---
title: "Connect to Work"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-04e851"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-04e851"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04e851.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04e851.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NORTH EAST COMBINED AUTHORITY"
published: "2025-08-14"
---

# Connect to Work

Buyer: NORTH EAST COMBINED AUTHORITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04e851

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## Summary

The North East Combined Authority is overseeing the procurement process for the "Connect to Work" initiative, as part of the new Government's mission aimed at fostering an inclusive and thriving labour market and accelerating economic growth. The procurement method employed is an open procedure, focusing on providing services within the 'light touch' regime. The project is situated in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, with logistical ties throughout the UKC region. The contract, valued at £31.5 million GBP, spans from 1 June 2025 until 31 March 2028, with possible extensions up to 31 March 2030. The North East Combined Authority has progressed from planning to awarding stages as of July 2025, highlighting its commitment to boosting employment rates across the region through strategic, locally-driven collaboration.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses focused on government services, career guidance, and training programme services to engage in a transformative public initiative. It is particularly suited for SMEs and VCSEs that can offer innovative solutions to employment challenges, particularly those involving health and labour market integration. Companies adept in collaborative engagements with local authorities and possessing expertise in delivering employment-related services are encouraged to compete. This initiative aims to support businesses that contribute to the Government's larger ambition for an inclusive economy, where all individuals have a pathway to employment, thereby facilitating social and national growth.

## Notice

A key part of the new Government's mission to kick-start growth is a commitment to building an inclusive and thriving labour market where everyone has the opportunity of good work, and the chance to get on at work. This will improve living standards and ensure funding for vital public services. It is also central to delivering on missions to break down the barriers to opportunity, and to improve the health of the nation. As part of this mission, the Government has set a long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate. This would place the UK among the highest performing countries in the world, with the equivalent of over two million more people in work. The recently launched "Get Britain Working" White Paper outlines Government's strategy to invest PS240m to support this ambition and help improve workplace health and keep people in work, including trials of combined public services for those out of work due to ill health. The strategy will bring fundamental reform that transforms relationships with local areas and ensures a strong foundation of partnership working to support people into good, sustainable work. Connect to Work is the first major element of the Get Britain Working Strategy. It will take a collaborative, locally led approach to tackling 'Hidden Unemployment'. It will help connect local work, health and skills support. The funding provides a coherent, systematic and joined up approach to maximise the benefits available for individuals and local communities. Connect to Work will support the wider development of locally planned systems to drive growth, working jointly with the Government. It will be an important strand in local plans to tackle inactivity and expand employment opportunity. By encouraging join up between health systems and employment support, Connect to Work will support those, primarily, currently outside the workforce and facing greater labour market disadvantages, to stay in work and get back into work. In turn, supporting the Government's ambition for a more inclusive economy, supporting local people to realise their potential and supporting local and national growth.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: 2.3 The initial term of a Contract for Service is anticipated to start in August 2025 and will run until 31 March 2028. The North East CA may extend that Contract Term for 24 months to 31 March 2030 subject to funding and contract performance.

### Planning Information

The recently launched "Get Britain Working" White Paper outlines Government's strategy to invest £240m to support the ambition of a national 80% employment rate and help improve workplace health and keep people in work, including trials of combined public services for those out of work due to ill health. Connect to Work is the first major element of the Get Britain Working Strategy.
By encouraging join-up between health systems and employment support, Connect to Work will support those, primarily, currently outside the workforce and facing greater labour market disadvantages, to stay in work and get back into work. In turn, supporting the Government's ambition for a more inclusive economy, supporting local people to realise their potential and supporting local and national growth.
In England and Wales, Connect to Work funding will support around 100,000 disabled people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to get into employment and on in work.
Connect to Work is a voluntary programme, providing a specific form of support targeted at the right people at the right time, based on their individual circumstances. The programme will deliver the evidence-based Supported Employment model, 'place, train, and maintain', via two different types of interventions - Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and Local Supported Employment (LSE).
As the Accountable Body, the North East CA is responsible for the commissioning, implementation and management of the Connect to Work which will support 13,500 residents across the entirety of the programme.
An Invitation to Tender for the IPS intervention will be launched on Thursday 20 March 2025 and will be live for 30 days on the OPEN tendering system.
It is anticipated that delivery will start in Summer 2025.
The purpose of this online session is to provide a high-level overview of the Connect to Work commissioning process, specification, and timescales.
Link to Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/connect-to-work-north-east-commissioning-launch-tickets-1264111965919?aff=oddtdtcreator

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048650-2025 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Dynamic |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Large, SME |
| All stages | Planning, Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 14 Aug 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 9 May 2025 |
| Future notice date | 20 Mar 2025 |
| Award date | 23 Jul 2025 |
| Contract period | 30 Sep 2025 - 31 Mar 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £31,500,000 |
| Lots value | £31,500,000 |
| Awards value | £25,939,709 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NORTH EAST COMBINED AUTHORITY |
| Locality | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE |
| Post town | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Postcode | NE4 5BZ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC43 Tyneside |
| Local authority | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Electoral ward | Arthur's Hill |
| Westminster constituency | Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 4 |
| Supplier names | GROUNDWORK NORTH EAST; NORTHERN RIGHTS SOCIAL ENTERPRISE (TYNE AND WEAR; NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY COUNCIL; TRIAGE CENTRAL |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 75 - Administration, defence and social security services
- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 75131000 - Government services
- 79634000 - Career guidance services
- 80521000 - Training programme services

## Release History

- 14 Aug 2025 at 09:42 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048650-2025
- 16 Apr 2025 at 15:41 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015682-2025
- 20 Mar 2025 at 15:10 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010444-2025
- 7 Mar 2025 at 09:47 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008300-2025
- 27 Feb 2025 at 11:51 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007378-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048650-2025
  14th August 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015682-2025
  16th April 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010444-2025
  20th March 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008300-2025
  7th March 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007378-2025
  27th February 2025 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://beam.org
- http://ingeus.co.uk
- http://www.durham.gov.uk/
- http://www.enable.org.uk
- http://www.everyturn.org/
- http://www.maximusuk.co.uk
- http://www.northernrights.org.uk
- http://www.northumberland.gov.uk
- http://www.pertemps.co.uk
- http://www.reedinpartnership.com
- http://www.triage.net
- https://fedcap.org.uk/employment/
- https://peopleplus.co.uk/
- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/connect-to-work-north-east-commissioning-launch-tickets-1264111965919?aff=oddtdtcreator
- https://www.groundwork.org.uk/north-east-and-cumbria/
- https://www.growthco.uk/
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.pcp.uk.net/

## 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-04e851. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-04e851.json.