23114 Adult Education Budget Re-Procurement

Cambridgeshire County Council is seeking independent adult education providers to join its Approved Provider List so that they can deliver programmes funded by the Adult Education Budget (AEB) for the academic years 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2026, with the possibility of a two‑year extension. The council will receive a total of £638,000 per year from two sources – the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)/Department for Education and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA). While the Council already provides many adult learning services in-house, a proportion of these funds will be subcontracted to external providers that can supply accredited or regulated qualifications and bespoke, non‑regulated tailored learning that supports individuals to enter work, apprenticeships or further study.

The contract is divided into four distinct lots. Lot 1 (up to £350,000 per year) covers CPCA Adult Skills Fund delivery of accredited qualifications that satisfy legal entitlements for English and maths up to level 2 and first‐time qualifications at levels 2 and 3 for 19‑23‑year‑olds. Lot 2 (up to £150,000 per year) allows providers to deliver CPCA Tailored Learning – non‑regulated programmes that help learners progress to employment or further learning, with a particular emphasis on health, wellbeing, and community integration. Lot 3 (up to £75,000 per year) concerns the ESFA Adult Skills Fund for the same accredited qualifications as Lot 1 but for learners in non‑devolved postcodes neighbouring Cambridgeshire. Lot 4 (up to £25,000 per year) offers ESFA Tailored Learning, again for non‑devolved postcodes. All lots prioritise face‑to‑face provision in specified Cambridgeshire wards, and services may not be delivered in Peterborough or to providers already holding a direct CPCA ASF contract.

To be eligible, providers must base their curricula on the approved list of qualifications and adhere to the CPCA and ESFA funding rules and eligibility criteria for the 2024‑2025 academic year. All delivery must meet the stated financial and technical requirements and comply with the relevant funding rules and certification standards.

Cambridgeshire County Council are inviting Adult Education providers to bid for a place on the Cambridgeshire Skills Approved Provider List' to deliver AEB. Successful bidders will have the chance to be granted funding for the academic year(s) 1 August 2024 – 31 July 2026, with the possibility to extend the Approved Provider List for two further years. There is total funding of £638,000 available per year.
The Council receives two separate Adult Education Budget (AEB) grants from:
1. Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)/Department for Education (DfE)
2. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA)
The Council delivers adult education in-house, but a proportion of the grants are sub-contracted to independent providers that deliver training that complements the in-house delivery.
The Adult Education Budget (AEB) aims to engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or other learning. It enables more flexible tailored programmes of learning to be made available, which may or may not require a qualification, to help eligible learners engage in learning, build confidence, and/or enhance their wellbeing.
The relevant CPCA and ESFA Funding Rules and eligibility criteria for the academic year (1 August 2024 – 31 July 2025) will apply to this funding.

Ocid: ocds-h6vhtk-045369
Contract location: UKH12
Communication: https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=306695c0-d1fb-ee11-812a-005056b64545
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: En
Submission address and any special instructions: https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=306695c0-d1fb-ee11-812a-005056b64545

