Find a TenderOpen for tender Tender notice
Published 8 Oct 2026, 11:17 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Enhanced Work Experience Programme

Authority: Cheshire East Council (Local council)

ServicesBelow threshold - open competitionBelow thresholdLight touch regimeSME suitable
Published estimate£125,000≈ £42k / year · £150,000 inc. VAT
Submission deadline 29 Oct 202612:00 GMT · 2d 16h left
Clarification cut-off 22 Oct 202612:00 BST · questions to the authority
Contract term 3 yrsends 31 Dec 2029 · up to 31 Dec 2031 with extensions · starts 1 Jan 2027

What is being bought

Published requirement description

This is an opportunity for a provider to bid to provide an Enhanced Work Experience Programme for cared for children and care leavers aged 16-20, particularly those who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET.

CPV: Job search services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Renewal 3 yrsSMEPublished value£125,000
Contract period: 1 Jan 2027 – 31 Dec 2029 (3 yrs) · up to 31 Dec 2031 with extensionsValue: £125,000 exc. VAT · £150,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: North WestEligibility: SME eligibleTurnover guideline: ~£83,257/yr≈ 2× annual value
Extensions: 2 x 12 months option to extend
Pre-qualification & selection criteria (PQQ)1
  • Condition of participation

    The evaluation will be based upon two stages within a single RFQ Response Document and will have two key areas consisting of:

    • A Mandatory 'Procurement Specific Questionnaire' (PSQ); and
    • An RFQ 'Award' section, made up of:
    • Financial Evaluation [30% scored]
    • Qualitative Evaluation Questions[70% scored]

    Only those Quotes that meet the qualifying criteria (as set out in the 'PSQ') will then progress to the RFQ 'Award' criteria assessment stage.

    The Council does not undertake to accept the lowest priced or any quotation and reserves the right to accept the whole or any part of any quotation submitted.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE REFER TO THE GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ATTACHED TO PROJECT OPPORTUNITY DN830003

Who is likely to bid for this lot ↓

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids are scored
  • Price: Schedule 3 Pricing Schedule will be scored scored out of a possible 30%
  • Qualitative Questions: Schedule 5 RFQ Qualitative Evaluation Questions will be scored out of a possible 70%
Conditions of participation1
  • Condition of participation

    The evaluation will be based upon two stages within a single RFQ Response Document and will have two key areas consisting of:

    • A Mandatory 'Procurement Specific Questionnaire' (PSQ); and
    • An RFQ 'Award' section, made up of:
    • Financial Evaluation [30% scored]
    • Qualitative Evaluation Questions[70% scored]

    Only those Quotes that meet the qualifying criteria (as set out in the 'PSQ') will then progress to the RFQ 'Award' criteria assessment stage.

    The Council does not undertake to accept the lowest priced or any quotation and reserves the right to accept the whole or any part of any quotation submitted.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE REFER TO THE GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ATTACHED TO PROJECT OPPORTUNITY DN830003

What this means for your bid
  • Turnover usually expected at this size: about £83,257 (twice the annual value).

Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.

Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid

How Cheshire East Council buys Placement services of personnel (CPV 7961), and who usually turns up

Cheshire East Council’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Placement services of personnel (CPV 7961) →

1

How the contest usually goes

Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.

Question for the bid
This buyerCheshire East Council · division 79
What to do with it
How often do SMEs win?
i

How often small and medium firms win.

Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.

The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 5 of 5 known-size awards · market: CPV 7961 · UK-wide, n=91
100%67%

Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.

How often do local suppliers win?
i

How often local firms win similar work.

Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.

Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered.

A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: 2 of 6 known-location awards · market: CPV 7961 · UK-wide, n=55
33%58%

Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered outside the region where that award was delivered.

How long to a decision?
i

How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.

Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.

Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: no decision dates published · market: CPV 7961 · UK-wide, n=12
—40 days

Half of these awards have an award date within 40 days of the bid deadline.

How often single-bid or direct?
i

How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.

Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.

Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.

Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.

Last 36 months.

Buyer: at least 5 of 9 procurements with awards had no recorded rival · market: CPV 7961 · North West England, n=7
56%57%

Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.

How many bids did past lots attract?

i

How many bids past lots received.

Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.

Past bids do not predict this tender.

Last 36 months.

This buyer35 lots with bid counts · all categories
20% had one bid
The market35 lots with bid counts · CPV 7961 · UK-wide
3% had one bid
Buyer / market · select a colour for counts
1 bid20% / 3%
Buyer: 7 of 35 lots with published bid counts. Market: 1 of 35 lots with published bid counts.
2–329% / 26%
Buyer: 10 of 35 lots with published bid counts. Market: 9 of 35 lots with published bid counts.
4–614% / 31%
Buyer: 5 of 35 lots with published bid counts. Market: 11 of 35 lots with published bid counts.
7+37% / 40%
Buyer: 13 of 35 lots with published bid counts. Market: 14 of 35 lots with published bid counts.

How did awards compare with estimates?

i

Where winning prices landed against estimates.

Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.

Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.

