---
title: "Mayoral Graduate Pilot"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0470b4"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0470b4"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0470b4.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0470b4.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY"
published: "2024-08-27"
---

# Mayoral Graduate Pilot

Buyer: WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0470b4

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## Summary

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has launched the "Mayoral Graduate Pilot" aimed at enhancing the recruitment and retention of graduates within SMEs in West Yorkshire. Classified under recruitment services (CPV 79600000), this service-centric procurement process involves overseeing the onboarding of graduates and establishing a customised network to cultivate soft skills, thus enhancing workplace readiness. The process commenced in June 2024, with the tender closing on 17th July 2024, and the contract awarded to Gradconsult Ltd. on 21st August 2024. This initiative, currently in its active award stage, is set to run over a two-year period starting in August 2024, demonstrating a substantial commitment to improving local economic conditions by focusing on employment and skill development.

This project presents numerous growth opportunities for businesses operating in recruitment, consulting, and related business services sectors. Companies with expertise in graduate recruitment, skill development, and programme management are particularly well-suited to participate and benefit from such initiatives. By collaborating on this pilot, businesses can not only diversify their service offerings but also strengthen their reputations within the public sector, ultimately contributing to the regional economy by addressing skill gaps and fostering talent retention. Additionally, the focus on increasing diversity and supporting underrepresented graduates aligns with contemporary workforce inclusivity goals, making it a valuable opportunity for businesses committed to social responsibility and economic development.

## Notice

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is seeking a supplier to oversee the onboarding process for a number of graduates into SMEs across West Yorkshire. Furthermore, the selected supplier will be tasked with establishing and managing a customised network designed to cultivate the soft skills of these graduates, thereby bolstering their workplace readiness. This pilot project should clearly set out to impact to the local economy and test innovative methods to enable SMEs to attract and retain graduate talent. The pilot will have two main beneficiaries; employers and graduates and will work with recent graduates to develop innovative ways to encourage and support graduates to access placement and job opportunities within SMEs in West Yorkshire. The requirement is to create a pilot program that supports as many graduates as possible and tests innovative approaches to recruiting and retaining graduates into SMEs. This program will span a two-year period starting in August 2024.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The objective of the pilot will be to test methods that help to bridge the gap between SME employer perspectives, to address expectations of graduates, and will support employers to access graduate talent. Attraction and retention of graduates in the regional economy is key to maximising the economic benefits of higher education. The pilot aims to develop tailored approaches to recruitment of graduates, addressing skills gap areas and key priority sectors, and reducing underemployment of graduates in West Yorkshire. Additionally, it will focus on increasing diversity, particularly within SMEs, by targeting underrepresented graduates who face additional barriers to employment through universities access and participation agenda. The pilot will create a community of graduate ambassadors that have taken part in the program, showcasing success stories and evidence of impactful interventions that helped secure employment. It will also evaluate and make recommendations on how to attract and retain graduate talent within SMEs and other sectors and skills areas.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027220-2024 |
| Notice type | Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 27 Aug 2024 |
| Submission deadline | 17 Jul 2024 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 20 Aug 2024 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £400,000 |
| Lots value | £400,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £389,897 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY |
| Locality | LEEDS |
| Post town | Leeds |
| Postcode | LS1 2DE |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber |
| ITL 2 | TLE4 West Yorkshire |
| ITL 3 | TLE42 Leeds |
| Local authority | Leeds |
| Electoral ward | Little London & Woodhouse |
| Westminster constituency | Leeds Central and Headingley |
| Delivery location | TLE4 West Yorkshire |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | GRADCONSULT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 79600000 - Recruitment services

## Release History

- 27 Aug 2024 at 08:49 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027220-2024
- 18 Jun 2024 at 10:49 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/018725-2024

## Notice URLs

- https://uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=73723&B=UK
- https://uk.eu-supply.com/ctm/Company/CompanyInformation/Index/103257
- https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk

## 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-0470b4. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0470b4.json.