TVCA-PROC-0911 - Adult Skills Fund 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29

What the buyer is asking for

Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA)(the ‘Contacting Authority’), part of the Tees Valley Combined Authority Group, is inviting tenders for the provision of Adult Skills Fund 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 with a total annual value of up to £7m and up to £21 million over a 3 academic year period, (academic years 2026/27 to 2028/2029). The required services are to deliver Adult Skills Programmes to Tees Valley residents aged 19 and over, aligned to regional skills priorities including manufacturing, construction, digital, health and social care, and emerging and everyday sectors. Providers will be expected to deliver high-quality, innovative provision that supports learner engagement, retention and progression, working collaboratively with employers, referral partners and community organisations to establish clear learner pathways. Providers must also ensure timely and accurate data returns and comply with all relevant funding, audit and contract management requirement. This provision is essential to delivering the outcome focussed Adult Skills Programme. To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://teesvalley.delta-esourcing.com/respond/BT388G5Z77 If you experience any technical difficulties from accessing the above url, then please contact the Delta eSourcing Helpdesk on call 0800 923 9236 or email helpdesk@delta-esourcing.com.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 80%qualityQuality
• 20%qualitySocial Value

What you must already have

Conditions of participation. These are pass or fail, so check them before writing anything.

• economic

  Please refer to tender documentation for full details.

• technical

  Please refer to tender documentation for full details.

4 lots

You can usually bid for one lot without bidding for all of them.

• Legal Entitlement (English, Maths and Digital)£1.5m

  This Lot is for the delivery of high-quality English, maths and digital entitlement provision for Tees Valley residents aged 19 and over who need to develop their essential skills for everyday life, further learning and employment. Provision must include the full range of government-approved qualifications, from Entry Level to Level 2, enabling learners to access the most appropriate starting point and progress through clear learning pathways as their skills, confidence and aspirations develop. Delivery should be designed to engage adults who have low prior attainment, limited confidence in learning, or other barriers to participation. Providers must support learners to achieve positive outcomes, including progression into further learning, employment and improved outcomes in work. Funding through this Lot is additional to the provision already delivered by Tees Valley's grant-funded pro

• Legal Entitlement (first full Level 2 and 3 qualifications)£3.0m

  This Lot is for the delivery of high-quality Level 2 and Level 3 legal entitlement provision for Tees Valley residents aged 19 and over who do not already hold a full qualification at the level being studied. Provision must support learners to progress into employment, further learning, higher-level study and/or improved outcomes within work. Delivery must be through government-approved qualifications and/or qualifications included on the Tees Valley Flexible Qualifications List. The funding available through this Lot is additional to the provision already delivered by Tees Valley's grant-funded providers. Successful Bidders will be expected to ensure that their provision complements existing delivery, avoids unnecessary duplication, and maximises opportunities for Tees Valley residents to access learning and progress.

• Pathways to Employment£7.5m

  This Lot provides a universal offer for adults aged 19 and over who are unemployed and actively seeking work. Provision delivered through this Lot must equip learners with the skills needed to secure, sustain and progress in employment. This includes: - Essential skills, including English, maths and digital skills; - Essential employment skills (as set out in Appendix 3); and - Sector-specific technical skills aligned to local labour market opportunities and employer demand. The Pathways to Employment programme is intended to support the Government's ambition to increase the employment rate to 80% by 2035 and to contribute to reducing unemployment across the Tees Valley. Where bidders propose to include essential skills provision (English, maths and digital) as part of a Pathways to Employment programme, they must submit a separate funding request under Lot 1: Legal Entitlements (English

• Employer-Led Skills Bootcamps£9.0m

  Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) is seeking providers to deliver collaborative, employer-led Skills Bootcamps that respond directly to identified skills shortages and workforce needs within the Tees Valley. Skills Bootcamps must be developed in partnership with employers and aligned to one or more of TVCA's priority sectors: - Advanced Manufacturing - Clean Energy - Digital, Creative and Culture - Life Sciences and Biomanufacturing - Chemical Process Industries - Foundational Economy - Construction - Business Start-up and Scale-up - Building Smarter Businesses Bidders must demonstrate clear and evidenced employer demand for their proposed Skills Bootcamp, including the skills gaps and recruitment challenges identified by participating employers. Skills Bootcamps must support Tees Valley residents aged 19 and over to: - Move into sustainable employment; - Secure improved employment o

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 14 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published25 days ago

   28 Aug 2026, 13:12 BST
2. Clarification questions by3 days ago

   18 Sept 2026, 15:00 BST
3. Submission deadlinein 4 days

   25 Sept 2026, 17:00 BST
4. Award decision expected byin 130 days

   29 Jan 2027, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender

1. Tender notice28 Aug 2026, 12:15 BST082144-2026
2. Tender updated28 Aug 2026, 13:12 BST082179-2026

Documents

• Tender notice on Find a Tender