Published date: 17 January 2025

This notice was replaced on 17 January 2025

This notice does not contain the most up-to-date information about this procurement. The most recent notice is:

Early engagement (published 17 January 2025, last edited 17 January 2025)

Closed early engagement


Contract summary

Industry

  • Administration services - 75100000

  • Education and training services - 80000000

Location of contract

North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West

Procurement reference

tender_420933/1442908

Published date

17 January 2025

Closing date

7 February 2025

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

No

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No


Description

The Department for Education (DfE) is considering launching a regional Industry Placement Coordinators (IPCO) project to support T Levels within NHS Integrated Care Systems (ICS). T Levels combine classroom learning with an industry placement of at least 315 hours. Industry placements offer students work experience to enhance their career prospects.

The DfE funded a pilot in 2023-25, embedding IPCOs within seven ICSs, to support the NHS to host more industry placements, addressing challenges such as limited resources and lack of awareness.

Vision: Building on the pilot's success, the DfE wishes to explore a further project, expanding the scope of the role to cover a whole region. Each IPCO would be based within an ICS with a wider geographical remit, to broaden their impact.

Desired outcomes include:
- High-quality industry placement experience and a pathway to employment within the NHS
- Enhanced employer engagement
- Closer relationships between employers and providers
- Standardised, efficient processes
- Sustainability.

The aims of this early market engagement event are to explore:
- interest in hosting an IPCO.
- how regional coverage could be achieved, including: how IPCOs might manage the additional workload; how this would change the role (balancing strategic and operational work); and the implications for governance.
- how best to distribute IPCOs, given that some NHS regions have more ICSs than others.
- how quickly the project could start, with the goal of having IPCOs in post by 01.10.2025
- risks and mitigations.
- sustainability of the project's impact beyond the funding period, including alternative ways IPCOs could be funded after DfE funding ceases.


DfE will be hosting an open, virtual market engagement event on 7th February 2025 from 10:00-11:00 via Microsoft Teams. (Teams event meeting link below):

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e1d6fbaf-5883-4a18-852f-75aaf8eabdeb@fad277c9-c60a-4da1-b5f3-b3b8b34a82f9

Registered attendees will join the webinar with their cameras and mics off. They can participate via chat, reactions and Q&A and a Supplier Feedback Questionnaire will be distributed after the event to gather feedback on the propositions.

Please note this is not a call for competition and does not commit us to procuring or procuring services in specific ways, and any future opportunities are subject to budget decisions and availability.


About the buyer

Address

Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
England

Email

CommercialDelivery.SKILLS@education.gov.uk