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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

Social Work National Professional Development Offer

Department for Education · Contract award notice on Find a Tender

Tender information last checkedLast checked 20 Oct 2026, 15:27.

Opportunity overview

The Department for Education (DfE) has established a closed framework for the design, development and delivery of a national learning and development offer for Child and Family Social Workers in England. The Social Work National Professional Development Offer Framework is intended to strengthen the development of qualified child and family social workers and support clearer, structured career pathways aligned to the specialist knowledge and skills required to better support children and families. Delivery will be supported through a digital platform to enable flexible access, consistency of provision and scalability across the workforce. The framework is divided into two lots: Lot 1: Early Career Development Programme (ECDP), Family Help Team Manager Programme (FHTMP) and Lead Child Protection Practitioner Programme (LCPPP). These programmes focus on developing practice and management capability across key workforce roles. Lot 2: Leadership Programme (LP) and Director of Children's Services Leadership Programme (DCSLP). These programmes focus on strengthening leadership capability at senior levels. The estimated annual participant volumes are approximately: • 2,800 participants for ECDP; • up to 500 participants across four cohorts for FHTMP; • up to 500 participants for LCPPP; • up to 130 participants for LP (65 in post and 65 aspirant); and • all new and interim Directors of Children's Services, plus a minimum of 20 aspirants, for DCSLP. Participant volumes are indicative only, subject to demand and will be confirmed through individual Call-Off competitions. The estimated maximum value of the framework is £108,490,000 (excluding VAT). This represents the potential aggregate value of contracts awarded over the full duration of the framework and does not constitute a commitment to spend. The Department has attributed the following indicative values to each lot: Lot 1 Value: £92,067,527 Lot 2 Value: £16,422,473 The indicative values attributed to individual lots are not intended to represent fixed financial allocations. The Department may adjust the value attributed to any lot during the operation of the framework to reflect changes in demand, service requirements or procurement strategy, provided that the aggregate value of all contracts awarded under the framework does not exceed the overall maximum framework value of £108,490,000 (excluding VAT). Appointed suppliers are responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the services, including programme design, development of learning content, delivery of training, digital hosting, user experience, and the provision of supporting resources and materials. Suppliers were permitted to bid for one or both lots. The framework allowed for the appointment of up to three suppliers to Lot 1 and up to two suppliers to Lot 2. Following completion of the procurement process, The Frontline Organisation has been appointed to Lot 1 (ECDP, FHTMP and LCPPP), while VSC Plus Ltd and The Frontline Organisation have been appointed to Lot 2 (LP and DCSLP). Call-Off Contracts will be awarded in accordance with the Framework Agreement throughout the framework term. The framework will operate for a maximum term of five years and eleven months. Without prejudice to any other rights of termination set out in the Framework Agreement the Department reserves the right to terminate the Framework Agreement from 31 August 2029 in accordance with the terms of the agreement. The Department may make Changes to reflect variations in its requirements for the Services, including but not limited to where demand for the Services is greater than anticipated. Such Changes may include: (a) amendments to the volume or scale of the Services [and proportionate increases to the maximum value of this Framework Agreement and/or any Call-Off Contracts]; and (b) the introduction of an additional Lot or Lots into this Framework Agreement during its term, provided that any such Change does not materially alter the overall nature of this Framework Agreement. All communication relating to this procurement must be submitted via the Jaggaer portal.

Awarded to

Amounts belong to published awards or contracts. Where several suppliers share one value, it is labelled as shared and is not a supplier-specific allocation.

The Frontline Organisation

Matched by exact name
Published award value
£21.4m
Awarded
22 Sept 2026
Award ID
1
Status
pending
Identifier
GB-PPON PHQW-3543-QBGM
Location
London, UKI31, WC1N 1AZ, United Kingdom

VSC Plus Ltd

Matched by exact name
Published award value
£7.4m
Awarded
22 Sept 2026
Award ID
2
Status
pending
Identifier
GB-PPON PPQN-6582-VDDP
Location
Manchester, UKD33, M2 6FW, United Kingdom

The Frontline Organisation

Matched by exact name
Published award value
£9.1m
Awarded
22 Sept 2026
Award ID
3
Status
pending
Identifier
GB-PPON PHQW-3543-QBGM
Location
London, UKI31, WC1N 1AZ, United Kingdom

Classification

No classification was supplied.

