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

Bedford College

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

30 Sep 2026 at 10:03

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

02 Sep 2026 at 15:18

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Bedford College is exploring an apprenticeship enrolment, delivery and quality management platform. The intended purchase is educational software and related information systems to support apprenticeship administration and delivery; the stated purpose is to manage enrolment, delivery and quality. The college is seeking market insight into available solutions, supplier capabilities and emerging innovations to shape its future procurement strategy and requirements. The work is associated with Bedford College in Bedford, with delivery location recorded as the United Kingdom. The engagement is structured around a request for engagement, a soft market testing questionnaire, an innovation discovery form and a supplier capability survey, with optional supplier demonstrations and concept presentations. This is market exploration ahead of any formal competition, not a request for prices or bids.

The process is at preliminary market engagement and planning stage; no invitation to tender has been issued. Participation is voluntary and will not give suppliers an advantage in any later procurement. Bedford College says it may run a formal procurement after the engagement. The college expects to conduct that procurement under the Procurement Act 2023 and associated regulations. The planning record indicates an engagement milestone on 8 October 2026 and an expected next notice date of 15 December 2026; these are planning dates, not bid deadlines. The anticipated contract period is 1 September 2027 to 31 August 2028. A single lot is planned, with suitability identified for SMEs and voluntary, community or social enterprises. The published estimated value is £0 gross.

This engagement is most relevant to suppliers of education software and integrated information systems with products that cover apprenticeship enrolment, delivery and quality management. Suppliers able to explain their platform capabilities, demonstrate workable solutions and contribute practical market insight or innovation are well placed to respond to the college’s research exercise. The planned questionnaire, innovation form and capability survey offer ways to describe a solution; demonstrations and concept presentations are optional. The college is seeking to understand what suppliers can deliver and to use that input to shape future requirements, so providers developing or adapting products for further education and apprenticeship operations may find it useful to prepare examples of relevant functions and implementation experience. SMEs and voluntary, community or social enterprises are expressly considered suitable for the planned lot. This is preparation and engagement, not a current bid opportunity.

How relevant is this notice?

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/092181-2026
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
30 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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