Adult Skills and Skills Bootcamps

Cornwall Council (Council) is seeking to put in place a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to support the provision of Adult Skills and Skills Bootcamp training and commissioned activities that will support individuals to develop the skills needed for everyday life and work, including progressing towards, entering into and sustaining work and upskilling or retraining in order to advance or change their career.

As the services in this procurement fall under Schedule 3 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015, this DPS will be governed by regulations 74 to 77 (the so-called Light Touch Regime), providing the Council with additional flexibility. Unlike a continuously open DPS, this DPS will operate through a series of defined windows (initial and additional) that will open and close throughout the duration of the DPS. Further details on the additional flexibilities are detailed in the procurement documents.

The DPS will be a completely electronic system and includes three Lots:
• Lot 1 – Adult Skills
• Lot 2 – Free Courses For Jobs
• Lot 3 – Skills Bootcamps

This notice invites any organisation (‘Applicant’) interested in joining the Council’s DPS to submit a Request to Participate (‘RTP’) in stage 1 of the procurement. Those Applicants whose RTP meet the Council’s evaluation methodology will be eligible to the join the DPS as a Participant (‘Participant’). Stage 2 of the procurement the Council will use a Mini-Competition process to award Call-Off Contracts(s) to Participant(s) for Service requirements under one or more of the DPS Lots.

The Council anticipate that the DPS will be chosen approach to award a Call-Off Contracts for the delivery of Adult Skills and Free Courses For Jobs funding commencing August 2025 (following devolution of the funding to Council in 2025). Subject to confirmation of funding by Department For Education the Council also intends to use this DPS to award Skills Bootcamps delivery in Cornwall from 2025/26, replacing services previously delivered in partnership with Devon County Council under the Train 4 Tomorrow initiative.

The estimated value in this notice are given in good faith as a guide and are not an undertaking on behalf of the Council to purchase Services to this or any other particular value and shall not create a binding obligation.