Lots

  • Lot 1Value not stated
  • Lot 2Value 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
project_10342
Status
complete
Procurement Method
open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure

Legal basis

Id
2023/54
Scheme
UKPGA

Special regime

lightTouch

Techniques

Has Framework Agreement
Yes

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
complete
Entry 2
Id
2
Status
complete

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Name
Department for Education
Id
GB-PPON-PDZG-3487-DPVD

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PDZG-3487-DPVD

Address

Street Address
Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street
Locality
London
Postal Code
SW1P3BT
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKI32

Contact

Roles

buyer

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
UK_CA_TYPE
Id
publicAuthorityCentralGovernment
Description
Public authority - central government
Organisation 2
Name
The Frontline Organisation
Id
GB-PPON-PHQW-3543-QBGM

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PHQW-3543-QBGM

Address

Street Address
Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square,
Locality
London
Postal Code
WC1N 1AZ
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKI31

Contact

Roles

supplier
tenderer

Details

Scale
large
Vcse
Yes
Public Service Mission Organization
No
Sheltered Workshop
No
Organisation 3
Name
VSC Plus Ltd
Id
GB-PPON-PPQN-6582-VDDP

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PPQN-6582-VDDP

Address

Street Address
Dalton Place, 29 John Dalton Street
Locality
Manchester
Postal Code
M2 6FW
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKD33

Contact

Roles

supplier
tenderer

Details

Scale
large
Vcse
No
Public Service Mission Organization
No
Sheltered Workshop
No
Organisation 4
Name
Kingston University
Id
GB-PPON-PNNT-2922-BHBH

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PNNT-2922-BHBH

Address

Street Address
Holmwood House, Grove Crescent
Locality
Kingston upon Thames
Postal Code
KT1 2EE
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKI63

Roles

tenderer

Details

Scale
large
Vcse
No
Organisation 5
Name
Middlesex University Higher Education Corporation
Id
GB-PPON-PGTG-7772-VBLN

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PGTG-7772-VBLN

Address

Street Address
Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education. Middlesex University
Locality
London
Postal Code
NW4 4BT
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKI71

Roles

tenderer

Details

Scale
large
Vcse
No
Organisation 6
Name
University of Lancashire
Id
GB-PPON-PXZY-8464-ZLQL

Identifier

Scheme
GB-PPON
Id
PXZY-8464-ZLQL

Address

Street Address
Adelphi Building
Locality
Preston
Postal Code
PR1 2HE
Country
GB
Country Name
United Kingdom
Region
UKD45

Roles

tenderer

Details

Scale
large
Vcse
No

Award information

Award 1
Id
1
Title
Lot 1
Status
pending
Date
23 Sept 2026, 00:00
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
Yes
Has Options
Yes
Assessment Summaries Date Sent
19 Oct 2026, 00:00

Items

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
80000000
Description
Education and training services
Entry 2
Scheme
CPV
Id
80400000
Description
Adult and other education services
Entry 3
Scheme
CPV
Id
80510000
Description
Specialist training services
Entry 4
Scheme
CPV
Id
80530000
Description
Vocational training services

Value

Including VAT
25,735,122
Amount
21,445,935
Currency
GBP

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-PPON-PHQW-3543-QBGM
Name
The Frontline Organisation

Standstill Period

Ends
29 Oct 2026, 23:59

Contract period

Starts
30 Oct 2026, 00:00
Ends
31 Aug 2032, 23:59

Options

Description
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. The Department may make Changes to reflect variations in its requirements for the Services, including but not limited to where demand for the Services is greater than anticipated. Such Changes may include: (a) amendments to the volume or scale of the Services [and proportionate increases to the maximum value of this Framework Agreement and/or any Call-Off Contracts]; and (b) the introduction of an additional Lot or Lots into this Framework Agreement during its term, provided that any such Change does not materially alter the overall nature of this Framework Agreement.

Related lots

1

Documents

Entry 1
Id
099026-2026
Document Type
awardNotice
Notice Type
UK6
Description
Contract award notice on Find a Tender
Published
20 Oct 2026, 13:49
Format
text/html

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
1
Type
futureSignatureDate
Due
30 Oct 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled
Award 2
Id
2
Title
Lot 2
Status
pending
Date
23 Sept 2026, 00:00
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
Yes
Has Options
Yes
Assessment Summaries Date Sent
19 Oct 2026, 00:00

Items

Item 1
Id
2
Related Lot
2

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
80000000
Description
Education and training services
Entry 2
Scheme
CPV
Id
80400000
Description
Adult and other education services
Entry 3
Scheme
CPV
Id
80510000
Description
Specialist training services
Entry 4
Scheme
CPV
Id
80530000
Description
Vocational training services

