Scope
Reference
DN777117
Description
Nottinghamshire County Council (the Council) receives an annual grant from the Department for Education (DfE) via East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) to fund Community and Family Learning for adults aged 19+ in Nottinghamshire. The Council uses this Grant to ensure that local people have access to a range of flexible learning opportunities that contribute to their personal, social, educational and economic development. The vast majority of provision is delivered directly to the public via the Council's Contract with Inspire Learning. In addition to the contract to deliver direct services, the Council has appointed Inspire Learning to act as its agent and coordinate and manage supplementary contractors that deliver specialist provision that they do not deliver themselves.
Nottinghamshire County Council is seeking organisations who:
• are able to provide high quality Tailored Learning to adults over the age of 19 in Nottinghamshire. This provision should principally be courses that Inspire Learning is unable to deliver themselves;
• if subject to Ofsted inspections, their most recent inspection was graded Good (grade 2) or better;
• are not currently subject to a DfE notice to improve linked to their financial performance.
• will not be in receipt of Adult Skills Fund funding for the 2025-26 academic year; and
• directly deliver services.
Subcontracting is not allowed.
Providers are invited to tender for contracts for the following Community Learning provision:
• General Adult Learning
• Family Learning
• Discrete provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD)
Commercial tool
Establishes an open framework
Lot 1. General Adult Learning
Description
Courses under this theme will be under either Employability (ACL1, ACL2, ACL 3 or ACL 4) or Health and Wellbeing (ACL1, ACL6 or ACL7).Employability courses will build the confidence and basic skills for people not supported by Department of Work and Pensions programmes. Courses should not duplicate existing provision, for example basic CV writing and job searching. A need has been identified for short employability or pre-employability courses for some job seekers and under-employed people with very low-level literacy or numeracy skills. Learners with specific protected characteristics (as defined in the Equality Act 2010) may require tailored provision under this theme. Courses under this theme must have employability or pre-employability learning outcomes reflected in course planning and delivery.Health and Wellbeing Courses will improve physical, emotional and mental health through group learning. Providers are encouraged to deliver courses that engage people who are disadvantaged and least likely to participate in learning, including people on low incomes, people with caring responsibilities, people experiencing isolation and loneliness and people with mental health issues. Learners with specific protected characteristics may require tailored provision under this theme. Courses under this theme must have health and wellbeing learning outcomes reflected in course planning and delivery.
Lot 2. Family Learning
Description
Family Learning courses strengthen families and improve the skills of parents to support their children, particularly in maths and English. Family Learning courses will fall within one of these curriculum areas: Literacy; Numeracy; Information and Communication Technology (ICT); Health and Wellbeing; Creative Arts and could fall under any of ACL1-7. Courses can be adult-only or joint courses for adults and children.
Lot 3. Learners with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LLDD)
Description
These are courses to improve the lives of people with learning difficulties and disabilities. They should enable Learners to actively participate in and contribute to their communities, making choices, taking decisions, speaking for themselves, taking responsibility for their actions and exercising control over their lives. These courses could fall under any of ACL1-7.
