notice Title

Connect to Work (Lot 3)

Notice Description

Connect to Work is a DWP programme grant funded through DCC as the lead accountable body on behalf of Torbay, Plymouth and Devon. The Programme requires the delivery to the following persons with social disability or other priority audiences who are: * Economically inactive or unemployed: Person has not worked for around 6 months due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages and feel they need comprehensive tailored employment support to help them to identify the right roles for their needs and to engage in effective job search towards work. * Employed but risk of dropping out of work: Person is working/Self-employed for at least 3 months and is struggling to sustain employment due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages. However, it is acceptable to offer support to individuals who have been employed for shorter periods where the Accountable Body judges that would be appropriate. * Maintaining work: Person has never been in employment or a track record of struggling to retain jobs/sustain employment due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages The programme is delivered through a Supported Employment model - a place train and maintain model delivered through a five-stage process. There are two approaches, both using recognised international standards (Fidelity Models) and both using the principles that participants are employed in the Open Labour Market, it being Paid Work with Ongoing Support provided. * IPS integrates employment support alongside primary and secondary health services, and other support services. This integration ideally occurs at a physical level, through co-location and other policies, where applicable. IPS has been successfully utilised within the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme to support individuals with mild to moderate mental health and/or physical health conditions. Universal Support will utilise and expand on the approach taken with IPSPC. Whilst Universal Support will complement IPS Severe Mental Illness and IPS Alcohol and Drugs, these will remain separate IPS services. * SEQF is (as required) a more in-depth intervention than the form of IPS used for Universal Support. SEQF is oriented most usually around supporting learning disabled and/or autistic adults as well as others with complex support needs where clinical integration is not needed or appropriate. Lot 3 is for IPS services delivered in Teignbridge, South Hams and West Devon.

Procurement Information

Under CP2662-24 Connect to Work (ocds-h6vhtk-04e910) the Authority received 2 bids for this Lot. 1 bid failed the minimum quality threshold (60%) which was set out in the tender documents. The remaining bidder had already been awarded 2 Lots. Under the rules set out in the tender documents bidders were only permitted to be awarded a maximum of 2 lots per Authority. The restriction was put in place to make the procurement accessible and fair for SMEs and VCSEs. As a result, the Authority is left with no bidder for this Lot. This leaves a critical gap in service delivery. Therefore, under Section 43 of the Procurement Act 2023 the Authority intends to switch this lot to a direct award.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f5e7
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082970-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

80 - Education and training services

85 - Health and social work services

98 - Other community, social and personal services


CPV Codes

79611000 - Job search services

80000000 - Education and training services

85000000 - Health and social work services

98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£566,100 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
15 Dec 20252 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
15 Dec 20252 months ago
Contract Period
15 Jan 2026 - 15 Jan 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
educate.educationbids-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
EXETER,
Postcode
EX2 4QD
Post Town
Exeter
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK4 Devon
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK43 Devon CC
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Exeter
Electoral Ward
Newtown and St Leonard's
Westminster Constituency
Exeter

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

CRYSTAL PATHWAYS

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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