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Apprenticeship Enrolment, Delivery and Quality Management Platform - Request for Engagement (RFE)

Bedford College

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

02 Sep 2026 at 15:18

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Bedford College is exploring software for apprenticeship enrolment, delivery and quality management. The intended solution is an educational software platform, covering the administration of apprenticeships from joining and programme delivery through to quality oversight. The requirement is categorised as goods and includes educational software packages and wider software and information systems. Services would support Bedford College’s apprenticeship operations in the United Kingdom. The market engagement is intended to help the College understand available solutions, supplier capability and emerging innovation before it defines its future procurement strategy and requirements. Suppliers offering apprenticeship management platforms, education-sector software or integrated information systems should therefore find the subject relevant, particularly where their products support enrolment, delivery administration and quality management in one platform.

This process is at the planning stage and is a preliminary market engagement exercise, not an invitation to tender, quotation request or competition. Participation is voluntary and does not create an advantage in any later procurement. Bedford College expects to conduct any subsequent procurement under the Procurement Act 2023 and associated regulations. The engagement milestone is expected by 30 September 2026, with a future notice date indicated as 15 December 2026. If a contract follows, the planned contract period is 1 September 2027 to 31 August 2028. There is one planned lot, suitable for SMEs and VCSEs. The recorded estimated value is £0 including VAT, in GBP. The engagement includes an RFE, soft market-testing questionnaire, innovation discovery form, supplier capability survey, and optional demonstrations or concept presentations.

This engagement is relevant to suppliers that develop, implement or support apprenticeship enrolment, delivery and quality management platforms, including education technology providers and software companies with experience of integrated information systems. Bedford College is seeking market insight into supplier capability and emerging innovation, so businesses should be ready to explain their product’s functionality, implementation approach, interoperability and ability to support apprenticeship administration and quality oversight. The planned lot is expressly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises, widening the likely supplier profile beyond large education-software providers. Suppliers may also have the opportunity to demonstrate their platform or present concepts during the engagement. Businesses should use this stage to shape their response and prepare evidence of relevant education or apprenticeship-sector capability before any formal procurement is launched.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Apprenticeship Enrolment, Delivery and Quality Management Platform - Request for Engagement (RFE)

Notice Description

Bedford College is undertaking a preliminary market engagement exercise to explore apprenticeship enrolment, delivery and quality management platform solutions. The engagement seeks to gather market insight, understand supplier capability, identify emerging innovation, and help inform the College's future procurement strategy and requirements. The exercise consists of: Request for Engagement (RFE) Soft Market Testing Questionnaire Innovation Discovery Form Supplier Capability Survey Optional supplier demonstrations and concept presentations This is a pre-market engagement exercise only and is not a tender, invitation to tender, request for quotation, or call for competition. Participation is voluntary and will not confer any advantage in any future procurement process. The College may subsequently undertake a formal procurement process following completion of this engagement.

Planning Information

The Contracting Authority will conduct the procurement in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 and the associated regulations, ensuring compliance with the statutory objectives.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06f087
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083137-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
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

CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

48190000 - Educational software package

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
15 Dec 20263 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Sep 2027 - 31 Aug 2028 1-2 years
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
Bedford College
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BEDFORD
Postcode
MK42 9AH
Postcode Area
Milton Keynes
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH24 Bedford
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Bedford
Electoral Ward
Cauldwell
Westminster Constituency
Bedford

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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