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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Investment Zone Scoping – Higher Skills Capacity Evaluation

West Midlands Combined Authority · Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 5 Oct 2026, 07:26.

Opportunity overview

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is made up of 18 local councils, working together to make the West Midlands the best place to live, work and visit. Our priorities include homes, jobs, transport and growth for everyone. As an organisation, we're focused on making life better for people in the West Midlands. To achieve this, WMCA, working with partners as part of the West Midlands Investment Zone, is developing a specification to assess the capacity and capability of local skills and education providers to deliver high level skills and qualifications across several identified sectors and clusters. The WMCA is seeking to commission an evaluation of the current Skills Delivery Capacity with a focus on its Investment Zones during 2026. The purpose of the commission will be to understand and assess what the current skills capacity is to deliver high level skills that will support Investment Zone (IZ) aims and objectives as well as wider aspirations within the WMCA Growth Plan. Furthermore, it is intended that when WMCA do approach the market, the successful supplier will: • Assess and identify how the current skills ecosystem and training delivery capacity can be strengthened. • Outline how WMCA can enhance collaboration among Further Education (FE), Higher Education (HE), and private providers to meet industry needs reducing fragmentation and inefficient engagement. • Assess the current higher-level skills offer in the region at Level 4 and Level 5 training providers and with particular reference to the identified WM clusters. • Design and produce a mechanism for providing ongoing periodic assessment of this landscape to understand where gaps are reducing, being maintained or increasing and make recommendations accordingly.

Classification

  • CPV79419000 — Evaluation consultancy services

Lots

  • Lot 1Value not stated

Documents and notices

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
PRT-SKILLS-DCG-2025-0002
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
No
Status
planning

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Communication

Future Notice Date
1 Mar 2026, 23:59

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
planning

Suitability

Sme
Yes
Vcse
Yes

Contract period

Starts
1 May 2026, 00:00
Ends
30 Apr 2029, 23:59

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
79419000
Description
Evaluation consultancy services

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKG
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom

Planning and budget

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
engagement
Type
engagement
Description
To participate in this engagement process, please register your interest on our new Proactis procurement platform using the link below: https://procontract.due-north.com/Procurer/Advert/View?advertId=dd2dd087-84ec-f011-813c-005056b64545&fromAdvertEvent=True Once registered, you will receive access to additional information and the questionnaire. Please ensure the completed questionnaire is submitted by 09 January 2026 at 23:59. WMCA may invite you to participate in a face-to-face meeting or Teams call to further discuss your response. If so, you will receive communication via the Proactis Portal. Please note, this is not a formal PQQ or expression of interest in a tender exercise. This Pre-Market Engagement is to be used purely by the WMCA to provide potential delivery partners with more information about WMCA’s plans for an online engagement platform. The WMCA will not be liable for costs incurred by an interested party participating in this exercise.
Due
23 Jan 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled

Documents

Entry 1
Id
002196-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Published
12 Jan 2026, 11:21
Format
text/html

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
West Midlands Combined Authority
Id
GB-PPON-PGMD-1353-PZVX

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PGMD-1353-PZVX

Address

Street Address
West Midlands Combined Authority
Locality
Birmingham
Postal Code
B19 3SD
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKG31

Contact

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - sub-central government

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · Birmingham · UKG31 · B19 3SD · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKG · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. 002196-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·