This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

05 Aug 2026 at 13:01

Summary of the contracting process

Historic England, a central government public authority based in Swindon, UK, is currently in the planning stage of a procurement process for a "Digital and AI skills training" initiative titled UID 321. The aim is to support their Digital and AI Adoption workstream by engaging an external training provider for skills assessment, learning provision, and capability-building. The procurement process involves an open tender procedure or a Government Commercial Agreement (GCA) route, intended to identify the necessary support level. The planning stage includes preliminary market engagement, with key information published on 5th August 2026. Future notices are anticipated by 10th August 2026, suggesting a contract period starting on 4th September 2026 and concluding by 3rd September 2029.

This tender presents an excellent opportunity for businesses specialising in training software packages and services, especially those that cater to digital and AI skills development. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are particularly well-suited to compete, given the suitability criteria. With a gross value of £216,000, the contract allows for sustained business engagement over a potential three-year term, providing a stable avenue for growth and collaboration with a distinguished public authority. Businesses equipped to offer innovative and scalable digital training solutions will find this tender aligns with their offerings and capabilities.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Digital and AI skills training - UID 321

Notice Description

This notice is to inform that pre-market engagement has already occurred and is not opening an opportunity for further engagement. An informal conversation took place with a potential supplier to better understand whether the proposed work was feasible. We wanted to assess potential scale of the requirement, gain a better understanding of the possible delivery options, and establish what types of support were available. This informal engagement was exploratory and intended solely to inform our approach. No commercial discussion took place.

Planning Information

We are seeking an external training provider to support our Digital and AI Adoption workstream through a digital and AI skills assessment, learning provision and capability-building programme. The gathered insights will help us understand whether the proposed initiative is realistic, what level of support may be required. This will be done Via an open tender procedure or possible via a GCA route.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06dc7a
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074229-2026
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

48 - Software package and information systems

80 - Education and training services


CPV Codes

48931000 - Training software package

80500000 - Training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£180,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Aug 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
10 Aug 20264 days to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
3 Sep 2026 - 3 Sep 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
HISTORIC ENGLAND
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
SWINDON
Postcode
SN2 2EH
Post Town
Swindon
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK71 Swindon
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Swindon
Electoral Ward
Mannington and Western
Westminster Constituency
Swindon South

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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