Published date: 24 February 2023

Last edited date: 4 March 2026

Open opportunity - This means that the contract is currently active, and the buying department is looking for potential suppliers to fulfil the contract.


Closing: 31 July 2027, 11:55pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Education and training services - 80000000

Location of contract

United Kingdom

Value of contract

£3,000,000,000 to £10,000,000,000

Procurement reference

YPO001-DN554240-89671796

Published date

24 February 2023

Closing date

31 July 2027

Closing time

11:55pm

Contract start date

1 August 2027

Contract end date

2 August 2027

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Other

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

YPO are looking for providers to be appointed onto a Framework Agreement for the provision of Apprenticeship Standards and Associated Training. The Framework is designed to meet the needs of all public sector organisations which includes YPO's internal requirements. YPO may seek to introduce collaborative partners to this Framework throughout its duration to support growth.
The routes are as prescribed by the 'Skills England/Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)'. These were defined using labour market information regarding the size and nature of occupations grouped to reflect shared requirements for occupationally related skills and knowledge.

The routes are listed on the left hand side of the 'Skills England' website:
https://skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/

YPO will list all routes, along with standards which are approved for delivery, and providers will have the ability to select which standards region they are able to deliver in when bidding for the framework.

The routes will be as listed by the Skills England/Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) guidance.

The framework will replicate the structure that is provided by Skills England/Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). If the structure is amended by them then the framework structure will be amended to run in-line on the next quarter update.

Please be advised that Skills England/Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has the ability to change the title of routes and move standards into alternative routes based on feedback from contracting authorities, YPO reserve the right to follow the same process based on Skills England/Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) direction.

Any new routes will be added onto the framework on a quarterly basis with the subsequent standards aligned under them.

On a quarterly basis YPO will add on new developed standards as they appear on the above website, the number of standards will continue to grow and will be updated in the documents.
Providers will be able to bid for all live standards that have been listed from the beginning of the framework and all new standards that are added by Skills England/Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) throughout the duration of the framework.

The standards are each listed on the Skills England/Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) website and can be found at:
https://skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/

At the point of the framework being published there will be:
- 11 regions
- 15 routes
- 646 standards

YPO is managing this procurement process in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR). This is a Framework Agreement being procured under the Light Touch Regime (LTR) procedure therefore subject to the limited regulation and will be conducted in accordance with regulations 74 to 76 PCR2015.

More information

Previous notice about this procurement

YPO - 001086 Apprenticeships

  • Opportunity
  • Published 24 February 2023

Links

Additional text

The Framework Agreement will cover the period from 1st August 2023 to 31st July 2027.

New providers to the framework process;
YPO will re-open the procurement process for new providers to bid to be a part of the framework on a quarterly basis. However, YPO reserve the right to re-open more or less frequently if YPO feel that these timescales do not run in line with market changes or customer demands. YPO will give a months notice to amend these time periods. The apprenticeship market is changing and developing across all of the public sector and YPO want to ensure that we can meet the needs of both providers and customers.

New providers will be able to bid for previously listed standards on the framework and new standards that were added.

There is no limit to the number of providers that will be allocated onto each standard.

Please refer to the Apprenticeship Framework - Appendix E - 4 year timetable (Reference 1086) within the YPO Tendering Portal at https://ypo2.my.site.com/s/Welcome where each round is highlighted accordingly.

How to apply

Follow the instructions given in the description or the more information section.

About the buyer

Contact name

Contracts Team

Address

41 Industrial Park
Wakefield
WF2 0XE
United Kingdom

Telephone

+44 1924885903

Email

contracts@ypo.co.uk

Website

http://ypo2.my.site.com/s/Welcome