Support for Communities Framework 2026-2030

Highlands and Islands Enterprise

Published: Aug 6, 2026

Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Source: Public Contracts Scotland

About This Opportunity

This is a framework agreement contract in the education and training, information and communication technology, governance and public administration and Youth sectors, with a focus on Skills Development. Located in United Kingdom, Europe, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of GBP 600,000. Proposals must be submitted before September 10, 2026.

Published through Public Contracts Scotland, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for framework agreement in the education and training sector. Framework agreements establish terms for recurring procurement over a defined period. Selected firms are called upon as needs arise, making this a longer-term engagement opportunity. Interested parties should review the full documentation on the original source before submitting their proposal.

Description

The Framework is an alternative means of providing a range of practical hands-on support (not advice, which is available through HIE’s Specialist Advice Framework) to community organisations and social enterprises that lack the capacity or a particular skill-set to timeously progress an opportunity. This is added value support and must complement the existing social enterprise support ecosystem and, therefore, must not duplicate services already available via other HIE Frameworks e.g. Board Healthcheck and Skills Training or other public sector/public sector supported organisations, e.g. Business Gateway, Just Enterprise, etc. It is expected that these services will be required from November 2026 for an initial period of 3 years, with HIE having the option to extend for a period or periods together not exceeding 1 year following the Initial Term. The 3 year budget currently available to deliver this service is between GBP 400,000 and GBP 450,000 (excluding VAT). The total estimated value of the framework for the full framework duration including the extension is GBP 600,000, which is the value stated in this notice. The main Types of support across a range of sectors are as below: - Organisation Development - Project Development - Impact Measurement - Financial and Procurement Cutting across all of these activities will are the themes of Fair Work, Net Zero and Sustainability. It should be noted that there may be specific project commissions with a clear focus on Net Zero, Fair Work and Sustainability activity. See Appendix A - Scope of Requirements for full requirement details.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in Regulation 58 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from Public Contracts Scotland and was originally published on August 6, 2026. Last refreshed today. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About Highlands and Islands Enterprise

Highlands and Islands Enterprise has issued 165 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 34 currently open and 84 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in General Supplies & Services, Research & Innovation, and Audit, Accounting & Risk. All notices are published for United Kingdom. Notices are distributed via Public Contracts Scotland and UK FTS - Find a Tender Service. Most recent publication: August 6, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

How can I submit a bid?

Visit Public Contracts Scotland to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions provided by the contracting authority.

When does this tender close?

The submission deadline is September 10, 2026. You have 35 days left to prepare and submit your proposal to the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by Highlands and Islands Enterprise 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 Framework agreement contract in the Education & Training 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 Up to £600,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.

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.