--- title: "Connect to Work" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-292c4b6c-71d9-4cfe-9dec-00440ece057f" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-292c4b6c-71d9-4cfe-9dec-00440ece057f" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-292c4b6c-71d9-4cfe-9dec-00440ece057f.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-292c4b6c-71d9-4cfe-9dec-00440ece057f.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2025-01-22" --- # Connect to Work Buyer: STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-292c4b6c-71d9-4cfe-9dec-00440ece057f [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-292c4b6c-71d9-4cfe-9dec-00440ece057f) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-292c4b6c-71d9-4cfe-9dec-00440ece057f.json) ## Summary Staffordshire County Council is in the planning stage for a procurement process titled "Connect to Work", which falls under the industry category of Education and training services (CPV code: 80000000). This process aims to engage the market to assess interest and capacity for providing the services, with a specific focus on supporting disabled individuals and those with health conditions or complex barriers to employment. The engagement process requires the expression of interest to be completed by 7th February 2025. The programme will be implemented in the West Midlands, particularly in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, with an estimated procurement launch in March/April 2025. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses focused on providing employment support services, particularly those specialising in supported employment models. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) are well-suited to compete for this tender, especially those experienced in delivering high fidelity supported employment programmes. Interested parties are encouraged to register on the Proactis e-tendering system, ensuring they are well-prepared for the launch of the procurement process. This contract can aid in business growth by aligning with government efforts to enhance employment opportunities for vulnerable groups, potentially leading to long-term collaborations with public sector organisations. ## Notice Staffordshire County Council is engaging with the market to better understand the interest and capacity the market has in providing the Services (in their entirety or specific elements or a proportion of specific elements). You are required to express your organisation's initial interest in the project by completing the Expression of Interest by no later than Friday 7th February 2025 if possible. The PIN notice informs relevant economic operators, that the Council is seeking to undertake market engagement to inform their procurement for the delivery of the Connect to Work programme in Staffordshire. This Prior Information Notice (PIN) is intended to alert providers to an opportunity to deliver the Connect to Work programme for Staffordshire County Council. Connect to Work will be a dual-model high fidelity supported employment voluntary programme, delivered by clusters of Local Authorities. It will expand the use of the proven five stage Supported Employment model of 'place, train and maintain'. In 26/27, in England and Wales, Connect to Work funding will support around 100,000 disabled people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment to get into and on in work. In Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Connect to Work will support 1,900 programme starts per year, at its peak. Connect to Work will complement other existing provision including the Department for Work and Pensions' WorkWell programme, NHS England's Individual Placement and Support for People with Severe Mental Illness programme and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities' Individual Placement and Support for Drug and Alcohol Dependency programme, and other locally led programmes. Connect to Work will be targeted at Disabled people, those with health conditions and those with other complex barriers to employment. Within these groups the primary focus for this voluntary programme will be those of working age who are not required to seek work as a condition of benefit receipt (who have often been overlooked for employment support). We'd expect appropriate participants to have never worked or to have not worked for around 6 months or more. It will also be available for those same groups where someone is in precarious employment and needs additional support to sustain employment. And those who are required to seek work, but whose needs are best met by supported employment. There is no requirement to be in receipt of benefits. A market engagement event will be held towards the end of March giving the Council the opportunity to present the service and what procurement process will be followed. The estimated procurement launch date is March/April 2025. The e-tendering system used by Staffordshire County Council is Proactis. Providers are encouraged to register now (link provided below) as this will save time when the tender goes live. https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/fdf8603d-5fb5-4345-a668-8a61313cb448 | | Notice type | Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Not specified | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 22 Jan 2025 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 7 Feb 2025 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | STAFFORD | | Post town | Stoke-on-Trent | | Postcode | ST16 2DH | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) | | ITL 2 | TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire | | ITL 3 | TLG24 Staffordshire CC | | Local authority | Stafford | | Electoral ward | Forebridge | | Westminster constituency | Stafford | | Delivery location | TLG West Midlands (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 80000000 - Education and training services ## Release History - 22 Jan 2025 at 07:42 - Planning - Market Engagement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/fdf8603d-5fb5-4345-a668-8a61313cb448 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/fdf8603d-5fb5-4345-a668-8a61313cb448 22nd January 2025 - Early engagement notice on Contracts Finder - https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=TdGsJLuS1kS7qO2z0DgTzVCKa5ZYLYFCsGp-gov_n8VURDNQNEU3WjJCU0oyRVVEMlpGUTlDRjFDVi4u Expression of Interest - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/connect-to-work Further Detail on Connect to Work - https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com SCC e-tendering system Proactis ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. 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