DPS for Skills and Investment Grant Funding
Worcestershire County CouncilEstimated Value
£0 – £25,000,000
Deadline
30 September 2028
767 days remaining
Published
2 October 2023
Type
services
Overview
Worcestershire County Council is putting in place a DPS for Skills and Investment Grant Funding. The Council's Investment in Skills Team aims to help people into employment and to work towards improving skills in the county.
The scope of the projects delivered by the Investment in Skills Team can vary in context, value and duration but, collectively, and over time they support the goals of the Team which is funded by various grant providers such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Department for Education, etc . The Team does not have the capacity to meet all the needs of all its Service Users, it therefore commissions the knowledge and skills of externally qualified, licensed and experienced providers to work on a variety of training projects as and when required to meet requirements.
There are 5 Categories which Suppliers may wish to apply for, they are: Category 1 Employability & Skills Training for people to build up sector-specific skills and/or upskill to help people gain skills for life, help support skills demands in their local area, and ultimately help people to get into employment and have the opportunity for a progression within their current job. Category 2 Education Training and support to help adults improve their numeracy skills in everyday life and boost their employment prospects.
Additional details
It also aims to contribute to businesses to develop their employees' numeracy skills which can boost productivity, increase profits, and improve employee retention. Category 3 Digital Developing digital tools to support various projects.
Category 4 Consultancy Advice and support for businesses in the county via curriculum development, workforce planning, and supported internship. The aim will be to support businesses with growth and competitive advantage by fulfilling their staffing/skills needs.
Category 5 Health and Wellbeing Training, advice and guidance to support health and wellbeing, and to improve confidence, resilience, motivation, social integration with the goal of empowering people to achieve their true employment potential. If you wish to view the documents for this opportunity please click `Express Interest`.
Following this, if you wish to apply for this opportunity please click `Opt in` which will then enable you to view and complete the Standard Questionnaire and upload the relevant documents. After uploading all required documents and completing the questionnaire(s) please remember to press the `Submit your Return` button at the bottom of the page.
Suppliers will receive a system generated email to confirm successful submission of their return. Any questions or clarification should be conducted via `Correspondence` through this portal.
AI Analysis
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Worcestershire County Council is setting up a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to find qualified training and skills providers to deliver various employment and skills programmes across the county. The council will call off different types of training projects as needed from approved suppliers, rather than running everything in-house.
Requirements
- Must be externally qualified to deliver training in your chosen category
- Must be licensed (where applicable to your sector)
- Must have demonstrable experience delivering similar training or services
- Must complete the Standard Questionnaire
- Must upload all relevant supporting documents (qualifications, licenses, evidence of experience)
- Must formally submit your application via the portal (using 'Submit your Return' button)
Key Tasks & Deliverables
- Category 1: Deliver sector-specific skills training and upskilling programmes to help people gain employment and progress in jobs
- Category 2: Deliver numeracy skills training to adults to improve everyday maths and boost employment prospects; also deliver numeracy training to employees within businesses to increase productivity
- Category 3: Develop digital tools and platforms to support various skills and employment projects
- Category 4: Provide business consultancy including curriculum development, workforce planning advice, and supported internship programmes to help local businesses fill staffing gaps and grow
- Category 5: Deliver health and wellbeing training, advice and guidance to build confidence, resilience and motivation, helping people achieve employment potential
How to Read This Tender
- 1This is a DPS (Dynamic Purchasing System) — think of it as getting pre-approved to do work for the council. Once you're on the approved list, the council will invite you to bid on specific projects as they arise, rather than this being one big fixed contract.
- 2You can apply for one or multiple categories (1-5) depending on what your business offers — you don't have to do everything, just what you're qualified for.
- 3The council is funded by various grants (UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Department for Education, etc.), so the projects and funding available will change over time based on grant availability.
- 4Click 'Express Interest' first to view the full tender documents — these will contain the detailed Standard Questionnaire and explain exactly what evidence of qualifications and experience you need to provide.
- 5Watch out for the submission process: you must upload all documents AND complete the questionnaire AND press 'Submit your Return' — if you miss the final step, your application won't go through. You'll get a system email to confirm it worked.
Tips for Small Businesses
- If you're strong in one area (e.g. digital tools) but not others, apply only for the categories where you have genuine qualifications and experience — the council wants specialists, not generalists, and over-claiming will hurt your chances.
- This DPS could provide ongoing work opportunities rather than a one-off contract, so once approved, you may receive multiple invitations to bid on projects over time — it's worth the effort to get on the approved list.
- Gather all your evidence now (qualification certificates, client references, case studies showing impact, any relevant licenses) before you click 'Opt in' — the questionnaire will ask for specific details and you'll need to upload documents, so being prepared means faster submission and fewer corrections.
Actions
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How to Apply
Step-by-step submission guide
Submission Portal
Contracts Finder
Open the original notice
Click the button below to view this tender on Contracts Finder
Find the submission method
Look for "How to apply" section — most tenders link to an eSourcing platform (e.g. In-Tend, ProContract, Jaggaer)
Create an account
Register on the eSourcing platform for free — you'll need a company email and DUNS number
Download tender documents
Download the ITT (Invitation to Tender), specification, pricing schedule, and any templates
Submit your response
Upload completed documents through the portal before the deadline — late bids are automatically rejected
Most buyers do NOT accept email submissions. You must submit through their eSourcing platform. Check the notice for the exact link.
Useful Resources
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Buyer Profile
Worcestershire County CouncilKey Dates
Published
2 October 2023
Submission deadline
30 September 2028
Notice type
Contract
Source
contracts finder
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