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Provision of Cumbria Adult Learning Services 2026/2027

Westmorland and Furness Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

11 Aug 2026 at 15:45

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

14 May 2026 at 11:46

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

02 Mar 2026 at 13:16

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Westmorland and Furness Council procured Cumbria Adult Learning Services, covering adult and other education services (CPV 80400000). Cumbria Adult Learning sought partnerships with subcontracted providers to add capacity in curriculum and geographic areas not covered by its own Adult Learning Centres. The requirement included specialist provision such as horticulture, science, logistics, technology, engineering, mathematics, health and care, as well as provision addressing rural isolation and support for people with learning difficulties and disabilities and employability needs. Services are delivered across Cumbria, including rural areas, for the council’s adult learning programme. The procurement was structured as a partnership opportunity for external providers supporting the council’s own centres and provision.

The procurement is complete and contracts have been awarded following an open tender procedure. Nine bids reached the final stage, including five from SMEs and one from a VCSE. One lot was evaluated entirely on quality. Awards were made on 12 May 2026 and contracts were signed on 23 July 2026, running from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027. The separate awards were: INSPIRA (01), £75,048; Lakes College, £21,368; PHX TRAINING LIMITED, £183,983; THE CONSTRUCTION SKILLS PEOPLE LTD, £50,187; and THE SKILLS NETWORK LIMITED, £258,356. The lot’s estimated value was £800,000. The tender deadline was 27 March 2026 at 12:00, and the evaluation and award period ended on 5 May 2026.

This requirement demonstrates demand from Westmorland and Furness Council for established adult education partners able to extend public provision across Cumbria. Relevant suppliers would need credible capability in one or more specialist curriculum areas, such as horticulture, STEM, logistics, technology, engineering, health or care, or in employability and learning-difficulty and disability support. Providers should also be able to serve rural communities and offer capacity beyond the council’s own Adult Learning Centres. The awards show that the requirement can be delivered through multiple specialist organisations rather than a single provider, and that SMEs were able to compete. Businesses preparing for a future requirement of this type would benefit from a clear quality-led delivery model, suitable tutors and facilities, and partnership arrangements that complement council-run provision.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Cumbria Adult Learning Services 2026/2027

Notice Description

Cumbria Adult Learning has carried out a procurement process by open tender for 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

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/076369-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

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
£588,942 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
£588,942 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Aug 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
27 Mar 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
12 May 20264 months ago
Contract Period
1 Aug 2026 - 31 Jul 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

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
Postcode Area
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

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
5
Supplier Names

Inspira Cumbria Limited

Lakes College

PHX Training Ltd

The Construction Skills People Ltd

The Skills Network

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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