Planning

Future Careers Offer for Young People

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

02 Apr 2026 at 09:05

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

17 Mar 2026 at 12:14

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education is planning to launch a procurement process under the title "Future Careers Offer for Young People", targeting the education and training services sector across the United Kingdom. The process is currently in the planning stage, marked by a preliminary market engagement event scheduled for 31st March 2026, conducted online via MS Teams. Interested suppliers are encouraged to participate in this event as part of the initial engagement strategy. Following the event, a survey will remain open until 15th April 2026 to gather additional market feedback. The procurement initiative anticipates a substantial investment, with funding estimated between £90 million and £180 million over a potential 3 to 5-year agreement, commencing on 1st March 2027. The process may incorporate a mobilisation phase of up to six months and the option for contract renewal.

This tender presents significant growth opportunities for businesses within the education and training services sector. Firms, especially those categorised as SMEs or VCSEs, will find this procurement an achievement-facilitating venture to enhance careers education in schools and colleges. Given the Department for Education's focus on improving careers guidance via strategic partnerships through careers hubs and local authorities, businesses with expertise in delivering scalable educational solutions and partnerships will be well-suited to bid. The tender encourages innovation and participation from diverse businesses capable of contributing to youth career development across England. Businesses interested in leveraging potential funding opportunities should engage promptly in the planned events to align their offerings with upcoming requirements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Future Careers Offer for Young People

Notice Description

The purpose of this preliminary market engagement notice is to inform the market of a forthcoming supplier engagement event regarding future support for schools and colleges to deliver careers education, information, advice and guidance for young people in England. The Department for Education (DfE) will be undertaking an online market engagement event via MS Teams at 14:00 on 31st March 2026 for interested parties. The event is anticipated to last for a duration of an hour. The slide deck will be published on Jaggaer (ssq_747) following the event. If you wish to attend the market engagement event, please use the link found in the Engagement section below entitled: Attend market engagement event - 31st March 2026 We last carried out supplier engagement in November 2024 in order to inform the delivery of careers support for young people. The purpose of this supplier engagement webinar is to: * Build on the insight gathered in the supplier engagement conducted in 2024. * Share our broad plans for how we want to continue to support schools and colleges to improve careers guidance from the 2027/28 academic year and support partnership working with strategic and local authorities through careers hubs. * Test bidder appetite and delivery viability for the support to improve careers guidance for young people with potential suppliers. This is not a binding statement of intent or a call for competition This Notice does not signify the commencement of any competitive process and does not constitute any commitment by the DfE. If DfE decides to commence any competitive process(es) as contemplated by this notice, a separate notice(s) will be published at the relevant time. The information contained in this notice, including information relating to the nature and scope of the authority's requirements, and the service classification of this requirement from the list of CPV codes, is only indicative of the authority's current thinking, and is neither exhaustive nor binding and the DfE reserves the right at its absolute discretion to amend this notice at the time of issue or at any other time. The DfE will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work or effort incurred by a provider in acting on the basis of this notice. Any funding estimates referenced are indicative only and subject to change. The Department makes no commitment at this stage to the final scope or funding envelope of any future contractual activity. The current funding estimates are between PS90m and PS180m for a 3-5 year agreement, plus a mobilisation period of up to 6 months if required.

Planning Information

Attend online market engagement event – 31st March 2026 https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/33123569370825?p=7rcZJPhqj0MfP4f5Sn (Meeting ID: 331 235 693 708 25 Passcode: Gr6Pm9RF) Please direct all correspondence via Jaggaer (ssq_747), any correspondence recieved via email will be redirected to Jaggaer. Following the market engagement event on 31st March, DfE launched a survey to test initial thinking around the future offer. The link to the survey is below, and we'd really appreciate responses by 15th April - https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=yXfS-grGoU2187O4s0qC-fpf4k9ksBlHssXHrcIcta1UNU8wSDlJUEJWNFVZUTFZU0JRQzNCNEpUTi4u

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066c17
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/030697-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
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

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£180,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Apr 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
14 Aug 20265 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Mar 2027 - 31 Aug 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

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
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

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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