---
title: "Safety Case Author Career Switcher Programme Pilot Scheme"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06530b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06530b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06530b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06530b.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE"
published: "2026-02-12"
---

# Safety Case Author Career Switcher Programme Pilot Scheme

Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06530b

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06530b)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06530b.json)

## Summary

The Ministry of Defence has completed the contract award stage for the "Safety Case Author Career Switcher Programme Pilot Scheme," targeting the services industry category. This initiative aims to deliver a training programme that equips individuals with the necessary skills for safety case authoring within the UK nuclear sector. The course will be managed by Ayrshire College, combining in-person and virtual formats across Scotland. The pilot project encompasses a contract period from 16th March 2026 to 30th June 2026, with the anticipated contract signature due by 13th March 2026. This procurement process was conducted via direct award, in line with the Procurement Act 2023, to test and evaluate a prototype educational model before potentially engaging in wider competitive procurement.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities, particularly for education providers looking to offer niche technical training services related to the nuclear sector. Businesses focusing on specialist training, especially those capable of delivering blended learning formats, will find this contract particularly advantageous. Due to its unique nature and direct award justification, the contracting process favours small and medium-sized enterprises like Ayrshire College, which specialise in scaling innovative training solutions. Providers with expertise in virtual classroom technologies and bespoke course design in technical or safety-oriented fields would be ideally positioned to leverage future opportunities emerging from this pioneering pilot scheme.

## Notice

The training provider will be responsible for the design and delivery of the Safety Case Author training pilot course. The programme will comprise ten modules, each structured to progressively build foundational knowledge, technical competence, and practical application skills relevant to safety case authoring in the UK nuclear sector. The pilot course will incorporate a blend of classroom-based instruction, formal knowledge testing, and hands-on practical exercises to ensure learners gain both theoretical understanding and applied capability. The course will be specifically tailored for individuals who are new to both the nuclear industry and safety case roles. To support accessibility across Scotland, the course will be delivered through a hybrid model, combining in-person and virtual learning. The programme should be condensed into a 1-2week format, with flexibility around scheduling to accommodate learner and organisational needs.

### Procurement Information

This direct award is justified under Schedule 5, Paragraph 2 of the Procurement Act 2023 as the requirement is for a one-off pilot course undertaken for the purposes of testing, development and evaluation, rather than for routine operational delivery. The pilot will be used to assess the viability, suitability and effectiveness of the proposed course content and delivery model, and to inform the design of any future competitive procurement should the approach prove successful. Previous attempts to competitively source a suitable provider have not yielded an acceptable solution, which further supports the need for a prototype-stage trial before going to market. For these reasons, a direct award is proportionate and meets the criteria for the 'Prototypes and Development' justification under the Procurement Act 2023.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/013054-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 12 Feb 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 12 Feb 2026 |
| Contract period | 16 Mar 2026 - 30 Jun 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £65,000 |
| 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 | MINISTRY OF DEFENCE |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS34 8JH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire |
| Local authority | South Gloucestershire |
| Electoral ward | Stoke Park & Cheswick |
| Westminster constituency | Filton and Bradley Stoke |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | AYRSHIRE COLLEGE |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 80 - Education and training services

### Codes

- 80510000 - Specialist training services

## Release History

- 12 Feb 2026 at 15:33 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/013054-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/013054-2026
  12th February 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
- 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-06530b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06530b.json.