Tender

Provision of Cumbria Adult Learning Services 2026/2027

WESTMORLAND AND FURNESS COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

02 Mar 2026 at 13:16

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Westmorland and Furness Council is inviting tenders for the "Provision of Cumbria Adult Learning Services 2026/2027." This procurement process is categorised under adult and other education services, focusing on expanding adult learning through subcontracted providers to enhance capacity in geographic and curriculum-specific areas. The council is based in Kendal, United Kingdom, and the tender is conducted through an open procedure with submissions required by 27th March 2026. Key stakeholders must note that the enquiry period ends on 19th March 2026, and the award decision is expected by 5th May 2026, marking it at the active procurement stage for services. The contract spans from 1st August 2026 to 31st July 2027, valued at up to £800,000.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for training providers adept in delivering accredited adult education programmes, particularly those addressing rural isolation, specialist subjects like STEM, and support for target groups including learners with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD). Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are particularly suited to participate, given the emphasis on quality and the potential for establishing strategic partnerships through this subcontracting endeavour. Applicants can leverage this initiative as a growth path for extending their educational reach within Cumbria, with scope for developing specialised and high-demand curriculum content funded by the Department for Education.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Cumbria Adult Learning Services 2026/2027

Notice Description

Cumbria Adult Learning is looking to develop a range of partnerships with subcontracted providers to help us: * Provide additional capacity in specific curriculum and geographic areas not covered by our own Adult Learning Centres * Specialist Provision (e.g. horticulture, STEM - science, logistics, technology, engineering, and mathematics, health and care) * Provision to support rural isolation * Specific target group - LDD, employability Cumbria Adult Learning are inviting submissions by training providers to deliver subcontracted provision to meet the gaps outlined in our rationale. This provision will consist of accredited skills qualifications which must be available for funding on the DfE Find a Learning Aim System - https://findalearningaimbeta.fasst.org.uk/ This contract is for the provision accredited qualifications in Cumbria. The contract will be for a period of 1 academic year from 1st August 2026 to 31st July 2027. The total contracted value will not exceed PS800k over the 12-month period. Further details are included in the Invitation to Tender documents, available via The Chest. All clarifications regarding the tender documents must be directed via the messages area of the project dashboard. Any queries regarding using The Chest: https://procontract.due-north.com - please use the support available from the home page.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-065f93
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/018434-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
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

80400000 - Adult and other education services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£800,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£800,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Mar 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
27 Mar 20262 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Jul 2026 - 31 Jul 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
WESTMORLAND AND FURNESS COUNCIL
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
KENDAL
Postcode
LA9 4DQ
Post Town
Lancaster
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD1 Cumbria
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD14 Westmorland and Furness
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westmorland and Furness
Electoral Ward
Kendal Strickland and Fell
Westminster Constituency
Westmorland and Lonsdale

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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