Planning

T2689 - Delivery of Various Employability & Skills Requirements

BELFAST CITY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

10 Apr 2026 at 10:05

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Belfast City Council is in the planning stage of a procurement process for a project titled "T2689 - Delivery of Various Employability & Skills Requirements." This initiative falls under the services category and aims to develop flexible employability and skills solutions within the labour market. The procurement is governed by Northern Irish devolved regulations, with a legal basis referencing UK legislation from 2023. A preliminary market engagement session is scheduled for 1st May 2026 via MS Teams to shape this procurement strategy, with expressions of interest due by 29th April 2026. The value of the services is estimated at £6 million (gross £7.2 million), spanning initially from October 2026 to September 2027, with potential extension up to 2034.

This tender represents significant opportunities for business growth, especially for SMEs and social enterprises. As the Council intends to establish an Open Framework, this allows for a transparent and fair procurement process that welcomes new entrants at different stages. Businesses specialising in education, training, community, and social services are particularly well-suited to compete for contracts within this framework. The flexibility embedded in the framework's structure could create additional opportunities as it adapts to emerging needs and sector-specific challenges, promising potential growth and innovation within the participant organisations.

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

Notice Information

Notice Title

T2689 - Delivery of Various Employability & Skills Requirements

Notice Description

Belfast City Council requires agile and flexible Employability and Skills solutions to be able to respond to challenges and opportunities within the labour market. Sufficient flexibility within the delivery of Employability & Skills interventions is required to take account of: a) Emerging needs. b) New initiatives and areas of development e.g. skills interventions within the Local Economic Partnership, Labour Market Partnership etc. c) Specialist employability and skills delivery. d) To test new areas of work as agreed. e) E&S specialist technical assistance. f) Sectors that are not covered within the current Employment Academy Framework (T2474) g) To pick up overflow of delivery if the current Contractors on T2474 are working to full capacity On this basis, the Council is considering setting up an "Open Framework", which would allow an open, fair, and transparent way of procuring the above services in the most efficient way possible. There will be no guarantee of any work for those Contractors on the new Open Framework, and any future call-offs will not be initiated until the following happens sequentially (which is designed to provide budgetary control): 1. Workplan and budget approval. 2. When agreed, a direct award or mini-competitions will then undertaken. 3. Delegated authority approval prior to awarding the call-off contract. An Open Framework will provide an opportunity for SMEs and Social Enterprises/Not-for-Profits to secure a place on the Framework, with the opportunity re-opening at various stages for new entrants to apply/re-apply.

Planning Information

The purpose of this preliminary market engagement notice is to notify the market of Belfast City Council's intention to hold a consulation session with interested parties to help shape and inform the procurement strategy/development of a new Open Framework to deliver various Employability and Skills requirements. The Council will be holding a consultation session on Friday 1st May 2026 at 10am. The consultation session will be a short presentation on MS Teams, and representatives from the Councils Employability and Skills and Procurement Teams will be present. This may be followed by a feedback questionnaire, but this will be confirmed at the consultation session. If you are interested in attending the consultation session, please send an expression of interest email to cps@belfastcity.gov.uk (FAO Rachel Crothers) by 5pm Wednesday 29th April 2026.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-067fbc
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032709-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
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

98 - Other community, social and personal services

CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£6,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Apr 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
3 Aug 20264 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Sep 2026 - 30 Sep 2027 6-12 months
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
BELFAST CITY 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
BELFAST
Postcode
BT2 8DJ
Post Town
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
TLN06 Belfast
Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Central
Westminster Constituency
Belfast South and Mid Down

