---
title: "WMCA Connect To Work - Black Country"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0511cc"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0511cc"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0511cc.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0511cc.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY"
published: "2026-01-21"
---

# WMCA Connect To Work - Black Country

Buyer: WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0511cc

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## Summary

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), alongside the City of Wolverhampton Council, Dudley MBC, Sandwell MBC, and Walsall MBC, is undertaking a significant procurement process for the Connect To Work - Black Country programme. This initiative aims to provide Supported Employment services for disabled residents, those with long-term health conditions, and other disadvantaged groups with complex barriers to maintaining employment. The contract, valued at approximately £5.72 million, will support up to 1,400 participants using Individual Placement & Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) models over the period from 16th January 2026 to 31st March 2027, with potential extensions until March 2028. The procurement process employed a competitive flexible procedure with multiple phases, initially planning and then moving through to award in January 2026. The services are set to be delivered across regions UKG36 through UKG39, focusing on education and training services within the context of public sector and healthcare industry categories.

This tender offers lucrative opportunities for businesses specialising in employment support, vocational training, and social care services, particularly those experienced with IPS/SEQF models and capable of supporting disabled and disadvantaged groups. The contract's size, with an active status awarded to The Shaw Trust, represents a significant opportunity for large-scale service providers capable of delivering comprehensive support programmes. This contract will not only assist regional economic growth but will also provide a platform for companies that are committed to social impact and community development initiatives. Organisations that possess robust service delivery mechanisms and an innovative approach to integrating employment and skills systems would be particularly well-placed to benefit from such opportunities, thereby catalysing business growth within this sector.

## Notice

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), in partnership with City of Wolverhampton Council, Dudley MBC, Sandwell, MBC and Walsall MBC are pleased to announce their intention to procure Supported Employment provision for disabled residents, residents with long-term health conditions, and other agreed disadvantaged groups with complex barriers to sustain work. Set out in the Adults Skills and Employment Functional Strategy https://governance.wmca.org.uk/documents/s23891/Appendix%203%20Functional%20Strategies%20Merged.pdf, our ambition is to develop an integrated employment and skills system that stimulates economic growth and delivers better outcomes for residents and businesses. Central to realising this is the flexibility we have secured as part of our deeper devolution deal, which gives the WMCA further policy influence with our system partners DWP and DfE, and control over adult skills and employment spending through the Integrated Settlement. The opportunity created by the Get Britain Working White Paper paves the way for further devolved responsibility for employment support working in partnership with DWP. Demonstrated through a devolved role in supported employment through the new Connect to Work programme and stronger role in partnership with DWP to deliver better outcomes for residents, it will further enable us to deliver our ambition for an integrated system that meets residents' needs, especially those disadvantaged in the labour market through ill health or disability, in alignment with the region's three Integrated Care Board's WorkWell pilots. Through Integrated Settlement, WMCA has secured PS5.72million to support up to 1400 participants to sustain work through the delivery of Individual Placement & Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) models in 2025-26, with the potential to extend and scale up delivery in subsequent years. WMCA's Adult Skills & Employment Functional Strategy is available online through the following link: https://www.wmca.org.uk/documents/integrated-settlement/adult-skills-employment-functional-strategy/ with WMCA's approach to Connect to Work outlined in the Connect to Work Business Justification Case found here: https://governance.wmca.org.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=135&MId=1228&Ver=4

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: From 1st April 2026 potential variation and extension to deliver Phase 3 and Phase 4 (1st April 2026 to 31st March 2028) Phase 3 = 12 months (Engagement & Support) Phase 4 = 12 months (Support only)

### Planning Information

We invite organisations who can deliver Supported Employment interventions in the Black Country area to attend our information session on 2nd June 2025 3.30pm - 4.30pm via Teams to learn more about the procurement opportunity.
Please register using this link: https://assets-gbr.mkt.dynamics.com/a3b85b0d-c453-4680-af2a-330420e03125/digitalassets/standaloneforms/3ee9558e-e002-ef11-9f89-002248c822e6?readableEventId=WMCA_Connect_to_Work_-_Black_Country_Market_Engagement1564149866

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005260-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Planning, Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 21 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 8 Aug 2025 |
| Future notice date | 30 Aug 2025 |
| Award date | 20 Nov 2025 |
| Contract period | 16 Jan 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £3,804,000 |
| Lots value | £3,804,000 |
| Awards value | £4,566,530 |
| Contracts value | £1,902,721 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active, Pending |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY |
| Additional buyers | CITY IF WOLVERHAMPTON COUNCIL; DUDLEY MBC; SANDWELL MBC; WALSALL MBC |
| Locality | BIRMINGHAM |
| Post town | Birmingham |
| Postcode | B19 3SD |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLG3 West Midlands |
| ITL 3 | TLG37 Sandwell |
| Local authority | Sandwell |
| Electoral ward | Oldbury |
| Westminster constituency | West Bromwich |
| Delivery location | TLG36 Dudley, TLG37 Sandwell, TLG38 Walsall, TLG39 Wolverhampton |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | THE SHAW TRUST |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 80000000 - Education and training services
- 85140000 - Miscellaneous health services

## Release History

- 21 Jan 2026 at 12:36 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005260-2026
- 20 Nov 2025 at 13:07 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075656-2025
- 28 Jul 2025 at 13:40 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043520-2025
- 13 May 2025 at 10:19 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020770-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/005260-2026
  21st January 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/075656-2025
  20th November 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/043520-2025
  28th July 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020770-2025
  13th May 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://go.walsall.gov.uk
- http://www.WMCA.org.uk
- http://www.dudley.gov.uk
- http://www.sandwell.gov.uk
- http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk
- https://assets-gbr.mkt.dynamics.com/a3b85b0d-c453-4680-af2a-330420e03125/digitalassets/standaloneforms/3ee9558e-e002-ef11-9f89-002248c822e6?readableEventId=WMCA_Connect_to_Work_-_Black_Country_Market_Engagement1564149866
- https://governance.wmca.org.uk/documents/s23891/Appendix%203%20Functional%20Strategies%20Merged.pdf
- https://governance.wmca.org.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=135&MId=1228&Ver=4
- https://shawtrust.org.uk/
- https://wmca.bravosolution.co.uk
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.wmca.org.uk/documents/integrated-settlement/adult-skills-employment-functional-strategy/

## 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-0511cc. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0511cc.json.