Scope
Reference
C0100
Description
NB: Contract commenced on 3 November 2025. Due to supplier office re-location, the contract was signed on 12 January 2026. This had no impact on the scope of this contract.
The contract will promote a culture of shared learning between all Fund grant holders in Northern Ireland, offering a scheduled programme of support and activities for grant holders to sign up to. It will offer a tiered approach, with availability of different levels of engagement to suit grant holders' specific needs and circumstances. Grant holder focussed research has helped us identify the importance of bringing communities together to learn from each other, including peer learning, coaching, mentoring, and communities of practice as well as supporting them to share their learning and impact with a wider audience. The contract aims to be creative, exploring new ways to facilitate learning and connect grant holders. Grant holders will be given opportunities to engage with each other related to where they are located and with regards to themes related to specific learning. It will not focus on traditional classroom learning or training but focus on developing skills and knowledge through connection with others. It will also provide opportunities to share this learning with each other, communities, the wider sector and policy makers.
This contract will be for the clear benefit of participating grant holders, however, learning from the contract should feed into a wider system of sharing information and evidence across the Evidence and Impact function and the Fund more widely. There will be three main aims of the learning contract, under which we expect the delivery partner(s) to define specific activities. It may be that some activities could meet more than one of these aims: 1) Engage - facilitate networks and collaboration, promoting a culture of shared learning between grant holders; 2) Enable - build grant holders' skills, knowledge, and expertise through connecting with other grant holders; and 3) Empower - support grant holders with the skills to share their learning and creating opportunities for them to do this and amplify their reach.
Contract 1. C0100 Grant Holder Learning
Supplier
Contract value
- £1,190,237.50 excluding VAT
- £1,428,285 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Date signed
12 January 2026
Contract dates
- 12 January 2026 to 2 November 2028
- Possible extension to 2 November 2030
- 4 years, 9 months, 22 days
Description of possible extension:
Optional two x 12 month extension periods.
Each extension period is valued up to £250,000.00 (excluding VAT).
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
- 80000000 - Education and training services
Contract locations
- UK - United Kingdom
Justification for not setting key performance indicators
Not applicable.
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Supplier
CENTRE FOR EFFECTIVE SERVICES
- Companies House: BR015172
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PLHJ-8114-PXCV
41 Arthur Street
Belfast
BT1 4GB
United Kingdom
Email: office@effectiveservices.org
Website: https://www.effectiveservices.org
Region: UKN06 - Belfast
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): Yes
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 1. C0100 Grant Holder Learning
Contracting authority
The National Lottery Community Fund
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PNLV-9975-CQQW
Apex House, 3 Embassy Drive
Birmingham
B15 1TR
United Kingdom
Region: UKG31 - Birmingham
Organisation type: Public authority - central government