---
title: "Connect to Work (Lot 3)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05f5e7"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05f5e7"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05f5e7.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05f5e7.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL"
published: "2025-12-15"
---

# Connect to Work (Lot 3)

Buyer: DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05f5e7

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## Summary

Devon County Council leads the procurement initiative titled "Connect to Work (Lot 3)" under a direct award system. With the programme grant funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), this initiative targets economic inactivity and employment risk among persons with disabilities or other priority audiences. The procurement process, currently within the award stage, focuses on delivering Improved Placement and Support (IPS) services in Teignbridge, South Hams, and West Devon. The contract starts on 15th January 2026 and extends for a year, with a potential one-year renewal based on performance. Businesses interested in health, social work, and education service sectors can benefit from this opportunity, with a gross contract value of £679,320. Crystal Pathways Ltd has been selected as the supplier for delivering the services. The initiative adheres to the Procurement Regulations Act 2023, ensuring compliance and accessibility for SMEs and VCSEs.

This tender provides various avenues for businesses in job search services, education, training, health, and social work sectors, promoting inclusion in the open labour market. Designed to utilise Fidelity Models, the initiative integrates employment support with health services. Ideal candidates are those capable of providing comprehensive tailored employment support, as well as businesses with experience in working with disadvantaged individuals, especially those with mild to moderate mental health conditions. SMEs and enterprises aligned with service delivery through a Supported Employment model may find substantial growth opportunities, enhancing community support and employment sustainment for the target audience.

## Notice

Connect to Work is a DWP programme grant funded through DCC as the lead accountable body on behalf of Torbay, Plymouth and Devon. The Programme requires the delivery to the following persons with social disability or other priority audiences who are: * Economically inactive or unemployed: Person has not worked for around 6 months due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages and feel they need comprehensive tailored employment support to help them to identify the right roles for their needs and to engage in effective job search towards work. * Employed but risk of dropping out of work: Person is working/Self-employed for at least 3 months and is struggling to sustain employment due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages. However, it is acceptable to offer support to individuals who have been employed for shorter periods where the Accountable Body judges that would be appropriate. * Maintaining work: Person has never been in employment or a track record of struggling to retain jobs/sustain employment due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages The programme is delivered through a Supported Employment model - a place train and maintain model delivered through a five-stage process. There are two approaches, both using recognised international standards (Fidelity Models) and both using the principles that participants are employed in the Open Labour Market, it being Paid Work with Ongoing Support provided. * IPS integrates employment support alongside primary and secondary health services, and other support services. This integration ideally occurs at a physical level, through co-location and other policies, where applicable. IPS has been successfully utilised within the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme to support individuals with mild to moderate mental health and/or physical health conditions. Universal Support will utilise and expand on the approach taken with IPSPC. Whilst Universal Support will complement IPS Severe Mental Illness and IPS Alcohol and Drugs, these will remain separate IPS services. * SEQF is (as required) a more in-depth intervention than the form of IPS used for Universal Support. SEQF is oriented most usually around supporting learning disabled and/or autistic adults as well as others with complex support needs where clinical integration is not needed or appropriate. Lot 3 is for IPS services delivered in Teignbridge, South Hams and West Devon.

### Procurement Information

Under CP2662-24 Connect to Work (ocds-h6vhtk-04e910) the Authority received 2 bids for this Lot. 1 bid failed the minimum quality threshold (60%) which was set out in the tender documents. The remaining bidder had already been awarded 2 Lots. Under the rules set out in the tender documents bidders were only permitted to be awarded a maximum of 2 lots per Authority. The restriction was put in place to make the procurement accessible and fair for SMEs and VCSEs. As a result, the Authority is left with no bidder for this Lot. This leaves a critical gap in service delivery. Therefore, under Section 43 of the Procurement Act 2023 the Authority intends to switch this lot to a direct award.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082970-2025 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 15 Dec 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 15 Dec 2025 |
| Contract period | 15 Jan 2026 - 15 Jan 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £566,100 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL |
| Locality | EXETER, |
| Post town | Exeter |
| Postcode | EX2 4QD |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK4 Devon |
| ITL 3 | TLK43 Devon CC |
| Local authority | Exeter |
| Electoral ward | Newtown and St Leonard's |
| Westminster constituency | Exeter |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CRYSTAL PATHWAYS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 80 - Education and training services
- 85 - Health and social work services
- 98 - Other community, social and personal services

### Codes

- 79611000 - Job search services
- 80000000 - Education and training services
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
- 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

## Release History

- 15 Dec 2025 at 14:50 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082970-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/082970-2025
  15th December 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://crystalpathways.co.uk
- https://devoneducationservices.co.uk/
- 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-05f5e7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05f5e7.json.