--- title: "ECITB Scholarships Programmes 2027 (Provider sourcing)" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06c7b1" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c7b1" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c7b1.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c7b1.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD" published: "2026-07-09" --- # ECITB Scholarships Programmes 2027 (Provider sourcing) Buyer: ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06c7b1 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06c7b1) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c7b1.json) ## Summary The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is initiating the planning stage for its 2027 Scholarships Programmes aimed at addressing skills shortages in the UK engineering construction industry. The procurement process currently focuses on pre-market engagement, inviting interested parties to participate in a Pre-Market Engagement (PME) Webinar scheduled for 23 July 2026. The geographic regions involved include multiple locations across the UK, such as Scotland’s Central Belt, Cumbria, and several regions in England. This initiative will begin contract delivery by September 2027, with tenders expected to be launched in August 2026. The industry category in focus is education and training services, crucial for the technical training of new entrants in various engineering disciplines. This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, especially those involved in mechanical, pipefitting, welding, plating, rigging, design, and draughting disciplines. The aim is to create a skilled workforce pipeline by working directly with employers. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as voluntary community and social enterprises (VCSEs), are particularly encouraged to participate, given their suitability for meeting project needs. The pre-market engagement phase will help align the procurement approach with market capabilities, allowing businesses to gain insights into ECITB’s strategic objectives and future requirements, thereby facilitating informed participation when the formal tender process commences. ## Notice Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is pleased to announce the commencement of pre-market engagement for our forthcoming 2027 Scholarships Programme procurement, which will commence contract delivery in September 2027, with tenders due for launch in August 2026. ECITB Scholarships are our flagship new entrant programmes, designed to address skills shortages in the UK engineering construction industry by providing employer-led, full-time technical training that leads directly into employment or accelerated apprenticeships. The programme aims to: * Create a sustainable pipeline of skilled entrants into the engineering construction industry. * Deliver training in disciplines where regional demand has been identified through labour market intelligence. * Connect learners directly with employers throughout their training, rather than simply delivering college-based education. * Ensure learners receive a thorough grounding in industry best practise and safe behaviours before being presented to employers. * Support the industry's workforce needs across England, Scotland and Wales * Maximise available public and ECITB funding to create a sustainable and cost effective delivery model. Regions and Disciplines Tenders are planned to be launched in August 2026 covering the following Regions and Disciplines: Regions: * Central Belt of Scotland * Cumbria * Humber Region England * North East England * North West England * South East England * South West England Disciplines: Mechanical, Pipefitting, Welding, Plating, Rigging, Design and Draughting. *These may be subject to change at ECITB's discretion How to get involved As part of our commitment to open, transparent and effective procurement, we are inviting interested organisations to engage with us ahead of the formal tender process. This early engagement provides an opportunity for suppliers to gain an understanding of our future requirements, ask questions, and help us ensure that our procurement approach reflects current market capability and innovation. Please note this is not a call for competition at this stage. We encourage all organisations with relevant experience and capability to express their interest and participate in our forthcoming Pre-Market Engagement (PME) Webinar on the 23 July 2026 @ 11:00. During the session we will: * Who the ECITB are, our strategic objectives and anticipated service requirements. * Provide an overview of the proposed procurement timetable and approach. * Outline the expected scope of the contract(s) including Regions, disciplines, and optimal funding models. * Invite feedback and questions from the supplier market to help inform the final procurement documentation and timetable. Participation in this pre-market engagement is entirely voluntary and is intended solely to inform both ECITB and potential suppliers. It does not form part of any formal procurement process, will not be evaluated, and will not provide any supplier with an advantage in any subsequent tender exercise. Following completion of the pre-market engagement, ECITB intends to publish the formal procurement opportunities via Find a Tender Service, where all interested suppliers will have an equal opportunity to compete. We welcome engagement from organisations of all sizes and look forward to working