Contract 1. Lot 1: General Adult Learning
Lots
Lot 1. General Adult Learning
Suppliers (2)
Contract value
- £37,842 including VAT
Framework lot values may be shared with other lots
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
3 October 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
3 October 2025
Standstill period
- End: 15 October 2025
- 9 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
22 October 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 3 November 2025 to 31 July 2026
- 8 months, 28 days
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 80400000 - Adult and other education services
Contract locations
- UKF15 - North Nottinghamshire
- UKF16 - South Nottinghamshire
Contract 2. Lot 2: Family Learning
Lots
Lot 2. Family Learning
Suppliers (2)
Contract value
- £62,622 including VAT
Framework lot values may be shared with other lots
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
3 October 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
3 October 2025
Standstill period
- End: 15 October 2025
- 9 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
22 October 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 3 November 2025 to 31 July 2026
- 8 months, 28 days
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 80400000 - Adult and other education services
Contract locations
- UKF15 - North Nottinghamshire
- UKF16 - South Nottinghamshire
Contract 3. Lot 3: Discrete provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD)
Lots
Lot 3. Learners with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LLDD)
Suppliers (3)
Contract value
- £154,533 including VAT
Framework lot values may be shared with other lots
Above the relevant threshold
Award decision date
3 October 2025
Date assessment summaries were sent to tenderers
3 October 2025
Standstill period
- End: 15 October 2025
- 9 working days
Earliest date the contract will be signed
22 October 2025
Contract dates (estimated)
- 3 November 2025 to 31 July 2026
- 8 months, 28 days
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 80400000 - Adult and other education services
Contract locations
- UKF15 - North Nottinghamshire
- UKF16 - South Nottinghamshire
Information about tenders
Lot 1. General Adult Learning
- 17 tenders received
- 17 tenders assessed in the final stage:
- 17 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
- 2 suppliers awarded contracts
- 15 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)
Lot 2. Family Learning
- 8 tenders received
- 8 tenders assessed in the final stage:
- 8 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
- 2 suppliers awarded contracts
- 6 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)
Lot 3. Learners with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LLDD)
- 6 tenders received
- 6 tenders assessed in the final stage:
- 6 submitted by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- 0 submitted by voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
- 3 suppliers awarded contracts
- 3 suppliers unsuccessful (details included for contracts over £5 million)
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Special regime
Light touch
Suppliers
CREATIVE PATHS (EM) CIC
- Companies House: 08599119
- UK Register of Learning Providers (UKPRN number): 10046820
Stapleford Business Hub Stapleford Business Hub,
Stapleford,
NG9 7JQ
United Kingdom
Email: info@creativepaths.org.uk
Website: http://www.creativepaths.org.uk
Region: UKF16 - South Nottinghamshire
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): Yes
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 1. Lot 1: General Adult Learning
Contract 3. Lot 3: Discrete provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD)
GET WISE ENTERPRISE C.I.C.
- Companies House: 10624169
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PLDH-7555-VTNZ
Ksr Accountants, The Old Buttermarket
Newark
NG22 0LJ
United Kingdom
Email: hello@getwise.world
Website: http://www.getwise.world
Region: UKF15 - North Nottinghamshire
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): Yes
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 1. Lot 1: General Adult Learning
LIFE EDUCATION EAST MIDLANDS LIMITED
- Companies House: 03207842
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVWC-2244-BRLX
128 Ramsey Drive
Nottingham
NG5 6SD
United Kingdom
Email: admin@lifeeducationeastmidlands.co.uk
Website: http://www.lecn.co.uk
Region: UKF16 - South Nottinghamshire
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): No
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): No
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 2. Lot 2: Family Learning
REACH LEARNING DISABILITY
- Companies House: 03724275
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PYQX-9186-MVDG
Prebend Passage
Southwell
NG25 0JH
United Kingdom
Email: info@reachuk.org
Website: http://www.reachuk.org
Region: UKF15 - North Nottinghamshire
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): Yes
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 3. Lot 3: Discrete provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD)
THE HARLEY FOUNDATION
- Charity Commission (England and Wales): 276611
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PXXB-8392-GNMJ
WELBECK
WORKSOP
S80 3LW
United Kingdom
Email: info@harleyfoundation.org.uk
Website: https://harleyfoundation.org.uk
Region: UKF15 - North Nottinghamshire
Small or medium-sized enterprise (SME): Yes
Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE): Yes
Supported employment provider: No
Public service mutual: No
Contract 2. Lot 2: Family Learning
Contract 3. Lot 3: Discrete provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD)
Contracting authority
Nottinghamshire County Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PBCV-5152-BXBP
County Hall, Loughborough Road
Nottingham
NG2 7QP
United Kingdom
Region: UKF16 - South Nottinghamshire
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government