Lot number: 1
Description: Lot 1: CPCA Adult Skills Fund (ASF) - Accredited / regulated qualifications and legal entitlements: Up to £350,000 per year The ASF aims to engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to progress into, or within, work; or equip them for an apprenticeship or other learning. All Delivery Partners must have due regard to the skills analysis and priorities of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) and those detailed in the Local Skills Improvement Plan. The ASF supports three legal entitlements to full funding for eligible adult learners. These are set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills and Children's Learning Act 2009, and enable eligible learners to be fully funded for the following qualifications: • English and maths, up to and including level 2, for individuals aged 19 and over, who have not previously attained a GCSE grade 4 (C), or higher, and/or • first full qualification at level 2 for individuals aged 19 to 23, and/or • first full qualification at level 3 for individuals aged 19 to 23 Eligible learners exercising their legal entitlement, must only be enrolled on qualifications from the published approved list of qualifications in the level 2 and level 3 legal entitlement and/or the approved list of qualifications in the English and maths legal entitlement for the relevant funding year here: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/ The ASF also supports delivery of other qualifications up to level 2. This provision either is fully or co-funded, depending on the learner’s age, prior attainment and circumstances. We can only fund qualifications listed as available to our funding streams and fundable here: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/ All delivery must comply with the relevant funding rules: Skills Library - Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk) The funding rates we pay for qualifications (minus our management fee) are published here: https://findalearningaimbeta.fasst.org.uk/ We will not award funding to providers who already hold a CPCA direct ASF grant or contract (or are a subcontractor to a direct grant or contract holder) within the CPCA area. Supporting document: Guiding Principles of Accredited Delivery Priority for allocation of funding will be given to providers delivering face to face learning in the following areas or targeted to learners living in these specific areas/wards: - Fenland – all wards - East Cambridgeshire - all wards - Huntingdonshire – Huntingdon North, Yaxley, Warboys, The Stukeleys, Folksworth, St Neots, St Ives and Ramsey wards - Cambridge City – Abbey, Kings Hedges, Arbury, East Chesterton, Trumpington, Coleridge, Cherry Hinton, Romsey and Petersfield - South Cambs – The Mordens, Melbourne, Milton and Waterbeach, Fen Ditton and Fulbourn, Sawston, Caxton and Papworth, Balsham, Bar Hill, Barrington, Bassingbourn and Cambourne Please note that we are not looking for any courses to be delivered in Peterborough. Adult Education Budget (AEB) postcode files - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Lot number: 2
Description: Lot 2: CPCA Tailored Learning – non-regulated: Up to £150,000 per year As outlined in the government response to the DfE consultation Skills for jobs, the purpose of Tailored Learning (previously known as Community Learning), is primarily to support learners into employment and to progress to further learning, in line with the overall purpose of the Adult Skills Fund. The current system will also support wider outcomes, including using it to: • improve health and wellbeing • equip parents/carers to support their child’s learning, and • develop stronger and more integrated communities The objectives, set out in the funding rules ask you to widen participation and transform people’s destinies by supporting progression relevant to personal circumstances. We expect you to encourage and support all learners to progress onto new or more stretching provision to help them into more formal learning or employment. We would not expect to see multiple enrolments on similar level courses, or a repeat of similar learning aims where this does not benefit the learner’s development. Lots 1 and 2 are for learners living CPCA devolved postcodes: with priority for allocation of funding given to providers delivering face to face learning in the following areas or targeted to learners living in these specific areas/wards: • Fenland – all wards • East Cambridgeshire - all wards • Huntingdonshire – Huntingdon North, Yaxley, Warboys, The Stukeleys, Folksworth, St Neots and Ramsey wards • Cambridge City – Abbey, Kings Hedges, Arbury, East Chesterton, Trumpington, Coleridge, Cherry Hinton, Romsey and Petersfield • South Cambs – The Mordens, Melbourne, Milton and Waterbeach, Fen Ditton and Fulbourn, Sawston, Caxton and Papworth, Balsham, Bar Hill, Barrington, Bassingbourn and Cambourne Please note that we are not looking for any courses to be delivered in Peterborough. For reference: Cambridgeshire Insight – Deprivation – Indices of Multiple Deprivation All delivery must comply with the relevant funding rules: Skills Library - Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk)

Lot number: 3
Description: Lot 3 ESFA Adult Skills Fund (ASF) – Accredited / regulated qualifications and legal entitlements: up to £75,000 per year The ASF supports three legal entitlements to full funding for eligible adult learners. These are set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills and Children's Learning Act 2009, and enable eligible learners to be fully funded for the following qualifications: • English and maths, up to and including level 2, for individuals aged 19 and over, who have not previously attained a GCSE grade 4 (C), or higher, and/or • first full qualification at level 2 for individuals aged 19 to 23, and/or first full qualification at level • for individuals aged 19 to 23 Eligible learners exercising their legal entitlement, must only be enrolled on qualifications from the published approved list of qualifications in the level 2 and level 3 legal entitlement and/or the approved list of qualifications in the English and maths legal entitlement for the relevant funding year here: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/ Lots 3 and 4 are for learners living in non-devolved postcode areas: Adult Education Budget (AEB) postcode files - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) As such priority will be given to to providers delivering learning to eligible learners living in other counties bordering Cambridgeshire including Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. Please note that we are not looking for any courses to be delivered in Peterborough. The ASF also supports delivery of other qualifications up to level 2. This provision either is fully or co-funded, depending on the learner’s age, prior attainment and circumstances. We can only fund qualifications listed as available to our funding streams and fundable here: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/ All delivery must comply with the relevant funding rules: Adult education funding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Lot number: 4
Description: Lot 4 ESFA Tailored Learning up to £25,000 per year: As outlined in the government response to the DfE consultation Skills for jobs, the purpose of tailored learning (previously known as Community Learning), is primarily to support learners into employment and to progress to further learning, in line with the overall purpose of the Adult Skills Fund. The current system will also support wider outcomes, including using it to: • improve health and wellbeing • equip parents/carers to support their child’s learning, and • develop stronger and more integrated communities The objectives, set out in the funding rules ask you to widen participation and transform people’s destinies by supporting progression relevant to personal circumstances. We expect you to encourage and support all learners to progress onto new or more stretching provision to help them into more formal learning or employment. We would not expect to see multiple enrolments on similar level courses, or a repeat of similar learning aims where this does not benefit the learner’s development. Lots 3 and 4 are for learners living in non-devolved postcode areas: Adult Education Budget (AEB) postcode files - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) As such priority will be given to to providers delivering learning to eligible learners living in other counties bordering Cambridgeshire including Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west Please note that we are not looking for any courses to be delivered in Peterborough. All delivery must comply with the relevant funding rules: Adult education funding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Lots 3 and 4 are for learners living in non-devolved postcode areas: Adult Education Budget (AEB) postcode files - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)