AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
The Department for Work and Pensions awarded an exploratory study of private-sector training provision in England to IFF. The notice records an active award worth £81,132.16, with a stated contract period from 12 October 2026 to 12 February 2027.
Published outcomeOne active award is recorded to IFF following a call-off from a framework agreement.
Market significanceThis is a small, short-term social-research commission focused on evidence about the overall training market, private provision and gaps in private-training data.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
IFF
97% confidenceAward ocds-b5fd17-a9e20152-9d09-4918-8a1d-61bba77afb7b-1 · 81132.16 GBP · active
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The active award names supplier “IFF” and records an award value of £81,132.16.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice status
99% confidenceAwarded contract notice; source status complete
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The record is labelled “Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder”; process stage is award and source status is complete.
Award status
99% confidenceActive
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Award ocds-b5fd17-a9e20152-9d09-4918-8a1d-61bba77afb7b-1 has status “active”.
Award decision date
98% confidence9 October 2026
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The award date is 2026-10-09T00:00:00+01:00.
Contract start
98% confidence12 October 2026
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The stated contract period starts 2026-10-12T00:00:00+01:00.
Contract end
98% confidence12 February 2027
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The stated contract period ends 2027-02-12T23:59:59Z.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value
99% confidence£81,132.16
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The award value is recorded as 81132.16 GBP.
Value allocation
96% confidenceAllocated to the single recorded award
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One award is supplied, naming IFF and carrying the stated value.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Tender deadline
98% confidence5 July 2026, 23:59 BST
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The tender period end date is 2026-07-05T23:59:00+01:00.
Award date
98% confidence9 October 2026
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The award record gives 2026-10-09.
Award notice publication
99% confidence14 October 2026
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The award notice datePublished is 2026-10-14T15:33:57+01:00.
Stated delivery period
98% confidence12 October 2026 to 12 February 2027
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The supplied contract period gives these start and end timestamps.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidenceExploratory study of training delivered within England’s private sector
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The description states that Skills England sought a supplier to undertake an exploratory study of private-sector training provision in England.
Research outputs
98% confidenceTraining-market summary; assessment of evidence gaps in private-training data; feasibility of data collection to address gaps
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The published description lists these intended activities.
Service classification
99% confidenceCPV 79315000 — Social research services
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The tender classification is CPV 79315000, described as Social research services.
Delivery geography
84% confidenceMultiple locations listed, including the United Kingdom, Europe and Rest of the World
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The source lists broad delivery locations alongside postal code SW1H 9NA; it does not explain the operational allocation among them.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procurement route
99% confidenceSelective procedure
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The process procurement method is recorded as selective.
Route detail
99% confidenceCall-off from a framework agreement
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The procurement method details state “Call-off from a framework agreement”.
Competition information
99% confidenceNumber of bidders and evaluation results unknown
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No bid count, tenderer list, scores, ranking or evaluation narrative is supplied in the published record.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Stated term
96% confidenceApproximately four months
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The stated period runs from 12 October 2026 to 12 February 2027.
Extension or renewal terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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No extension, option or renewal terms are supplied.
SME suitability flag
95% confidenceYes
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The tender suitability field records sme: true.
VCSE suitability flag
95% confidenceNo
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The tender suitability field records vcse: false.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Commercial structure
97% confidenceFramework call-off for a defined research study
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The notice describes a call-off from a framework agreement for an exploratory social-research assignment.
Demand signal
98% confidenceBuyer is seeking evidence on the size and role of private training provision and on data gaps
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The scope explicitly covers the total training market, private provision, evidence gaps and data-collection feasibility.
Award rationale
99% confidenceUnknown
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The notice does not publish reasons for selection, quality scores, pricing analysis or comparative bidder information.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Supplier identity
99% confidenceIFF is an unverified source name
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Supplier identity status is checked_unmatched: the Companies House workflow completed without finding a safe company match. No verified legal company name or company number is supplied.
Award versus contract evidence
99% confidenceActive award and stated contract period are published; signature or execution is not evidenced
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The source is an awarded contract notice with an active award and contract-period fields, but supplies no explicit signed-contract evidence.
Location interpretation
94% confidenceDelivery locations are broad and operational geography is unclear
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The record lists multiple territories and regions without describing where work will be performed or how locations apply.
Published evaluation detail
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice
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No bidder count, scores, award rationale, pricing breakdown or framework reference is provided.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The supplier name “IFF” was checked but did not safely match to a Companies House company record; no verified legal name or company number is available.
- The notice does not provide explicit evidence that a contract was signed or executed.
- Information not supplied in the published notice: bidder count, competing suppliers, evaluation methodology, scores, award rationale, pricing breakdown and framework agreement reference.
- No lot structure or individual lot allocation is published.
- The broad delivery-location list does not establish the actual work locations or allocation of activity.
- No extension, option or renewal terms are published.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Department for Work and PensionsSkills EnglandIFFprivate training provisionsocial research servicesframework call-offContracts Finder
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who received the award?
The notice records IFF as the supplier. The supplied identity-checking workflow did not find a safe Companies House match, so this is an unverified source name.
What is the award value?
The single recorded award is valued at £81,132.16.
What is being commissioned?
An exploratory study of private-sector training provision in England, including market evidence, data gaps and feasibility of collecting additional data.
When does the stated contract period end?
The stated end date is 12 February 2027. No renewal or extension terms are published.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.