--- title: "Accredited learning programmes across the policy profession" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-059e28" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-059e28" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059e28.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059e28.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION" published: "2026-06-10" --- # Accredited learning programmes across the policy profession Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-059e28 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-059e28) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059e28.json) ## Summary The Department for Education has launched a procurement process under the tender stage for an initiative titled "Accredited Learning Programmes Across the Policy Profession." This procurement is focused on developing and delivering postgraduate accredited programmes aimed at upskilling UK civil servants within the Policy Profession Standards framework. The tender invites higher education institutions to participate, with the contract set for a period beginning 14 September 2026 and concluding on 13 September 2031, with the possibility of extension. The procurement, divided into two lots, corresponds to Master's level and postgraduate-level qualifications for policy leaders and practitioners, respectively. Interested businesses should submit their clarifications by 30 June 2026, and their bid responses by the closing date of 13 July 2026, via the Jaggaer portal. This tender represents a promising opportunity for higher education institutions looking to expand their offerings to government entities. By securing this contract, institutions can establish themselves as key providers of educational programmes tailored to the needs of policy professionals within the civil service. Such programmes are suited for institutions with proven experience in designing and implementing executive education for professionals, particularly in policy and public administration. The estimated contract value of £16,550,000 underscores the substantial investment in enhancing the skillset of civil service policy makers, providing significant revenue potential for compliant and capable suppliers. ## Notice The Civil Service Policy Profession consists of around 38,500 civil servants making it the second largest profession in government. It has a presence across the regions and nations of the UK. The work of policy professionals has a profound impact on the lives of people across the country. Upskilling policy makers will mean they develop better policies that will deliver better outcomes for the public. The Policy Profession Unit, which is part of the Department for Education but works on behalf of policy professionals across government, has responsibility for overseeing the development of the Policy Profession. This includes building the skills and capability of individual policy makers at different stages of their careers. We are seeking to partner with higher education institution(s) to develop and deliver, from September 2027, accredited programmes at postgraduate level that build the skills and capabilities of UK civil servants in line with the Policy Profession Standards. This procurement consists of two lots: Lot 1 and Lot 2. Suppliers may bid for either or both lots, and we expect any bids covering both lots to include a proposed discount structure. Lot 1 (itt_3995): The procurement of a contract for five cohorts for an accredited 180-credit Master's course, with one cohort per academic year from AY 2027/28, designed for experienced civil service policy leaders. It will aim to strengthen advanced policy capability, enabling leaders to apply academic rigour and best practice to complex government policy challenges while continuing in their roles. Lot 2 (itt_3999): Lot 2 is for a postgraduate accredited learning offer for civil service policy professionals, including standalone modules, a Postgraduate Award, Certificate and Diploma for experienced practitioners. It also includes a separate 30-credit Postgraduate Award for Government Policy Fast Streamers, delivered to an annual cohort on a structured three-year timetable. The Department for Education will hold these contracts, however the programmes must be accessible to all civil service departments. Funding estimates included within this notice are based off of historic student volumes and spending. Actual contract value will be determined by actual student volumes that will be funded by individual departments. The Department makes no commitment at this stage to the final funding envelope for contractual activity. Please see the recording of the early market engagement event here: https://youtu.be/Buv5dtEd2_4 The closing date for this procurement is 13 July 2026 at 12:00, and the clarification window will remain open until 30 June 2026 at 15:00. Please submit all clarification questions and your bid response through the Jaggaer system under project_10154, which is being used to manage this procurement. ### Lot Information Accredited learning offer for expert policy leaders (180 Credit Master's qualification) The procurement of a contract for five cohorts for an accredited 180-credit Master's course, with one cohort per academic year from AY 2027/28, designed for experienced civil service policy leaders. It will aim to strengthen advanced policy capability, enabling leaders to apply academic rigour and best practice to complex government policy challenges while continuing in their roles. This contract will allow for enrolment over a period of 5 academic years, from 2027-28. Final enrolments will take place before September 2032. The contract will end once all payments due have been made. The bidder must commit to allowing and supporting all learners enrolled in the course before and inclusive of the final enrolment point the opportunity to complete their programmes within the agreed delivery time frame for each qualification. Bidders must commit to supplying all teaching, assessment, and pastoral support to all enrolled learners that they are committed to providing as a part of their proposal. The bidder must ensure that they are providing the same quality of services and are committed to maintaining the rhythm of reporting against the KPIs. Options: DfE reserves the right to extend this Contract by any period or periods of its choosing. Any extension shall be exercised by DfE giving the Supplier no less than three (3) months' written notice prior to the expiry of the then current term. DfE further reserves the right to extend the Contract to cover additional cohorts or cohort volumes. Where such extensions are exercised, the maximum value of the Contract extension must not exceed 100% of the initial Contract value, in accordance with the pricing mechanism to be set out in Schedule 3 (Charges), provided that the overall nature of the Contract remains unchanged. Renewal: DfE reserves the right to extend this Contract by any period or periods of its choosing. Any extension shall be exercised by DfE giving the Supplier no less than three (3) months' written notice prior to the expiry of the then current term. DfE further reserves the right to extend the Contract to cover additional cohorts or cohort volumes. Where such extensions are exercised, the maximum value of the Contract extension must not exceed 100% of the initial Contract value, in accordance with the pricing mechanism to be set out in Schedule 3 (Charges), provided that the overall nature of the Contract remains unchanged. Postgraduate level accredited learning offer for policy practitioners Lot 2 (itt_3999) is for a postgraduate accredited learning offer for civil service policy professionals, including standalone modules, a Postgraduate Award, Certificate and Diploma for experienced practitioners. It also