Scope
Reference
2730488
Description
West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), in partnership with City of Wolverhampton Council, Dudley MBC, Sandwell, MBC and Walsall MBC are pleased to announce their intention to procure Supported Employment provision for disabled residents, residents with long-term health conditions, and other agreed disadvantaged groups with complex barriers to sustain work.
Set out in the Adults Skills and Employment Functional Strategy https://governance.wmca.org.uk/documents/s23891/Appendix 3 Functional Strategies Merged.pdf, our ambition is to develop an integrated employment and skills system that stimulates economic growth and delivers better outcomes for residents and businesses. Central to realising this is the flexibility we have secured as part of our deeper devolution deal, which gives the WMCA further policy influence with our system partners DWP and DfE, and control over adult skills and employment spending through the Integrated Settlement.
The opportunity created by the Get Britain Working White Paper paves the way for further devolved responsibility for employment support working in partnership with DWP. Demonstrated through a devolved role in supported employment through the new Connect to Work programme and stronger role in partnership with DWP to deliver better outcomes for residents, it will further enable us to deliver our ambition for an integrated system that meets residents' needs, especially those disadvantaged in the labour market through ill health or disability, in alignment with the region's three Integrated Care Board's WorkWell pilots.
Through Integrated Settlement, WMCA has secured £5.72million to support up to 1400 participants to sustain work through the delivery of Individual Placement & Support (IPS) and Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) models in 2025-26, with the potential to extend and scale up delivery in subsequent years. WMCA's Adult Skills & Employment Functional Strategy is available online through the following link: https://www.wmca.org.uk/documents/integrated-settlement/adult-skills-employment-functional-strategy/ with WMCA's approach to Connect to Work outlined in the Connect to Work Business Justification Case found here: https://governance.wmca.org.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=135&MId=1228&Ver=4
Contract 2
Supplier
Contract value
- £1,902,721 excluding VAT
- £2,283,265.20 including VAT
Below the relevant threshold
Date signed
16 January 2026
Contract dates
- 16 January 2026 to 31 March 2027
- Possible extension to 31 March 2028
- 2 years, 2 months, 16 days
Description of possible extension:
From 1st April 2026 potential variation and extension to deliver Phase 3 and Phase 4 (1st April 2026 to 31st March 2028)
Phase 3 = 12 months (Engagement & Support)
Phase 4 = 12 months (Support only)
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 80000000 - Education and training services
Contract locations
- UKG38 - Walsall
- UKG39 - Wolverhampton
- UKG36 - Dudley
- UKG37 - Sandwell
Key performance indicators
| Name | Description | Reporting frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Programme Starts | A minimum number of 565 young people who start on the programme and successfully complete their vocational profile meeting by March 2026. |
1 months |
| Out of Work First Earnings | Number of out of work participants who achieve first earnings within 456 calendar days from the participants programme start date or if extended up to 638 calendar days from the start date |
1 months |
| Lower Threshold Out of work outcome | Number of out of work participants who achieve a lower threshold outcome measured as 9 hours x 13 weeks x NLW and self employed equivalent measured over 13 cumulative weeks |
1 months |
| Higher threshold out of work outcome | Threshold outcome measured as 18 hours x 26 weeks x NLW and self employed equivalent measured over 26 cumulative weeks |
1 months |
| Higher threshold in work outcome | Number of in work participants who sustain 26 weeks of consecutive employment from the point of the participants programme start. |
|
| Number of employment specialists | Number of employments specialists in post each month |
1 months |
Participation
This procurement was reserved for
Supported employment providers
Submission
Submission type
Requests to participate
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Supplier
The Shaw Trust Limited
- Companies House: 01744121
Black Country House, Rounds Green Road
Oldbury
B69 2DG
United Kingdom
Email: customercare@shaw-trust.org.uk
Website: https://shawtrust.org.uk/
Region: UKG37 - Sandwell
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): Yes
Contract 2
Contracting authority
West Midlands Combined Authority
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PGMD-1353-PZVX
16 Summer Lane
Birmingham
B19 3SD
United Kingdom
Email: procurement.team@wmca.org.uk
Website: http://www.WMCA.org.uk
Region: UKG31 - Birmingham
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government
Other organisations
These organisations are carrying out the procurement, or part of it, on behalf of the contracting authorities.
City if Wolverhampton Council
Summary of their role in this procurement: Evaluation of Tenders
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVBV-7568-LBLL
Civic Centre, St Peters Square
Wolverhampton
WV1 1SH
United Kingdom
Region: UKG39 - Wolverhampton
Walsall MBC
Summary of their role in this procurement: Evaluation of Tenders
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHGR-7481-DHXR
Civic Centre
Walsall
WS1 1XU
United Kingdom
Region: UKG38 - Walsall
Dudley MBC
Summary of their role in this procurement: Evalaution of Tenders
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PWYJ-3537-GLBW
The Council House Priory Road
Dudley
DY1 1HF
United Kingdom
Email: Viv.webb@dudley.gov.uk
Region: UKG36 - Dudley
Sandwell MBC
Summary of their role in this procurement: Evaluation of Tenders
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PJHD-8764-YRJJ
Sandwell Council House, Freeth Street
Oldbury
B69 3DE
United Kingdom
Email: Kelly.Harris@Sandwell.gov.uk
Region: UKG37 - Sandwell