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Post 16 Digital Skills Centre

South Gloucestershire Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

22 Jul 2026 at 11:45

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Award

08 Jul 2026 at 16:19

UK5 - Transparency Notice
Summary of the contracting process

South Gloucestershire Council commissioned a specialist, creative technology-focused post-16 alternative education service, titled Post 16 Digital Skills Centre. The provision is for learners with Education, Health and Care Plans who have been unable to engage with mainstream or traditional education. It is intended for young people with social, emotional and mental health needs and/or neurodiverse profiles who are not currently in education. The service offers a structured but flexible programme, with placements managed through rolling admissions according to referral processes and individual need. It is classified as education and training services. Delivery is required across England, and the service is designed for up to 20 commissioned places at any one time. Provision for learners with severe learning difficulties requiring specialist SLD settings is excluded.

The procurement has been awarded following a direct award under the light-touch regime, after an expressions-of-interest exercise received two responses. BoomSatsuma Specialist Provision Limited was identified as the only provider able to meet the specified requirements. The award date was 22 July 2026, with a gross awarded value of £788,882 (£657,402 excluding VAT). The contract period is 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2028, with a possible renewal of one year, subject to a maximum extent date of 31 August 2029. Renewal is described as 50% of the total contract value. The procurement comprised one lot and was suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises. Additional one-to-one support may be agreed where required beyond the standard staffing ratio.

This requirement is suited to providers combining post-16 alternative education with creative technology expertise. A credible competitor would need to support learners with Education, Health and Care Plans, social, emotional and mental health needs and neurodiverse profiles, particularly those unable to engage in mainstream or traditional settings. It would need to provide a structured but flexible education programme, manage referrals and rolling admissions, and support learners entering or leaving during the academic year. Capacity planning is important because the service operates with a defined commissioned cohort. Providers should be able to tailor support to individual need while distinguishing this offer from specialist provision for severe learning difficulties. The award rationale shows that a narrow technology-led specialism and the ability to meet the full service specification were decisive.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Post 16 Digital Skills Centre

Notice Description

Contract Details * Subject Matter: * The Provider shall deliver a specialist, creative technology-focused post-16 alternative education provision, offering a structured but flexible programme tailored to learners with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) who have been unable to engage in mainstream or traditional settings. * The provision shall operate at a maximum capacity of 20 commissioned places at any one time. Placements shall be managed on a rolling admission basis, enabling entry and exit throughout the academic year in accordance with agreed referral processes and individual need. * The provision is intended for learners with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and/or neurodiverse profiles who are not currently in education. It shall not be commissioned for learners with severe learning difficulties requiring provision typically delivered within specialist Severe Learning Difficulty (SLD) settings.

Procurement Information

The proposed contract is for the delivery of a further education (post 16 alternative provision) service. To test the market and identify potential capable providers, an Expressions of Interest (EOI) process was published via ProContract and open to the market. Although the alternative provision market is generally robust and continues to grow, the highly specific nature of this commission - namely a specialist, technology led creative post 16 offer - significantly reduced the number of providers capable of delivering the required service. Two organisations responded; however, following assessment of the submissions against the defined service requirements, BoomSatsuma was identified as the only provider able to meet and deliver the service as specified. As a result, meaningful competition could not be achieved.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06c6c3
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069089-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
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
£657,402 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Jul 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
22 Jul 20261 months ago
Contract Period
1 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
South Gloucestershire 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
BRISTOL
Postcode
BS37 5AF
Postcode Area
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK5 West of England
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
South Gloucestershire
Electoral Ward
Frampton Cotterell
Westminster Constituency
Thornbury and Yate

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

BOOMSATSUMA SPECIALIST PROVISION LIMITED

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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