✓Tender information last checkedLast checked 12 Oct 2026, 18:51.
Opportunity overview
West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) is preparing to commission Aspiring Pathways, a targeted programme designed to increase access to high quality and meaningful experience of the workplace for young people attending Alternative Provision settings across West Yorkshire. The purpose of this early market engagement is to raise awareness among potential providers, share our ambitions for the programme and encourage organisations to consider how their experience, expertise and partnerships could contribute to its successful delivery. Aspiring Pathways is a nationally funded programme designed to improve access to workplace experiences for young people in Alternative Provision, particularly those who may face additional barriers to progression. We are seeking a provider who can work collaboratively with 11 participating AP settings, to deliver a flexible, inclusive and progressive approach to work experience, recognising that young people in Alternative Provision will have different starting points and levels of readiness. Delivery will need include appropriate preparation and workplace-readiness activity for those not yet ready to enter a workplace, supporting young people to build confidence, skills and experience over time. The approach should be informed by the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Equalex framework, shaped around individual needs and interests, and underpinned by strong partnerships with AP settings and employers to create meaningful pathways into the world of work. Please note that this PPN is for prior information only, to inform potential suppliers of an upcoming opportunity and an engagement event for those interested in bidding. Additional Information A pre-market engagement event will be held via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 21st October from 10:00am – 11:00am. Attending will be members of the Combined Authority’s Careers & Education Team and Commercial Team. This session will give an overview of the Combined Authority’s requirements and procurement process and allow prospective bidders to ask detailed questions. To attend the session, please complete the form linked in the attached PPN document, or via the URL here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=_DvpNGbuRUOk_oBbZ-SAwPOPFfNtYt5FmXqWSs2bdjtUNjBWQU1HSU5UV05FQ01IMUcxODdHSlVGSi4u
Classification
CPV80000000 — Education and training services
CPV80500000 — Training services
Lots
Lot LOT-0000Value not stated
Documents and notices
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗
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.
2 published notice versions reviewed by ProcuraAxis.
2 VERSIONS
1
096290-2026Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender ·
2
096308-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
PROCURAAXIS ANALYSIS
ProcuraAxis Analysis
Our approved analysis of the opportunity appears below the official tender information.
ANALYSIS PREVIEW
Opportunity intelligence at a glance
Early-stage market engagement for a planned West Yorkshire programme to help young people in Alternative Provision access meaningful workplace experience. WYCA is seeking provider input ahead of a future opportunity; this notice does not state that bidding is open.
Who this may suit
Potential fit for organisations delivering careers education, employability, work-experience brokerage, youth support, and employer engagement with Alternative Provision settings.
Key points identified
Provider collaborationWork collaboratively with 11 participating Alternative Provision settings.Evidence: “We are seeking a provider who can work collaboratively with 11 participating AP settings”
Workplace-readiness supportInclude preparation and workplace-readiness activity for young people not yet ready to enter a workplace.Evidence: “Delivery will need include appropriate preparation and workplace-readiness activity for those not yet ready to enter a workplace”
Individualised approachShape delivery around individual needs and interests, recognising differing starting points and readiness.Evidence: “recognising that young people in Alternative Provision will have different starting points and levels of readiness” and “shaped around individual needs and interests”
94% approved-analysis confidence6 supplier criteria identified3 risks or unknowns
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.
Early-stage market engagement for a planned West Yorkshire programme to help young people in Alternative Provision access meaningful workplace experience. WYCA is seeking provider input ahead of a future opportunity; this notice does not state that bidding is open.
Who this may suit
Potential fit for organisations delivering careers education, employability, work-experience brokerage, youth support, and employer engagement with Alternative Provision settings.
Key deliverables
Collaborate with 11 participating Alternative Provision settings.
Provide flexible, inclusive and progressive work-experience support.
Deliver preparation and workplace-readiness activity for young people not ready to enter a workplace.
Build confidence, skills and experience over time.
Develop partnerships with AP settings and employers to create pathways into work.
Use an approach informed by the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Equalex framework.
SUPPLIER REQUIREMENTS
6 criteria identified
Provider collaboration
99% confidence
Work collaboratively with 11 participating Alternative Provision settings.
