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Social Work National Professional Development Offer Market Engagement

Tender Overview

LOCATION

North East England, United Kingdom

VALUE

£0

DEADLINE

March 31, 2026 at 00:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

80510000

REFERENCE

007998-2026

Project Timeline

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Contact Information

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View Original

Original Tender Description

The Department for Education (DfE) is exploring the development of a national professional development offer for Child and Family Social Workers to strengthen post-qualification support and create clearer career pathways that recognise the specialised skills required for child protection work. DfE is seeking to engage with the market to help inform the design and potential delivery approach for a future Social Work National Professional Development Offer (SWNPDO). Indicative Programme scope: Programme components: The Early Career Development Programme (ECDP) - An enhanced early career offer that would extend support for child and family social workers from one year to two years, underpinned by new professional Standards, which set out the knowledge and skills expected by the end of year two. Advanced Child Protection Programme (ACPP) - A proposed 12-month programme for Lead Child Protection Practitioners (LCPP) and those aspiring to the role, focused on strengthening advanced child protection knowledge and skills to support effective delivery within multi-agency child protection teams. Leadership and Supervision Programme - A proposed national programme to support Children’s Social Care leaders below Director level, aimed at equipping leaders to drive change, strengthen multi-agency collaboration, and support improved outcomes for children and families. DCS Leadership Programme - Support and development for aspirant and new DCSs that strengthens leadership and enables effective delivery. Next Steps and Market Engagement: DfE is considering its approach to the procurement and development of SWNPDO and is keen to engage with suppliers on programme design and delivery models. Supplier experience and capability (indicative): To support this engagement, the Department would be interested in feedback from suppliers with experience in: • Delivering large scale professional training or workforce development programmes • Change management and evaluating impact • Designing accessible, inclusive and compliant learning solutions. These capability areas are indicative and do not constitute formal selection or evaluation criteria. Feedback from the market will be taken into consideration to help shape the department's proposed scope to ensure that the offer meets the sector’s needs. Important notice: This notice: • Does not signify the commencement of a competitive procurement • Does not constitute any commitment by the Department for Education to procure services • Does not create any obligation on the Department. The DfE is keen to maximise opportunities to participate in procurement for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consideration will be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations. Any funding estimates referenced are indicative only and subject to change. The Department makes no commitment at this stage to the final scope or funding envelope of any future contractual activity. We are currently reviewing the length of service and the budget for SWNPDO, and these details will be confirmed at a later date. The contract start date provided is indicative, and both the start and end dates will be confirmed in due course.
⚠️

MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • No mandatory exclusion grounds are specified as this is a market engagement notice, not a formal procurement.
✓

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • No formal eligibility requirements are specified for participation in this market engagement.
  • The Department for Education is keen to maximize opportunities for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs).
  • Consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations will be considered for future procurement.
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Suppliers should have experience in delivering large scale professional training or workforce development programmes (indicative).
  • Suppliers should have experience in change management and evaluating impact (indicative).
  • Suppliers should have experience in designing accessible, inclusive and compliant learning solutions (indicative).
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FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • No financial requirements are specified for participation in this market engagement.
  • Funding estimates are indicative only and subject to change; no commitment is made to the final funding envelope of any future contractual activity.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Suppliers are invited to engage with the Department for Education to provide feedback on programme design and delivery models for the future Social Work National Professional Development Offer (SWNPDO).
  • No specific submission forms, templates, or required document formats are provided for this market engagement.

