DfE Disability Support for Participants on Training for Success (TfS) and ApprenticeshipsNI (AppsNI)

Following a competition advertised in the Official Journal of the EU in 21/12/2016 the Department for Economy entered into a contract with 5 suppliers primarily for Disability Support Services to the Departments Training for Success and ApprenticeshipsNI programmes. This contract was procured in line with the provisions of Schedule 3, ‘light touch regime’, within the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The contract, valued at £4.5 million, was originally let as a two year contract on 31/07/2017. While there was two one year extensions available to cover provision it was originally not envisaged that they would be used. However, this was not the case and both extensions were used modifying the contract value to £6.75 million. The current contract is due to expire 31/07/2021 however, due to the Public Heath restrictions that have been in place in 2020 and extended throughout the early part of 2021, as a result of the Covid Pandemic, the Department have been unable to complete the work required under this contract. It has therefore become necessary to further Modify this contract until 31/12/2021 at a cost of £2.05 million under regulation 72(1)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended)