United Kingdom57 days leftOpen

WMCA Technical Education , Skills and Employment Support Flexible Procurement System- Application 2

Tender Overview

LOCATION

West Midlands, United Kingdom

VALUE

£1,000,000,000

DEADLINE

March 31, 2026 at 11:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

80000000

REFERENCE

003838-2026

Project Timeline

Contact Information

View Original

Original Tender Description

This notice is being used to inform the market of Application 2 of the Flexible Procurement System (FPS) for Technical Education, Skills and Employment Support by West Midlands Combined Authority. WMCA have opted to establish an FPS under the Light Touch Regime rules, within the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR, 2015) to deliver our Technical Education, Skills and Employment Support services provision. An FPS is an overarching agreement that allows FPS Providers who are admitted onto it to subsequently compete for Call-off Contracts through further competitions. It operates in a similar way to a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) but will have set windows for evaluation of Applications to join. This will allow WMCA to continually expand our network of providers and welcome new FPS Providers that are able to meet our requirements for the duration of the FPS. The FPS will offer an expedient route to market and direct access to the provider base for WMCA’s Skills and Employment Support requirements. The refresh of this route to market has been made in order to align with WMCA’s Employment and Skills Strategy and to streamline the bidding process for employment and skills providers. Through engagement with key stakeholders, WMCA identified where improvements could be made to the Adult Skills DPS for the benefit of WMCA, our providers and our residents. The FPS will include five categories of delivery, linked to pillars within the Employment and Skills Strategy. In order to be included on 4 of the categories, Applicants will be required to demonstrate their understanding and capability of delivering in those category areas. The categories will include; - Building strong and inclusive communities - Providing a good education up to level 2 - Moving residents into employment and supporting career progression - Meeting future skills needs at level 3 and above through upskilling and reskilling - Innovation Although this FPS is established in order to facilitate immediate and easy access to the Adult Skills and Employment Support Market, WMCA will not be mandated to use it for every requirement. It is the Authorities attention that Call-off Competitions will be ran under this FPS in order to find suitable FPS Providers to deliver individual Technical Education, Skills and Employment Support provision Call-off Contracts. Call-off Contracts will be awarded to the successful FPS Provider/s in line with the award criteria stated in the Call-off ITT documents, which will be formulated using the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) principle, comprising of Technical, Commercial and (if applicable) Social Value criteria. The deadline for submission of initial applications is Tuesday 31st March 2025 at 12:00pm. As this is an open opportunity, applications may be submitted between 16/01/2026 and 31/03/2026 (12:00pm). While the e-tendering system will allow applicants to update their submission after it has been submitted, please note that WMCA will evaluate applications on a “first submission received” basis. Only the initial submission will be evaluated. Any updates or amendments made after submission may not be considered or evaluated. Applicants are therefore strongly advised to submit their application only once it has been fully finalised.
⚠️

MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • Adherence to the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR, 2015) is required, which includes mandatory exclusion grounds, though specific grounds are not detailed in this notice.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Apply for admission to the Flexible Procurement System (FPS).
  • Meet West Midlands Combined Authority's (WMCA) requirements for the duration of the FPS.
  • Be able to compete for subsequent Call-off Contracts.
  • Operate in the Technical Education, Skills, and Employment Support services provision market.
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Demonstrate understanding and capability of delivering in the chosen category areas (for 4 out of 5 categories).
  • Demonstrate capability in one or more of the five delivery categories: Building strong and inclusive communities; Providing a good education up to level 2; Moving residents into employment and supporting career progression; Meeting future skills needs at level 3 and above through upskilling and reskilling; Innovation.
💰

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • No specific financial requirements are detailed in the provided information.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Submit an initial application for admission to the FPS.
  • Submit applications between 16/01/2026 and 31/03/2026 at 12:00pm.
  • Ensure the application is fully finalised before submission.
  • Submit the application via the e-tendering system.
  • Note that only the initial submission will be evaluated; subsequent updates or amendments may not be considered.

