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T2689 - Framework Agreement for the Delivery of Various Employability and Skills Requirements

Belfast City Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

05 Oct 2026 at 09:03

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

17 Jul 2026 at 07:30

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

10 Apr 2026 at 11:05

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Belfast City Council has established a framework for employability and skills services in Belfast. It covers training and support across five areas: care sectors, including health, social care, education, playwork and childminding; customer services, including leisure, hospitality, retail, tourism and beauty; practical sectors, including transport, green economy, construction and manufacturing; professional and business services, including business and technology; and employability support such as language, soft skills and capacity building. The council wants flexible provision to respond to changing labour-market needs, specialist requirements, new initiatives, uncovered sectors and delivery overflow. Framework suppliers may provide services through later direct awards or mini-competitions, subject to workplan, budget and approval decisions.

The procurement is complete and the framework suppliers have been selected following an open procedure. Awards are recorded at £0, and framework membership guarantees no work. The estimated values are £500,000 for care, £250,000 for customer services, £1,000,000 for practical sectors, £500,000 for professional and business services, and £3,750,000 for employability support; these are estimates, not awarded sums. Ashton Community Trust, BMC, People 1st, South Eastern Regional College and Springvale Training were appointed across lots; other appointments include Analytics Engines, BCT NI, Bryson Energy, Core Impact, ETT, Extern NI, FIT NI, GEMS NI, Impact Training, Include Youth, Lifetime Education and Training, Marion Centre of Excellence, North City Business Centre, Oberon, Phoenix Education Centre, Plain Sight Evidence, Specialisterne NI, the NI Childminding Association, The Prince’s Trust, Springboard Charity, Belfast Works Consortium, Utopian Learning, West Belfast Partnership Board and Workplus. Awards were dated 2 October 2026. The framework runs 19 October 2026–18 October 2028, with a possible one-year extension. Evaluation weighted scenario-based approach and methodology 80% and cost 20%.

This framework demonstrates council demand for flexible employability and skills delivery spanning specialist training and support across care, customer-facing, practical, business and employability fields. The wide range of appointed providers, including SMEs, colleges, charities and community organisations, indicates that relevant specialist capability can compete alongside broader delivery capacity. Credible suppliers should be able to show previous company experience, a clear, scenario-based delivery approach and methodology, and competitive pricing. The stated selection requirements also include modern slavery, GDPR compliance, safeguarding and appropriate insurance. The framework is designed to admit new entrants at later stages, and the council intends successive frameworks on substantially similar terms. Suppliers should therefore match their service offer to a defined sector or support need and be prepared for future framework entry and call-off competition.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

T2689 - Framework Agreement for the Delivery of Various Employability and 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) Sectors that are not covered within the current Employment Academy Framework (T2474) f) To pick up overflow of delivery if the current Contractors on T2474 are working to full capacity On this basis, the Council is 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. The Framework will be split into 5 Lots: 1. Lot 1 - Care Sectors (Health/Social Care/Education/Playwork/Childminding) 2. Lot 2 - Customer Services (Leisure/Hospitality/Retail/Tourism/Beauty) 3. Lot 3 - Practical Sectors (Transport/Green Economy/Construction/Manufacturing) 4. Lot 4 - Professional and Business Services Sectors (Business/Technology) 5. Lot 5 - Employability Support (language/Soft Skills/Capacity Building) The Council intends that this Framework Agreement will form part of a scheme of successive framework agreements on substantially the same terms (the "Open Framework Scheme"). The total duration of the Open Framework Scheme shall not exceed 8 years from the commencement date of the first framework awarded under the scheme.

Lot Information

Care Sectors

Renewal: Under the Open Framework Scheme, the first Framework will have the option to be extended for an additional year.

Customer Service Sectors

Renewal: Under the Open Framework Scheme, the first Framework will have the option to be extended for an additional year.

Practical Sectors

Renewal: Under the Open Framework Scheme, the first Framework will have the option to be extended for an additional year.

Professional and Business Services Sectors

Renewal: Under the Open Framework Scheme, the first Framework will have the option to be extended for an additional year.

Employability Support

Renewal: Under the Open Framework Scheme, the first Framework will have the option to be extended for an additional year.

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/093605-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large, SME

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

80400000 - Adult and other education services

80500000 - Training services

80521000 - Training programme services

80530000 - Vocational training services

98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Oct 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
21 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
3 Aug 2026Expired
Award Date
2 Oct 20265 days ago
Contract Period
19 Oct 2026 - 18 Oct 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
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
Postcode Area
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

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
20
Supplier Names

ANALYTICS ENGINES LIMITED

ACT Ltd

BCT N.I. C.I.C

BMC

BRYSON ENERGY

Core Impact

East Belfast Mission

Extern Northern Ireland

GEMS NI Ltd

Lifetime Education and Training

OBERON TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT LIMITED

SOUTH EASTERN REGIONAL COLLEGE

SPRINGVALE TRAINING LTD

Northern Ireland Childminding Association

The Prince's Trust

The Springboard Charity

Utopian Learning

West Belfast Partnership Board

Workplus

WORKFORCE TRAINING SERVICES LIMITED

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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