View supporting evidence
“We are seeking a provider who can work collaboratively with 11 participating AP settings”
Workplace-readiness support
99% confidence
Include preparation and workplace-readiness activity for young people not yet ready to enter a workplace.
View supporting evidence
“Delivery will need include appropriate preparation and workplace-readiness activity for those not yet ready to enter a workplace”
Individualised approach
97% confidence
Shape delivery around individual needs and interests, recognising differing starting points and readiness.
View supporting evidence
“recognising that young people in Alternative Provision will have different starting points and levels of readiness” and “shaped around individual needs and interests”
Equalex framework
98% confidence
Approach should be informed by the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Equalex framework.
View supporting evidence
“The approach should be informed by the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Equalex framework”
Employer partnerships
98% confidence
Build strong partnerships with AP settings and employers to create meaningful pathways into work.
View supporting evidence
“underpinned by strong partnerships with AP settings and employers to create meaningful pathways into the world of work”
Supplier eligibility criteria
98% confidence
Unknown at this market-engagement stage.
View supporting evidence
The notice describes prior information and pre-market engagement but gives no eligibility criteria.
COMMERCIAL AND DELIVERY
Contract intelligence
Commercial
Maximum value
80% confidence
£290,000 GBP.
View supporting evidence
Opportunity metadata records value_max as 290000 GBP.
Pricing and payment terms
98% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No pricing structure, payment terms or contract term are stated in the supplied notice text.
Delivery
Delivery area
98% confidence
West Yorkshire.
View supporting evidence
The programme is for young people attending Alternative Provision settings “across West Yorkshire”; delivery location metadata is UKE4.
Target beneficiaries
99% confidence
Young people attending Alternative Provision settings, particularly those facing additional barriers to progression.
View supporting evidence
“designed to improve access to workplace experiences for young people in Alternative Provision, particularly those who may face additional barriers to progression”
Contract dates
99% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
Contract start and end dates are null in the supplied metadata.
PROCEDURE
How to respond
Opportunity status
99% confidence
Upcoming planned procurement / prior-information market engagement; bidding is not stated to be open.
View supporting evidence
Display status is “upcoming”, stage is “planning”, and the description states: “this PPN is for prior information only”.
Engagement event
96% confidence
Microsoft Teams pre-market engagement event on Wednesday 21 October, 10:00–11:00; year is not stated in the narrative.
View supporting evidence
“A pre-market engagement event will be held via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 21st October from 10:00am – 11:00am.”
Engagement registration
97% confidence
Complete the form linked in the attached PPN document or supplied Microsoft Forms URL.
View supporting evidence
“To attend the session, please complete the form linked in the attached PPN document, or via the URL here”
Procedure metadata
99% confidence
Open procedure is recorded in source metadata, but the notice text describes only preliminary market engagement.
View supporting evidence
Metadata states “procurement_method_details: Open procedure”; notice description states “PPN is for prior information only”.
Submission deadline
98% confidence
7 December 2026, 14:00 UTC is recorded in source metadata; its applicability to this preliminary market-engagement notice is unclear.
View supporting evidence
Supplied metadata records submission_deadline as 2026-12-07T14:00:00+00:00, while the notice text only provides an event-registration route.
RISKS AND UNKNOWNS
Points requiring attention
Source procedure and deadline inconsistency
99% confidence
The supplied metadata records an open procedure and a submission deadline, whereas the notice text expressly describes a prior-information/pre-market engagement notice and does not state that bids are open. Do not treat the recorded deadline as a confirmed tender submission deadline without verification.
View supporting evidence
Metadata: “Open procedure” and submission deadline 2026-12-07T14:00:00+00:00; narrative: “this PPN is for prior information only” and refers to an engagement event for organisations “interested in bidding”.
Future procurement details
98% confidence
Final scope, contract dates, pricing model, evaluation, supplier eligibility and tender submission requirements are unknown at this planned market-engagement stage.
View supporting evidence
The notice is an early market engagement notice and does not provide these details.
Event year ambiguity
95% confidence
The narrative gives an event date of Wednesday 21 October but does not state the year.
View supporting evidence
“Wednesday 21st October from 10:00am – 11:00am.”
ProcuraAxis analysis supplements, but does not replace, the original notice and tender documents. Always verify eligibility, deadlines and commercial terms with the issuing authority.
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