Further Information

Notice Documents

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-067fbc-2026-04-10T11:05:23+01:00",
    "date": "2026-04-10T11:05:23+01:00",
    "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-067fbc",
    "initiationType": "tender",
    "parties": [
        {
            "id": "GB-PPON-PQXY-5321-CGZM",
            "name": "Belfast City Council",
            "identifier": {
                "scheme": "GB-PPON",
                "id": "PQXY-5321-CGZM"
            },
            "address": {
                "streetAddress": "9-21 Adelaide Street",
                "locality": "Belfast",
                "postalCode": "BT2 8DJ",
                "country": "GB",
                "countryName": "United Kingdom",
                "region": "UKN06"
            },
            "contactPoint": {
                "email": "cps@belfastcity.gov.uk"
            },
            "roles": [
                "buyer"
            ],
            "details": {
                "classifications": [
                    {
                        "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
                        "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
                    },
                    {
                        "id": "GB-NIR",
                        "scheme": "UK_CA_DEVOLVED_REGULATIONS",
                        "description": "Northern Irish devolved regulations apply"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "buyer": {
        "id": "GB-PPON-PQXY-5321-CGZM",
        "name": "Belfast City Council"
    },
    "planning": {
        "milestones": [
            {
                "id": "engagement",
                "type": "engagement",
                "description": "The purpose of this preliminary market engagement notice is to notify the market of Belfast City Council's intention to hold a consulation session with interested parties to help shape and inform the procurement strategy/development of a new Open Framework to deliver various Employability and Skills requirements. The Council will be holding a consultation session on Friday 1st May 2026 at 10am. The consultation session will be a short presentation on MS Teams, and representatives from the Councils Employability and Skills and Procurement Teams will be present. This may be followed by a feedback questionnaire, but this will be confirmed at the consultation session. If you are interested in attending the consultation session, please send an expression of interest email to cps@belfastcity.gov.uk (FAO Rachel Crothers) by 5pm Wednesday 29th April 2026.",
                "dueDate": "2026-04-29T23:59:59+01:00",
                "status": "scheduled"
            }
        ],
        "documents": [
            {
                "id": "032709-2026",
                "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
                "noticeType": "UK2",
                "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
                "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032709-2026",
                "datePublished": "2026-04-10T11:05:23+01:00",
                "format": "text/html"
            }
        ]
    },
    "tender": {
        "id": "T2689",
        "legalBasis": {
            "id": "2023/54",
            "scheme": "UKPGA",
            "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
        },
        "title": "T2689 - Delivery of Various Employability & Skills Requirements",
        "description": "Belfast City Council requires agile and flexible Employability and Skills solutions to be able to respond to challenges and opportunities within the labour market. Sufficient flexibility within the delivery of Employability & Skills interventions is required to take account of: a) Emerging needs. b) New initiatives and areas of development e.g. skills interventions within the Local Economic Partnership, Labour Market Partnership etc. c) Specialist employability and skills delivery. d) To test new areas of work as agreed. e) E&S specialist technical assistance. f) Sectors that are not covered within the current Employment Academy Framework (T2474) g) To pick up overflow of delivery if the current Contractors on T2474 are working to full capacity On this basis, the Council is considering setting up an \"Open Framework\", which would allow an open, fair, and transparent way of procuring the above services in the most efficient way possible. There will be no guarantee of any work for those Contractors on the new Open Framework, and any future call-offs will not be initiated until the following happens sequentially (which is designed to provide budgetary control): 1. Workplan and budget approval. 2. When agreed, a direct award or mini-competitions will then undertaken. 3. Delegated authority approval prior to awarding the call-off contract. An Open Framework will provide an opportunity for SMEs and Social Enterprises/Not-for-Profits to secure a place on the Framework, with the opportunity re-opening at various stages for new entrants to apply/re-apply.",
        "items": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "additionalClassifications": [
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "80000000",
                        "description": "Education and training services"
                    },
                    {
                        "scheme": "CPV",
                        "id": "98000000",
                        "description": "Other community, social and personal services"
                    }
                ],
                "deliveryAddresses": [
                    {
                        "region": "UKN06",
                        "country": "GB",
                        "countryName": "United Kingdom"
                    }
                ],
                "relatedLot": "1"
            }
        ],
        "value": {
            "amountGross": 7200000,
            "amount": 6000000,
            "currency": "GBP"
        },
        "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
        "aboveThreshold": true,
        "techniques": {
            "hasFrameworkAgreement": true
        },
        "lots": [
            {
                "id": "1",
                "suitability": {
                    "sme": true,
                    "vcse": true
                },
                "contractPeriod": {
                    "startDate": "2026-10-01T00:00:00+01:00",
                    "endDate": "2027-09-30T23:59:59+01:00",
                    "maxExtentDate": "2034-09-30T23:59:59+01:00"
                },
                "hasRenewal": true,
                "status": "planning"
            }
        ],
        "communication": {
            "futureNoticeDate": "2026-08-03T23:59:59+01:00"
        },
        "status": "planning"
    },
    "language": "en"
}