---
title: "Level 6 Social Work Apprenticeships ST0510"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-a8701f05-87fe-4baa-ba0a-aa3cc901d47e"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-a8701f05-87fe-4baa-ba0a-aa3cc901d47e"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-a8701f05-87fe-4baa-ba0a-aa3cc901d47e.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-a8701f05-87fe-4baa-ba0a-aa3cc901d47e.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Milton Keynes City Council"
published: "2026-09-10"
---

# Level 6 Social Work Apprenticeships ST0510

Buyer: Milton Keynes City Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-a8701f05-87fe-4baa-ba0a-aa3cc901d47e

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## Summary

Milton Keynes Council procured Level 6 Social Work Apprenticeships under standard ST0510, providing university-level adult education and professional development for the council’s social work workforce. The purpose is to develop social workers within the organisation, strengthening their understanding of council policies, values and local systems, supporting staff retention and reducing reliance on agency workers. The service is delivered for Milton Keynes Council in Milton Keynes. The procurement is for services, classified under CPV 80430000. The awarded education provider is The Open University, based in Milton Keynes. The requirement is therefore relevant to universities, higher-education providers and organisations able to deliver degree-level social work apprenticeship training for a local authority workforce.

This procurement is complete and was awarded to The Open University on 2 July 2026. The contract is valued at £360,000 and runs from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029. The requirement was procured through a selective call-off from a dynamic purchasing system, with submissions due by 1 July 2026 at 5pm. Milton Keynes Council awarded the full requirement to one supplier. The contract provides Level 6 Social Work Apprenticeships under ST0510. It was treated as a service procurement and the opportunity was identified as unsuitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprise organisations. The award is active.

This award demonstrates established council demand for degree-level social work apprenticeship provision that develops existing employees into qualified social workers. A credible future competitor would need to deliver Level 6 training aligned with the ST0510 standard, support apprentices throughout a three-year programme and work effectively with a local authority’s workforce, policies and service environment. The successful provider’s university-level education capability and established scale indicate that competitors should be able to manage a substantial, sustained cohort rather than isolated training activity. Relevant strengths include higher-education delivery, social work teaching, apprenticeship administration, learner support and the ability to coordinate closely with council managers. Experience improving retention and workforce continuity would also fit the requirement’s underlying purpose.

## Notice

Growing social workers "from within" fosters a workforce with a deep understanding of the council's values, policies, and local systems. Apprentices trained in the council are more likely to remain with the organisation long-term, reducing turnover and reliance on agency staff. This continuity directly benefits service users through more stable relationships and consistent decision-making.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/585b1167-a88c-49d6-8e1b-76d78a79c14b |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Dynamic |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a dynamic purchasing system |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 10 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 2 Jul 2026 |
| Contract period | 1 Aug 2026 - 31 Jul 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £360,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £360,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Milton Keynes City Council |
| Locality | MILTON KEYNES |
| Postcode area | Milton Keynes |
| Postcode | MK9 3EJ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ12 Milton Keynes |
| Local authority | Milton Keynes |
| Electoral ward | Central Milton Keynes |
| Westminster constituency | Milton Keynes Central |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | The Open University |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80430000 - Adult-education services at university level

## Release History

- 10 Sep 2026 at 16:28 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/585b1167-a88c-49d6-8e1b-76d78a79c14b

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/585b1167-a88c-49d6-8e1b-76d78a79c14b
  10th September 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-a8701f05-87fe-4baa-ba0a-aa3cc901d47e. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-a8701f05-87fe-4baa-ba0a-aa3cc901d47e.json.