---
title: "ID 5828340 - DfE - Skills for Life and Work Programme 2025"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0517ac"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0517ac"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0517ac.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0517ac.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR THE ECONOMY - DFE"
published: "2025-09-11"
---

# ID 5828340 - DfE - Skills for Life and Work Programme 2025

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR THE ECONOMY - DFE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0517ac

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## Summary

The Department for the Economy (DfE) in Northern Ireland has completed the procurement process for the "Skills for Life and Work Programme 2025," aimed at supporting a diverse group of young people through vocational education and training. The programme operates under the "lightTouch" regime with an open procurement method, covering education and training services. The awarded contract is valued gross at GBP 234 million and officially began on 15 August 2025, with provisions for potential extensions. This vital initiative, targeted at aiding youth with disabilities and other challenges, seeks to enhance social and economic inclusion, while upskilling participants for further learning or employment opportunities. The programme is primarily located in the UK region of Northern Ireland (UKN), with the contract spanning until July 2027, and the possibility of further extensions until July 2031.

The Skills for Life and Work Programme 2025 presents a valuable opportunity for businesses specialising in vocational training services, particularly those experienced in supporting young people with disabilities and complex learning needs. SMEs and large enterprises in the education and training sector have been awarded contracts, affirming that a variety of providers, from small to large entities, can effectively participate and contribute. By delivering tailored vocational education and addressing the diverse needs of this programme's participants, businesses can expand their operations, showcase their expertise in specialised training services, and strengthen their market position within the public sector.

## Notice

The Department for the Economy is seeking tenders for the delivery of the Skills for Life and Work Programme 2025. The programme will support a diverse cohort of young people through a relevant and empowering vocational education and training experience that equips them for progression to higher levels of learning or to employment, according to their own aspirations. The overall aim of the Programme is to ensure continuity of youth vocational education and training provision, contribute to social and economic inclusion, deliver skills learning and achievement, and act as a pathway to any next step. Many participants will enter the Programme with a disability or disabilities, and/or with a complex range of issues and barriers to learning and achievement, including mental wellbeing challenges and mental health difficulties. Additional disability support will be the responsibility of the training provider to deliver or source. Payment for this support will be covered in the funding table and contractual measures will be in place to ensure that this additional funding is ring-fenced and directed towards those young people with disabilities. Suppliers should refer to the Specification Schedule for full detail on the deliverables of this contract.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The Award of Contract is anticipated to be August 2025 with the Initial Contract Period of up to two years commencing in September 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter (where 'up to two years' pertains to the period of recruitment of participants to the programme). There will be a run-off period following the Initial Contract Period during which all Contract provisions, terms and conditions will continue to apply. This is to accommodate the participant training entitlements set out in the Operational Requirements. Service delivery cannot commence until the first Monday of the September 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter following Contract commencement and the programme will close to new participant entrants after July 2027. There will be an option to extend the Initial Contract Period for a further four one-year periods , and if the Contract is extended the Programme will remain open to new participant entrants during the extension period. Participants recruited during the Initial Contract Period or the extension period will have a training entitlement as set out in the Operational Requirements.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/055902-2025 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large, SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 11 Sep 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 25 Jun 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 31 Jul 2025 |
| Contract period | 14 Aug 2025 - 31 Jul 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £195,000,000 |
| Lots value | £195,000,000 |
| Awards value | £195,000,000 |
| Contracts value | £195,000,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR THE ECONOMY - DFE |
| Additional buyers | CPD - SUPPLIES & SERVICES DIVISION; DEPARTMENT FOR THE ECONOMY |
| Locality | BELFAST |
| Post town | Northern Ireland |
| Postcode | BT2 8FD |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland |
| ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland |
| ITL 3 | TLN06 Belfast |
| Local authority | Belfast |
| Electoral ward | Sydenham |
| Westminster constituency | Belfast East |
| Delivery location | TLN Northern Ireland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 20 |
| Supplier names | 21TRAINING; ASHTON COMMUNITY TRUST; BRYSON ENERGY; CLANRYE GROUP; COALISLAND TRAINING SERVICES; CRAFT TRAINING; D.F.P.F.; DERRY YOUTH AND COMMUNITY WORKSHOP; DISABILITY ACTION (NI; GAELCHURSAI; GET SKILLS EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING; IMPACT TRAINING (N.I; LIMESTONE YOUTH TRAINING PROJECT; RUTLEDGE TRAINING; SKILLED NI; SPRINGBOARD OPPORTUNITIES; SPRINGVALE TRAINING; THE NOW PROJECT; ULSTER SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT; WORKFORCE TRAINING SERVICES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80000000 - Education and training services
- 80210000 - Technical and vocational secondary education services
- 80310000 - Youth education services
- 80500000 - Training services
- 80521000 - Training programme services
- 80530000 - Vocational training services
- 80531000 - Industrial and technical training services
- 80531100 - Industrial training services
- 80531200 - Technical training services
- 80570000 - Personal development training services

## Release History

- 11 Sep 2025 at 14:44 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/055902-2025
- 1 Aug 2025 at 13:42 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045276-2025
- 19 May 2025 at 16:45 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022888-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/055902-2025
  11th September 2025 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045276-2025
  1st August 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022888-2025
  19th May 2025 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://Usel.co.uk
- http://usel.co.uk/
- http://www.21.training
- http://www.21.training/
- http://www.acamdeytrainingschool.com/
- http://www.ashtoncentre.com
- http://www.ashtoncentre.com/
- http://www.brysonpathways.org
- http://www.brysonpathways.org/
- http://www.clanryegroup.com
- http://www.clanryegroup.com/
- http://www.coalislandtrainingservices.co.uk
- http://www.coalislandtrainingservices.co.uk/
- http://www.disabilityaction.org
- http://www.disabilityaction.org/
- http://www.nowgroup.org
- http://www.nowgroup.org/
- http://www.people-1st.co.uk
- http://www.people-1st.co.uk/
- http://www.rutledgegroup.co.uk
- http://www.rutledgegroup.co.uk/
- http://www.skilledni.org
- http://www.skilledni.org/
- http://www.springboard-opps.org
- http://www.springboard-opps.org/
- http://www.springvalelearning.com
- http://www.springvalelearning.com/
- http://www.workforceonline.org
- http://www.workforceonline.org/
- https://dycw.co.uk/
- https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
- https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/
- https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/ar
- https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
- https://www.getsetuk.co.uk/
- https://www.impacttrainingltd.com
- https://www.impacttrainingltd.com/
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## 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-0517ac. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0517ac.json.