---
title: "PROVISION OF UK BASED LANGUAGE TRAINING"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-068530"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-068530"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068530.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068530.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE"
published: "2026-06-10"
---

# PROVISION OF UK BASED LANGUAGE TRAINING

Buyer: FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-068530

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## Summary

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is in the planning stage for a procurement process involving the provision of UK-based language training services. This major project, under the procurement tag "PROVISION OF UK BASED LANGUAGE TRAINING", is situated in London, with the FCDO as the contracting authority. The process is categorised under the services industry and aims to deliver professional language training across up to 87 languages, potentially including the establishment of Centres of Excellence for languages such as French, Arabic, and Spanish. Currently, a preliminary market engagement (PME) is slated, designed to inform strategy and procurement capability, with key deadlines including a response deadline for the market engagement notice by 5th May 2026 and the commencement of contract services from 1st April 2028 through 31st March 2033, with potential renewal up to 2036. The procurement follows a Competitive Flexible Procedure as per UK legal standards, with communication slated to continue through to early 2027.

This tender presents a lucrative opportunity for businesses involved in the language services sector, particularly those with the capability to provide scalable training solutions and management of language centres. SMEs with innovative delivery models, such as digital or blended learning, will find this procurement appealing due to the project's substantial scale and the anticipated need for a diverse range of language training solutions. Participation in the preliminary market engagement will assist in shaping the procurement process, though it is not mandatory for future tender submission. Companies equipped to deliver comprehensive language services and adapt solutions to meet the evolving demands of the FCDO and Her Majesty's Government will be strategically positioned to benefit from this procurement opportunity.

## Notice

FCDO intends to procure a supplier(s) for professional language services training in up to 87 languages and management of the FCDO Language Centre. FCDO are also exploring the feasibility for Centres of Excellence to deliver a range of language training including but not limited to French, Arabic and Spanish. The new language training model has been designed to be scalable to meet the future needs of FCDO and HMG in terms of both volumes and languages available. FCDO is conducting a preliminary market engagement (PME) to inform the future procurement strategy, understand market capability, and ensure the designed competitive procedure is fair, accessible, and effective.

### Planning Information

1. Notice Title
UK2 – Preliminary Market Engagement Notice for Languages Training
2. Contracting Authority Details
Organisation Name: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) 
Address: King Charles Street, London 
Postal Code: SW1A 2AH 
Contact Person: Salim Ahmed 
Email: salim.ahmed2@fcdo.gov.uk 
3. Summary of Intended Procurement
FCDO intends to procure a supplier(s) for professional language services training in up to 87 languages and management of the FCDO Language Centre. FCDO are also exploring the feasibility for Centre's of Excellence to deliver a range of language training including but not limited to French, Arabic and Spanish.
The new language training model has been designed to be scalable to meet the future needs of FCDO and HMG in terms of both volumes and languages available. 
FCDO is conducting a preliminary market engagement to inform the future procurement strategy, understand market capability, and ensure the designed competitive procedure is fair, accessible, and effective.
The Preliminary Market Engagement indicative timeline is as follows:
Issue Pre Market Engagement Notice 17th April 2026 
Deadline for Pre Market Engagement Notice Responses 5th May 2026 
Pre Market Engagement Day w/c 25th May 2026
4. Purpose of Preliminary Market Engagement
This engagement aims to:
• Understand supplier expertise and capacity in delivering professional language services training including Arabic, Spanish, and French language services.
• Explore innovative delivery models (digital, in-person, blended lessons i.e. a mix of online and in-person lessons).
• Better understand cost structures, timescales, and languages service models.
Participation is voluntary and will not influence future tender evaluation. All findings will be managed to ensure no supplier gains an unfair advantage.
5. Engagement Activity Details
FCDO plans the following PME activities:
• Face to Face or Teams Supplier Briefing – To be confirmed 
o Background, overview of requirement and indicative procurement timeline
• Written Market Question - 
o What are the variables that you would consider important when forming groups of students undertaking intensive language training? Please list these as bullet points in decreasing order of importance. 
o How would you take account of these when forming groups of students undertaking intensive language training?  
Maximum 2 x A4 pages, Arial font size 11
1:1 Supplier Meetings (to be scheduled either face to face or via Teams) – 
o Review response on Written Market Question plus any further questions.
6. Proposed Engagement Event Details 
Face to Face or Teams Supplier Briefing – To be confirmed
• Date: w/c 25th May 2025
• Time: 9-30 (arrival at venue or via Teams)
• Session to run from 10-00 onwards to 17-00 (detailed agenda to follow)
Suppliers wishing to participate should respond via Jaggaer confirming their attendance by noon 5th May 2026. Please include the following:
• Organisation name
• Contact person
• Email and phone number
• Written Market Question
7. Future Procurement
This PME Notice does not constitute a tender. The full procurement process will begin with the publication of a Tender Notice under PA23 following the conclusion of this engagement.
A Competitive Flexible Procedure is currently anticipated as the viable route to market under PA23.
Participation in the PME is not a prerequisite for taking part in the future tender. Suppliers who do not participate will not be disadvantaged.
8. Publication Information Notice
Date of publication and notice reference.
17th April 2026, notice reference SA/01

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054789-2026 |
| Notice type | UK1 - Pipeline Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 10 Jun 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 28 Aug 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 31 Mar 2028 - 31 Mar 2033 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £28,800,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planned |
| Lots status | Planned |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1A 2AH |
| 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

- 80580000 - Provision of language courses

## Release History

- 10 Jun 2026 at 13:35 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054789-2026
- 17 Apr 2026 at 11:06 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035132-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054789-2026
  10th June 2026 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035132-2026
  17th April 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office
- 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-068530. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068530.json.