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Provision of Suffolk Adult Learning Service

Suffolk County Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

10 Sep 2026 at 09:14

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

24 Jun 2026 at 11:36

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

24 Jun 2026 at 11:26

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Suffolk County Council procured the Suffolk Adult Learning Service, focused on delivering the Adult Skills Fund. This is a public education and training service, covering the council’s adult learning requirement across Suffolk. The service is delivered by Realise Futures CIC, an Ipswich-based community interest company and small or medium-sized enterprise. The procurement concerns services rather than goods or construction, with the associated classification describing education and training services (CPV 80000000). The buyer is Suffolk County Council, which has responsibility for the service during the current transition towards devolved adult skills funding. The requirement is therefore relevant to organisations that deliver adult learning, skills development and related training provision for public-sector learners across Suffolk, including providers able to operate at county-wide scale and work within changing local-government arrangements.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded through a direct award to Realise Futures CIC. The award decision was made on 25 May 2026, with a standstill period ending on 3 July 2026; the contract was signed on 29 July 2026. The contract runs from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, with an optional one-year extension to 31 July 2028. Its gross awarded and contracted value is £4,970,778. The direct award was justified by the need for service continuity during anticipated devolution of Adult Skills Funding and the potential transfer of responsibilities to a Norfolk and Suffolk Mayoral Combined County Authority. The procurement is a light-touch services arrangement, with one completed lot. The award criteria are not set out as a competitive evaluation because the route used was a direct award.

Although this contract has already been awarded, it indicates established demand from Suffolk County Council for a substantial adult learning and skills service. A future competitor would need demonstrable capability in delivering adult education and training, managing Adult Skills Fund provision and supporting learners across a county-wide service area. Realise Futures CIC is identified as an SME, community interest company and sheltered workshop, showing that the incumbent model accommodates a socially focused provider as well as operational delivery capability. Credibility would also depend on maintaining continuity during public-sector restructuring, adapting service scope and delivery arrangements if responsibilities move to successor authorities or a combined authority, and handling possible changes in geography, learner demand and commissioning arrangements. Providers with experience of transition planning, multi-site delivery, contract management and public-sector skills programmes would be well placed to compete when this requirement returns to market.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of Suffolk Adult Learning Service

Notice Description

Suffolk County Council has awarded a contract to Realise Futures for the provision of the Suffolk Adult Learning Service Adult Skills Fund through a direct award.

Procurement Information

Suffolk County Council is part of the Devolution Priority Programme. A Mayoral Combined County Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk, with strategic powers and led by an elected Mayor, is intended to be established. The Government announced on 4 December 2025 that the inaugural mayoral election would be delayed until 2028. However, Adult Skills Funding has been devolved in other areas without a Mayor, and it is therefore expected that Adult Skills Funding will be devolved from academic year 2027/28, from August 2027. At that point, delivery and procurement responsibilities are expected to transfer from Suffolk County Council to the Norfolk and Suffolk Mayoral Combined County Authority. To ensure continuity of service during this transition period, Suffolk County Council proposes to make a direct award to the incumbent provider, Realise Futures, for a period of one year, with an option to extend for a further year. This will maintain service continuity and align the contractual arrangement with the anticipated devolution timetable.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06bbed
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085641-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£4,970,778 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£4,970,778 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
25 May 20265 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
Suffolk County 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
IPSWICH
Postcode
IP1 2BX
Postcode Area
Ipswich
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH6 Suffolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH62 Ipswich
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Ipswich
Electoral Ward
Gipping
Westminster Constituency
Ipswich

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Realise Futures

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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