Value

Including VAT
8,837,905.2
Amount
7,364,921
Currency
GBP

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-PPON-PPQN-6582-VDDP
Name
VSC Plus Ltd

Standstill Period

Ends
29 Oct 2026, 23:59

Contract period

Starts
30 Oct 2026, 00:00
Ends
31 Aug 2032, 23:59

Options

Description
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. The Department may make Changes to reflect variations in its requirements for the Services, including but not limited to where demand for the Services is greater than anticipated. Such Changes may include: (a) amendments to the volume or scale of the Services [and proportionate increases to the maximum value of this Framework Agreement and/or any Call-Off Contracts]; and (b) the introduction of an additional Lot or Lots into this Framework Agreement during its term, provided that any such Change does not materially alter the overall nature of this Framework Agreement.

Related lots

2

Documents

Entry 1
Id
099026-2026
Document Type
awardNotice
Notice Type
UK6
Description
Contract award notice on Find a Tender
Published
20 Oct 2026, 13:49
Format
text/html

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
2
Type
futureSignatureDate
Due
30 Oct 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled
Award 3
Id
3
Title
Lot 2
Status
pending
Date
23 Sept 2026, 00:00
Main Procurement Category
services
Above Threshold
Yes
Has Options
Yes
Assessment Summaries Date Sent
19 Oct 2026, 00:00

Items

Item 1
Id
2
Related Lot
2

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Scheme
CPV
Id
80000000
Description
Education and training services
Entry 2
Scheme
CPV
Id
80400000
Description
Adult and other education services
Entry 3
Scheme
CPV
Id
80510000
Description
Specialist training services
Entry 4
Scheme
CPV
Id
80530000
Description
Vocational training services

Value

Including VAT
10,869,062.4
Amount
9,057,552
Currency
GBP

Suppliers

Supplier 1
Id
GB-PPON-PHQW-3543-QBGM
Name
The Frontline Organisation

Standstill Period

Ends
29 Oct 2026, 23:59

Contract period

Starts
30 Oct 2026, 00:00
Ends
31 Aug 2032, 23:59

Options

Description
The right to additional purchases while the contract is valid. The Department may make Changes to reflect variations in its requirements for the Services, including but not limited to where demand for the Services is greater than anticipated. Such Changes may include: (a) amendments to the volume or scale of the Services [and proportionate increases to the maximum value of this Framework Agreement and/or any Call-Off Contracts]; and (b) the introduction of an additional Lot or Lots into this Framework Agreement during its term, provided that any such Change does not materially alter the overall nature of this Framework Agreement.

Related lots

2

Documents

Entry 1
Id
099026-2026
Document Type
awardNotice
Notice Type
UK6
Description
Contract award notice on Find a Tender
Published
20 Oct 2026, 13:49
Format
text/html

Milestones

Entry 1
Id
3
Type
futureSignatureDate
Due
30 Oct 2026, 23:59
Status
scheduled

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · London · UKI32 · SW1P3BT · United Kingdom

Notice and amendment history

8 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

8 VERSIONS
  1. 007684-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
  2. 007998-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
  3. 021505-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
  4. 021528-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
  5. 021537-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
  6. 059113-2026Tender notice on Find a Tender ·
  7. 059128-2026Tender notice on Find a Tender ·
  8. 099026-2026Contract award notice on Find a Tender ·

PROCURAAXIS AWARD ANALYSIS

Award outcome intelligence

Evidence-bound analysis of the published award appears below the official tender and award information.

ANALYSIS PREVIEW

Award intelligence at a glance

The Department for Education has announced pending framework awards for a national professional development offer for child and family social workers in England. THE FRONTLINE ORGANISATION is named for Lot 1 and Lot 2; VSC PLUS LIMITED is also named for Lot 2. Call-off contracts are intended to be competed under the framework.

Published outcome signals

  • Notice typeContract award notice on Find a TenderEvidence: Document 099026-2026 is described as a contract award notice.
  • Award statusPendingEvidence: Awards 1, 2 and 3 each have status 'pending'.
  • Award decision date23 September 2026Evidence: Each award records date 2026-09-23.
97% approved-analysis confidence3 supplier records analysed5 source limitations

SOURCE AND FRESHNESS

Traceable procurement data

Source
Find a Tender
Notice reference
099026-2026
OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-061118
First published
23 Jun 2026
Last checked
20 Oct 2026, 15:27
Notice versions reviewed
8

HOW THIS WAS PREPARED

Approved, evidence-bound analysis

ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.

Analysis status
Approved for publication
Analysed
20 Oct 2026
Read the analysis methodology →