--- title: "Connect to Work" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04d07f" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04d07f" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04d07f.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04d07f.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2025-01-16" --- # Connect to Work Buyer: STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04d07f [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04d07f) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04d07f.json) ## Summary Staffordshire County Council is in the planning stage of a public procurement process for the "Connect to Work" programme, classified under adult and other education services (CPV code 80400000). The initiative aims to support disabled individuals, those with health conditions, and other groups facing complex barriers to employment. The programme will be delivered in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, with related activities throughout the UK, focusing on both those who have never worked or have been out of work for an extended period, and those in precarious employment. Businesses are invited to express interest in this project by Friday, 7th February 2025. A market engagement event is planned for the end of March, with the procurement process anticipated to begin in March/April 2025. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in supported employment services or those experienced in working with disabled individuals and people facing work barriers. The "Connect to Work" programme offers an avenue for providers to support approximately 1,900 programme starts per year in the region, leveraging proven supported employment models. Companies with capabilities in education and training services, as well as those able to integrate with complementary programmes like the Department for Work and Pensions' WorkWell initiative, will find this particularly valuable. Engaging in this tender can help businesses diversify their service offerings and expand their market presence within public sector employment support services. ## 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 Expression of Interest form can be found by selecting the link below: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=TdGsJLuS1kS7qO2z0DgTzVCKa5ZYLYFCsGp-gov_n8VURDNQNEU3WjJCU0oyRVVEMlpGUTlDRjFDVi4u 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. ### Lot Information Lot 1 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. Additional information: 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 | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001472-2025 | | Notice type | Planning Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning, Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 16 Jan 2025 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 3 Apr 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 | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | 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 | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 80000000 - Education and training services - 80400000 - Adult and other education services ## Release History - 16 Jan 2025 at 11:36 - TenderUpdate - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001472-2025 - 16 Jan 2025 at 10:57 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001462-2025 ## Notice URLs - https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=TdGsJLuS1kS7qO2z0DgTzVCKa5ZYLYFCsGp-gov_n8VURDNQNEU3WjJCU0oyRVVEMlpGUTlDRjFDVi4u - https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com - https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/Account/Login - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/connect-to-work - https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Homepage.aspx ## 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-04d07f. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04d07f.json.