Last 36 months.

This buyer21 lots with estimate and award · all categories
43% below estimate
The market20 lots with estimate and award · CPV 7961 · UK-wide
30% below estimate
Buyer / market · select a colour for counts
Below estimate43% / 30%
Buyer: 9 of 21 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 6 of 20 lots with an estimate and award.
Within ±2%52% / 70%
Buyer: 11 of 21 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 14 of 20 lots with an estimate and award.
Above estimate5% / 0%
Buyer: 1 of 21 lots with an estimate and award. Market: 0 of 20 lots with an estimate and award.
2

Assess each lot
i

What past awards tell you about each lot.

See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.

No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.

Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list

Lot #1CPV 796136 monthsSME suitablePublished estimate£125k
Expected competition
i

How many bids this lot may attract.

The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.

Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A forecast, not a list of bidders.

7expected bids8% chance of a single bid
similar past contests in this category: 1
Forecast chances for this lot
1 bid8%
Chance this lot gets 1 bid: 8%. This is a forecast.
2–319%
Chance this lot gets 2–3: 19%. This is a forecast.
4–621%
Chance this lot gets 4–6: 21%. This is a forecast.
7+52%
Chance this lot gets 7+: 52%. This is a forecast.
Commercial price forecast
i

Where the award price may land.

The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.

Based on 141 comparable awards. Each lot reflects its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative.

A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.

£125kLevel with estimate
141 comparable awards
Forecast compared with the buyer’s estimate
Middle 50%£118k–£125k
Half of likely prices fall between £117,958 and £125,000.
Estimate£125k
The buyer published an estimate of £125,000 for this lot.
A 46% chance the award lands exactly on the estimate.

Who has supplied this buyer on similar work?
i

Who has done similar work for this buyer.

Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.

A past supplier may not bid again.

No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.

Who could compete for this lot?
i

Who could compete for this lot?

Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.

None is confirmed as a bidder.

SupplierWon in this categoryLive contractsAward vs estimate
1 win in North West England17 panel places
£81m14 awards in 36m · last 5 months ago8 live · £1.9bn
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=9
4 wins in North West England1 panel places
£3.3m38 awards in 36m · last this month15 live · £1.9m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

at estimate n=1
1 win in North West England8 panel places
£2.4m27 awards in 36m · last 1 months ago8 live · £832k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

2% below n=3
4 wins in North West England2 panel places
£2.0m19 awards in 36m · last 2 months ago4 live · £950k
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

9% below n=9
10 panel places
£45m61 awards in 36m · last this month14 live · £31m
i

Public contracts this supplier still holds.

Its awards whose published end date is still in the future, with their values. Many contracts publish no end date, so this is a floor, not the whole book.

Unexpired says nothing about spare capacity.

10% below n=16
About this data
  • Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
  • Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
  • Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
  • Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Below threshold - open competition
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Open for tender
Procurement threshold
Below threshold
Regulatory regime
Light touch regime
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
8 Oct 2026, 11:17 BST
Last source update
8 Oct 2026, 11:37 BST
Authority reference
C5965
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-095099
Latest notice
Tender notice (UK4)
Classification (CPV)
Job search services
Delivery area
North West (UKD62)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-078384 Find a Tender

How to participate & submission route

Official notice Submit via ProContract (Due North)
Submission portal named on this notice: ProContract (Due North) · Who buys & how to bid on ProContract
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowed
Access & registration note: Free · short registration with manual review; public opportunity list
Requests to participate (first stage)
—
Tender submission deadline
29 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
Clarification deadline
22 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Tenders must be submitted at www.the-chest.org.uk ↗ Project ID: DN830003

Unrestricted access to this opportunity is available via the Chest North West Portal, register for free at www.the-chest.org.uk ↗ and express an interest in project ID DN830003

Published estimate £125,000 excludes VAT (£150,000 including VAT).

Timeline

8 Oct 2026 → 1 Jan 2027 · 4 dates
  1. Tender notice published18 days ago
    8 Oct 2026, 11:17 BST
  2. Clarification questions by4 days ago
    22 Oct 2026, 12:00 BST
  3. Today
    26 Oct 2026
  4. Submission deadlinein 3 days
    29 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
  5. Contract startsin 66 days
    1 Jan 2027

Notice history

3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 8 Oct 2026
  1. Tender notice published
    8 Oct 2026, 11:17 BST
    UK4
  2. Tender notice published
    8 Oct 2026, 11:37 BST
    UK4
  3. Deadline moved to 29 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
    8 Oct 2026, 11:37 BST
    +1 days · was 28 Oct 2026, 12:00 GMT
Published amendments (1)

Enquiry deadline changed from 21 Oct 2026 to 22 Oct 2026 and Tender deadline changed from 28 Oct 2026 to 29 Oct 2026.

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Nothing awarded yet
Awards (0)
No award published
Contracts (0)
No contract published
Bid statistics
No aggregate bid statistics published

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Cheshire East Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PTWR-7124-XZXQ Delamere House, Delamere Street, Crewe, North West, CW12JZContact email

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender