---
title: "DCS/Aspirant Leadership Programme con_24460"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03d852"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03d852"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03d852.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03d852.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION"
published: "2024-03-15"
---

# DCS/Aspirant Leadership Programme con_24460

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03d852

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## Summary

The Department for Education has awarded a contract to VSC Plus Limited for the delivery of the DCS/Aspirants Leadership Programme, starting from 1st April 2024. The contract will run until 31 December 2026 with a value of £2,147,967 initially. There is an option to extend the contract up to December 2028 with a total contract value not exceeding £4,182,568. The programme aims to provide leadership training for Directors of Children's Services and aspiring DCSs, focusing on improving diversity and supporting children's services within Local Authorities.

The Future Leaders Programme by the Department for Education is in the planning stage for the delivery of leadership development training and support to Directors of Children's Services and aspirants. The contract is set to run from 1st April 2024 to 31 March 2026, with a possible extension of up to 2 years. The procurement method will be Open with the application of the Light Touch Regime. The Department aims to engage with potential suppliers through market consultation activities and an Invitation to Tender event, focusing on developing and delivering a programme supporting new and future DCSs, aligned with the Department's reform strategy.

## Notice

This award notice is for the award of contract to VSC Plus Limited (the Staff College) regarding delivery of the DCS/Aspirants Leadership programme, commencing delivery from 1st April 2024. The Initial Contract Period will run until 31 December 2026 (a total of 33 months), for which the value is PS2,147,967. Programme Delivery Periods (in which the programme content is delivered for either strand) will conclude by 31 March 2026 and the remainder of the Initial Contract Period will cover the Aspirant Coaching Period only. The Buyer may extend the Contract to accommodate up to two further Programme Delivery Periods of the DCS and Aspirant Strand, in which case the contract end date will be December 2028, and the total contract value for the full contract term will not exceed PS4,182,568. Any extension will be subject to the satisfactory performance of the Supplier's obligations under the Contract during the Initial Contract Period, and the Supplier demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Buyer the economic benefit of the requirement to extend the contract.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The DCS/Aspirant Leadership Programme will provide a support and training package to newly appointed DCSs and those aspiring to become one. The programme will comprise of two strands: - to provide leadership development training and support to DCSs in their first year within the role - to provide training for aspirant DCSs, to equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed for the challenging DCS role, creating a pipeline of skilled, confident, and capable strategic leaders. The programme will aim to equip DCSs in their first year in the role with the necessary skills and support needed to be exemplary leaders, whilst simultaneously creating a pipeline of effective future DCSs via the Aspirant strand. The programme will also seek to improve diversity amongst DCSs by recruiting Aspirants from a range of protected characteristics and socio-economic backgrounds, leading to greater DCS diversity as they progress through their careers. Both programme strands will embed child and family centred thinking to help support the delivery of children's services within LAs, aligning with central government policy, including the recommendations from Stable Homes, Built on Love report.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008435-2024 |
| Notice type | Planning Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Planning, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 15 Mar 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 7 Sep 2023 |
| Award date | 15 Mar 2024 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £2,200,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £4,182,568 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 3BT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | VSC PLUS LIMITED (THE STAFF COLLEGE |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services
- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 80000000 - Education and training services
- 85000000 - Health and social work services

## Release History

- 15 Mar 2024 at 13:49 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008435-2024
- 21 Jun 2023 at 15:04 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017696-2023

## Notice URLs

- https://education.app.jaggaer.com/

## 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-h6vhtk-03d852. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03d852.json.