collaboratively with the market to deliver successful and impactful Scholarships Programmes in 2027. Further information, including details of how to register for the PME webinar and access supporting information, can be found within this notice. We encourage suppliers to register their interest via the Webinar link to receive updates and further communications relating to the Webinar. LINK: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7ffb545a-dd02-4f5d-b86e-4d4010bb5fd0@8ca5948f-3366-4ce2-97ff-01bd2c6b9a8e About the ECITB The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) is the statutory skills organisation for the Engineering Construction Industry (ECI) in Great Britain. An Arm's Length Body of government, the ECITB works with employers and governments to attract, develop and qualify the engineering construction workforce in a wide range of craft, technical and professional disciplines. Employer-led, the ECITB is accountable to parliament and funded by a levy that it is required to collect from the industry. The levy is used to support employers to train and upskill their workforce to industry standards, develop qualifications and courses that meet employer needs and regulate a network of approved training providers. The ECITB is also an Awarding Organisation accredited by the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), Qualifications Wales and Qualifications Scotland Accreditation. The ECITB plays a vital role, along with the education sector, government and employers, in ensuring Britain has workers with the skills to meet the needs of the engineering construction industry. We invest more than PS28 million every year to enhance skills across the engineering construction industry, support growth through workforce training, and tackle labour shortages and skills gaps. This includes technical, management and professional training as well as support for apprenticeships and graduates entering industry. More information about the ECITB can be found on our website at www.ecitb.org.uk ### Planning Information How to get involved As part of our commitment to open, transparent and effective procurement, we are inviting interested organisations to engage with us ahead of the formal tender process. This early engagement provides an opportunity for suppliers to gain an understanding of our future requirements, ask questions, and help us ensure that our procurement approach reflects current market capability and innovation. Please note this is not a call for competition at this stage. We encourage all organisations with relevant experience and capability to express their interest and participate in our forthcoming Pre-Market Engagement (PME) Webinar on the 23 July 2026 @ 11:00. During the session we will: • Who the ECITB are, our strategic objectives and anticipated service requirements. • Provide an overview of the proposed procurement timetable and approach. • Outline the expected scope of the contract(s) including Regions, disciplines, and optimal funding models. • Invite feedback and questions from the supplier market to help inform the final procurement documentation and timetable. Participation in this pre-market engagement is entirely voluntary and is intended solely to inform both ECITB and potential suppliers. It does not form part of any formal procurement process, will not be evaluated, and will not provide any supplier with an advantage in any subsequent tender exercise. Following completion of the pre-market engagement, ECITB intends to publish the formal procurement opportunities via Find a Tender Service, where all interested suppliers will have an equal opportunity to compete. We welcome engagement from organisations of all sizes and look forward to working collaboratively with the market to deliver successful and impactful Scholarships Programmes in 2027. Further information, including details of how to register for the PME webinar and access supporting information, can be found within this notice. We encourage suppliers to register their interest via the Webinar link to receive updates and further communications relating to the Webinar. LINK: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7ffb545a-dd02-4f5d-b86e-4d4010bb5fd0@8ca5948f-3366-4ce2-97ff-01bd2c6b9a8e (Paste into browser) ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064792-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 9 Jul 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 12 Aug 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Aug 2027 - 31 Jul 2028 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD | | Locality | KINGS LANGLEY | | Post town | Watford | | Postcode | WD4 8LZ | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | | ITL 3 | TLH27 South West Hertfordshire | | Local authority | Three Rivers | | Electoral ward | Gade Valley | | Westminster constituency | South West Hertfordshire | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 80000000 - Education and training services ## Release History - 9 Jul 2026 at 13:57 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064792-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/064792-2026 9th July 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - http://ECITB.org.uk - https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7ffb545a-dd02-4f5d-b86e-4d4010bb5fd0@8ca5948f-3366-4ce2-97ff-01bd2c6b9a8e - 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-06c7b1. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06c7b1.json.