The latest update of the Department for Education’s (DfE) commercial pipeline spreadsheet published today (5 October 2020) includes reference to the re-procurement of Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Adult Education Budget (AEB) contracts, with delivery commencing on 1 August 2021.
The procurement is valued at £80m, significantly less than the £110m previously procured, following skills devolution to the Greater London Assembly and combined authorities.
As the procurement commencement date referred to in the pipeline spreadsheet (31 July 2020) has now passed, the procurement will almost certainly launch in the near future.
Combined with the continuing pressure on lead providers to reduce AEB subcontracting, this is likely to be a highly competitive tender.
In the previous 2017 procurement, Ansible Education Consulting supported 8 organisations to submit tenders, all of which exceeded the minimum score to be awarded a contract with 7 subsequently being awarded contracts.
As a result, I will almost certainly be fully committed before the procurement exercise launches so make contact without delay if you need help with submitting a tender to deliver procured ESFA AEB from 1 August 2021.