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DOC
OCDS Record
OCDS Data003838-2026_ocds_record.json
Summary:
This notice details Application 2 for the West Midlands Combined Authority's Flexible Procurement System (FPS) for Technical Education, Skills, and Employment Support, requiring providers to demonstrate capability in specific delivery categories to qualify for future call-off contracts.
DOC
OCDS Release Package
OCDS Data003838-2026_ocds_release.json
Summary:
This notice announces the second application window for the West Midlands Combined Authority's Flexible Procurement System (FPS) for Technical Education, Skills, and Employment Support, inviting providers to apply to join the system to subsequently bid for call-off contracts across five delivery categories.
PDF
Official PDF Version
General Information003838-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
This document is a contract notice for Application 2 of the West Midlands Combined Authority's Flexible Procurement System (FPS) for Technical Education, Skills and Employment Support, detailing how providers can apply to join the FPS to compete for future call-off contracts.
HTM
Tender Notice
Administrative Documents003838-2026.html
Summary:
This notice invites providers to apply for admission to the West Midlands Combined Authority's Flexible Procurement System for Technical Education, Skills, and Employment Support, enabling them to compete for future call-off contracts across five delivery categories.

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65
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender establishes a Flexible Procurement System with a high estimated value, demonstrating good intent for market access and social/innovation focus, but is significantly hampered by a critical date inconsistency and lack of detailed application criteria.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance85/100

The tender clearly defines the procedure type (Open, FPS under Light Touch Regime, PCR 2015) and uses an appropriate CPV code. Basic disclosure requirements are met, and the application window provides reasonable time for submission.

Clarity65/100

The concept of the Flexible Procurement System is well-explained. However, the specific evaluation criteria for admission to the FPS are vague, only broadly mentioning 'understanding and capability,' which lacks the detail needed for clear applicant guidance. Performance conditions are also not detailed.

Vague evaluation criteria for FPS admission
Lack of detailed performance conditions
Completeness60/100

While basic information like title, organization, value, and deadlines are present, crucial detailed ITT documents for the FPS application itself are not explicitly provided or summarized. The duration of the FPS and typical call-off contracts is also missing.

Missing detailed ITT documents for FPS application
Missing explicit duration for the FPS and call-off contracts
Fairness65/100

The requirements appear generic and e-procurement is enabled, promoting broad access. However, the lack of detailed, objective evaluation criteria for FPS admission and the policy of evaluating only the 'first submission received' without considering updates could limit fairness and transparency for applicants.

Vague evaluation criteria for FPS admission
"First submission received" policy may limit fairness
Practicality60/100

Electronic submission is supported, which is practical. However, the tender lacks specific contract start dates for the FPS or subsequent call-off contracts, and explicit URLs for detailed application documents are not provided in the summary.

Missing contract start date for FPS and call-off contracts
No explicit document URL provided for detailed application documents
Data Consistency40/100

A critical inconsistency exists regarding the submission deadline, stating 'Tuesday 31st March 2025' in one part of the description while the 'Timeline' and application window clearly indicate '2026-03-31'. This significant error could cause considerable confusion for potential applicants.

Critical inconsistency in submission deadline date (2025 vs 2026)
Sustainability70/100

The tender explicitly includes 'Social Value criteria' for call-off contracts and 'Building strong and inclusive communities' as a delivery category, indicating a social focus. 'Innovation' is also a key category. However, there is no explicit mention of green procurement aspects.

No explicit green procurement focus

Strengths

Clear definition of the Flexible Procurement System (FPS) and its purpose.
High estimated value indicates significant opportunity.
Inclusion of social value and innovation as key delivery categories/criteria.
E-procurement enabled for accessibility.
Open procedure allows broad market access.

Concerns

Significant inconsistency in the submission deadline date (2025 vs 2026).
Lack of detailed evaluation criteria for admission to the FPS.
Absence of specific ITT documents for the FPS application itself.
"First submission received" policy may limit fairness for applicants.
Missing explicit duration for the FPS and subsequent call-off contracts.

Recommendations

1. Immediately clarify and correct the submission deadline date to avoid confusion.
2. Provide detailed, objective evaluation criteria for FPS admission to ensure transparency.
3. Ensure all relevant application documents (e.g., ITT for FPS admission) are readily available and clearly linked.

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B
Tender Quality Score
65/ 100 · Good

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