includes a separate 30-credit Postgraduate Award for Government Policy Fast Streamers, delivered to an annual cohort on a structured three-year timetable. This contract will allow for enrolment over a period of 5 academic years, from 2027-28. Final enrolments will take place before September 2032. The contract will end once all payments due have been made. The bidder must commit to allowing and supporting all learners enrolled in the course before and inclusive of the final enrolment point the opportunity to complete their programmes within the agreed delivery time frame for each qualification. Bidders must commit to supplying all teaching, assessment, and pastoral support to all enrolled learners that they are committed to providing as a part of their proposal. The bidder must ensure that they are providing the same quality of services and are committed to maintaining the rhythm of reporting against the KPIs. Options: DfE reserves the right to extend this Contract by any period or periods of its choosing. Any extension shall be exercised by DfE giving the Supplier no less than three (3) months' written notice prior to the expiry of the then current term. DfE further reserves the right to extend the Contract to cover additional cohorts or cohort volumes. Where such extensions are exercised, the maximum value of the Contract extension must not exceed 100% of the initial Contract value, in accordance with the pricing mechanism to be set out in Schedule 3 (Charges), provided that the overall nature of the Contract remains unchanged. Renewal: DfE reserves the right to extend this Contract by any period or periods of its choosing. Any extension shall be exercised by DfE giving the Supplier no less than three (3) months' written notice prior to the expiry of the then current term. DfE further reserves the right to extend the Contract to cover additional cohorts or cohort volumes. Where such extensions are exercised, the maximum value of the Contract extension must not exceed 100% of the initial Contract value, in accordance with the pricing mechanism to be set out in Schedule 3 (Charges), provided that the overall nature of the Contract remains unchanged. ### Planning Information If you are interested in attending this market engagement please register via Jaggaer before the event at 15:00 on 18th February 2026. Once registered, the supplier event area can be accessed by clicking "View Opportunities" on the main page. By registering for this market engagement event, you acknowledge that the information shared through this market engagement is provided in confidence and must not be disclosed outside your organisation. Please ensure all attendees from your organisation are aware of and comply with this requirement. Please register for Jaggaer using the URL link below: https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html Following registration, you will receive a message via the Jaggaer portal asking you to confirm this acknowledgement. You must respond in confirmation to this message before an event invite will be issued. Participants who have registered an expression of interest will receive a link to join the session via Microsoft Teams. If you do not receive the invite at least 24hrs before the event, please also email Core.PROCUREMENT@education.gov.uk to ensure you receive joining instructions in time. The event will help attendees to: • Gain a better understanding of our requirements for the proposed accredited learning programmes and how they relate to the three levels of the Policy Profession Standards. • Gain a better understanding of expected delivery timelines • Provide feedback on the feasibility of the requirements, including any constraints or pressures that may affect them- You will have the opportunity to share this feedback through a Request for Information after the event. We are aiming to develop our requirements based on market feedback and ensure our requirement is clear at the time of tender to the market. • Gain a better understanding of Cabinet Office requirements around Modern Slavery and the planned Social Value criteria This preliminary market engagement notice is for information only and is not a call for competition. This is intended to inform the market of a potential procurement exercise to appoint suppliers to work with the Department on providing the outlined service. The Department reserves the right not to enter a formal procurement process and not proceed with contract award. Accordingly, the Department will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work, or effort incurred by any organisation in acting on the basis of this preliminary market engagement notice All information included in this notice is indicative and subject to change and is neither exhaustive nor binding. The authority reserves the right at its absolute discretion to amend it at the time of issue of any further notices or at any other time. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054697-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning, Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 10 Jun 2026 | | Submission deadline | 13 Jul 2026 | | Future notice date | 5 Jun 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 13 Sep 2026 - 13 Sep 2031 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £16,550,000 | | Lots value | £16,550,000 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | South West London | | Postcode | SW1P 3BT | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West | | ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London | | Local authority | Westminster | | Electoral ward | St James's | | Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 80300000 - Higher education services ## Release History - 10 Jun 2026 at 11:20 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054697-2026 - 21 May 2026 at 12:25 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/047080-2026 - 26 Feb 2026 at 11:26 - PlanningUpdate - UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017224-2026 - 26 Feb 2026 at 11:03 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017209-2026 - 9 Feb 2026 at 13:36 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/011378-2026 - 4 Feb 2026 at 15:20 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010089-2026 - 4 Feb 2026 at 15:18 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010085-2026 - 2 Oct 2025 at 11:49 - PlanningUpdate - UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/061682-2025 - 19 Sep 2025 at 12:28 - PlanningUpdate - UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058130-2025 - 19 Sep 2025 at 12:21 - Planning - UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058129-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054697-2026 10th June 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/047080-2026 21st May 2026 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017224-2026 26th February 2026 - Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/017209-2026 26th February 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/011378-2026 9th February 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010089-2026 4th February 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/010085-2026 4th February 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/061682-2025 2nd October 2025 - Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058130-2025 19th September 2025 - Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/058129-2025 19th September 2025 - Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://education.app.jaggaer.com/esop/guest/go/opportunity/detail?opportunityId=60760 - https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents - https://youtu.be/Buv5dtEd2_4 ## 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-059e28. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-059e28.json.