Approved Provider List for the Provision of Skills Bootcamps

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking to create an approved provider list of suitably qualified organisations to deliver innovative Skills Bootcamps across Buckinghamshire.

Skills Bootcamps are part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, helping everyone gain skills for life. Buckinghamshire Council is planning to apply for up to an estimated £10.5 million funding over the next 3 years from the Department of Education to support learners through Skills Bootcamps.

Skills Bootcamps are flexible training courses for adults aged 19 and over (subject to eligibility criteria). They last up to 16 weeks with a minimum of 60 hours of learning, enabling participants to complete training around work and other commitments, and are open for participants looking to gain work, wishing to upskill, or access new opportunities, and will offer a guaranteed job interview (in the case of a new job) to individual participants on completion of the course. The courses are open to adults who are full-time and part-time employed, unemployed or returning to work after a break or self-employed, to address the needs of employers and the wider economy, to deliver targeted interventions to meet short/medium term demand to fill vacancies and drive productivity.

To find out more about the national programme and skills bootcamps go to https://find-employer-schemes.education.gov.uk/

We are inviting organisations to apply to join the approved provider list to deliver skills bootcamps in Buckinghamshire across the following subject areas called Lots:

Lot 1 – Digital

Lot 2 – Construction

Lot 3 - Green Skills

Lot 4 – Engineering (e.g. Motor Vehicle Technician)

Lot 5 – Creative

Lot 6 - Business and Administration

Lot 7 - Hospitality and Tourism

Lot 8 - Education and Early Years

These support interventions will help to support the upskilling of individuals between Level 2 to Level 3 with qualifications relevant to the sector and the job.

The approved provider list will be in place for 3 years.

It is anticipated that call-off contracts will be conducted annually from the list either by direct award or mini-competition. If additional funds become available during the year, the Council reserves the right to conduct a direct award or mini competition to allocate the additional funds. It is anticipated the first call-off contracts will commence April 2025.

The estimated value of call-off contracts is £10,500,000 over 3 years. This figure is an estimate only and is subject to funding. It is based on the Councils application for funding for 2025-26 from the Department for Education to support learners through Skills Bootcamps.

All contracts awarded under this opportunity will be subject to available budget and resource.

The approved provider list is being established under the Public Contract Regulation 2015 Light Touch Regime (LTR).

Organisations wishing to apply to join the Approved Provider List for Skills Bootcamps in a Lot(s) are requested to register on the Council’s portal www.supplybucksbusiness.org.uk, express and interest in this procurement, download and return completed in full the relevant documentation (guidance, specifications, contract terms and conditions, and response document questionnaires) which is available for download.

Applications must be returned via the Buckinghamshire Business Portal. The application return date is midday on Friday 10th January 2025. Applications received after this time and date will not be accepted.