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DOC
OCDS Record
OCDS Data007998-2026_ocds_record.json
Summary:
The Department for Education is seeking market engagement and feedback from experienced suppliers on the design and potential delivery of a national professional development offer for Child and Family Social Workers, encompassing early career, advanced child protection, and leadership programmes.
DOC
OCDS Release Package
OCDS Data007998-2026_ocds_release.json
Summary:
This is an informational notice from the Department for Education exploring the development of a national professional development offer for Child and Family Social Workers, seeking market feedback on the design and delivery of programmes like Early Career, Advanced Child Protection, and Leadership, explicitly stating it is not a formal procurement.
PDF
Official PDF Version
General Information007998-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
The Department for Education is conducting market engagement to gather feedback from suppliers on the design and delivery models for a future national professional development offer for Child and Family Social Workers, which is not yet a formal procurement.
HTM
Tender Notice
General Information007998-2026.html
Summary:
The Department for Education is seeking market engagement to inform the design and delivery of a national professional development offer for Child and Family Social Workers, covering early career, advanced child protection, and leadership programmes.

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75
Good

Tender Quality Score

This is a well-articulated market engagement notice from the Department for Education, clearly outlining its intent to gather feedback for a future national professional development offer for social workers, rather than a formal procurement. While key financial and timeline details are indicative, the overall clarity and fairness in seeking broad market input are commendable.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

The notice explicitly states it is a market engagement and not a formal procurement, which explains the 'None' for procedure type and status 'planning'. This transparency aligns with legal principles for pre-procurement activities. The CPV code is appropriate, and there are no disputes. The disclaimers regarding its non-binding nature are clear.

•Procedure type not formally defined (though justified by market engagement nature)
Clarity80/100

The description of the proposed professional development offer and the purpose of the market engagement are exceptionally clear. The indicative supplier capabilities are well-defined, and the explicit disclaimers about it not being a formal procurement are unambiguous. The AI-extracted requirements accurately reflect the content.

•Formal evaluation criteria and performance conditions are not specified (expected for market engagement)
Completeness70/100

All basic information (title, organization, reference) is present. While financial and timeline details (value, duration, start date) are provided, they are explicitly stated as 'indicative only' and 'subject to change', which is acceptable for a market engagement but would be a significant gap for a formal tender. Indicative requirements are defined.

•Key financial and timeline details are indicative placeholders, not firm commitments
Fairness85/100

The tender actively encourages participation from SMEs and VCSEs and considers consortia, demonstrating a commitment to broad market access. The indicative experience requirements are generic and not tailored to a specific company. Full document access is provided, and the placeholder value is fair for this stage.

•Lack of specified e-submission method could potentially create unequal access if engagement is cumbersome
Practicality65/100

The notice lacks specific instructions on *how* suppliers should engage or submit feedback (e.g., a portal, email address, specific event details). While documents are available, the absence of a clear engagement mechanism reduces practicality for interested parties. The indicative nature of dates and financing also limits practical planning.

•No clear method or platform specified for market engagement/feedback submission
•Contract start date and duration are indicative, limiting practical planning
Data Consistency90/100

The information provided is highly consistent. The 'None' for procedure type and 'planning' status align with the explicit disclaimers that this is a market engagement, not a formal procurement. Any indicative data (value, dates) is clearly qualified as such within the text, resolving potential inconsistencies.

Sustainability50/100

The core subject matter, focusing on professional development for Child and Family Social Workers to improve outcomes for children and families, inherently addresses significant social aspects. However, there are no explicit mentions of green procurement criteria or specific innovation requirements.

•No explicit green procurement criteria
•No explicit innovation focus

Strengths

Clear and unambiguous description of market engagement purpose and scope
Strong commitment to fairness by encouraging SME/VCSE participation
Appropriate CPV code and transparent disclaimers about non-formal procurement status
High data consistency with clear explanations for indicative values
Inherently strong social focus due to the nature of the service

Concerns

Lack of specific instructions on how to engage or submit feedback
Key financial and timeline details are indicative placeholders, not firm
Absence of explicit green procurement or innovation criteria
No formal procedure type defined (though acceptable for market engagement)

Recommendations

1. Provide clear instructions and a dedicated channel for market engagement feedback.
2. Consider incorporating explicit sustainability (green/innovation) criteria for the future procurement.
3. Ensure all indicative financial and timeline details are firmed up and communicated clearly in any subsequent formal procurement.

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B
Tender Quality Score
75/ 100 · Good
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