Accredited learning programmes across the policy profession

Department for Education

Published: May 21, 2026

Updated: May 22, 2026

Source: uk_fts

About This Opportunity

This is a consulting contract in the governance and public administration and education and training sectors, with a focus on Higher Education and Civil Service. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 17.0 million.

Published through UK FTS - Find a Tender Service, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for consulting in the governance and public administration sector. Consulting assignments are typically evaluated with a strong emphasis on the technical proposal, including the methodology and qualifications of key experts. Shortlisted firms may be invited to submit financial proposals in a second stage. This is an advance notice — the formal tender is expected to be published shortly. Interested parties can use this time to prepare documentation and identify potential partners.

Description

The Civil Service Policy Profession consists of around 38,500 civil servants making it the second largest profession in government. It has a presence across the regions and nations of the UK. The work of policy professionals has a profound impact on the lives of people across the country. Upskilling policy makers will mean they develop better policies that will deliver better outcomes for the public. The Policy Profession Unit, which is part of the Department for Education but works on behalf of policy professionals across government, has responsibility for overseeing the development of the Policy Profession. This includes building the skills and capability of individual policy makers at different stages of their careers. We are seeking to partner with higher education institution(s) to develop and deliver, from September 2027, accredited programme(s) at postgraduate level that build the skills and capabilities of UK civil servants in line with the Policy Profession Standards. Please note, this notice is not being used to signify the commencement of any competitive process and does not constitute any commitment by the Department for Education. The Department for Education will hold this contract, however the programme(s) must be accessible to all civil service departments. Funding estimates included within this notice are based off of historic student volumes and spending. Actual contract value will be determined by actual student volumes that will be funded by individual departments. The Department makes no commitment at this stage to the final funding envelope for contractual activity. Please see the recording of the early market engagement event here: https://youtu.be/Buv5dtEd2_4

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from UK FTS - Find a Tender Service and was originally published on May 21, 2026. Last refreshed today. Reference: 047080-2026. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About Department for Education

Department for Education has issued 492 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 31 currently open and 400 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Education & Training, Construction & Civil Works, and Information & Communication Technology. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via UK Contracts Finder and UK FTS - Find a Tender Service. Most recent publication: May 21, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United Kingdom. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit UK FTS - Find a Tender Service to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions. Quote reference 047080-2026 when communicating with the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by Department for Education in United Kingdom. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Consulting contract in the Governance & Public Administration sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is £17,000,000 - £17,000,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.