Official UK procurement notice
Safety Case Author Career Switcher Programme Pilot Scheme
Authority: Ministry of Defence (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe training provider will be responsible for the design and delivery of the Safety Case Author training pilot course. The programme will comprise ten modules, each structured to progressively build foundational knowledge, technical competence, and practical application skills relevant to safety case authoring in the UK nuclear sector.
The pilot course will incorporate a blend of classroom-based instruction, formal knowledge testing, and hands-on practical exercises to ensure learners gain both theoretical understanding and applied capability. The course will be specifically tailored for individuals who are new to both the nuclear industry and safety case roles.
To support accessibility across Scotland, the course will be delivered through a hybrid model, combining in-person and virtual learning. The programme should be condensed into a 1–2week format, with flexibility around scheduling to accommodate learner and organisational needs.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 12 Feb 2026, 15:33 GMT
- Last source update
- 12 Feb 2026, 15:33 GMT
- Authority reference
DNO/488- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-013054- Latest notice
- Transparency notice (UK5)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06530bFind a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Prototypes Development
- Published justification
This direct award is justified under Schedule 5, Paragraph 2 of the Procurement Act 2023 as the requirement is for a one‑off pilot course undertaken for the purposes of testing, development and evaluation, rather than for routine operational delivery.
The pilot will be used to assess the viability, suitability and effectiveness of the proposed course content and delivery model, and to inform the design of any future competitive procurement should the approach prove successful.
Previous attempts to competitively source a suitable provider have not yielded an acceptable solution, which further supports the need for a prototype‑stage trial before going to market. For these reasons, a direct award is proportionate and meets the criteria for the ‘Prototypes and Development’ justification under the Procurement Act 2023.
Notice history
2 events · 1 release on Find a Tender · since 12 Feb 2026- Transparency notice published12 Feb 2026, 15:33 GMTUK5
- Contract signature expected13 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayrshire CollegeDNO/488- Safety Case Author Career Switcher Programme Pilot Scheme16 Mar 2026 – 30 Jun 2026 | £65,000 | — | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Ayrshire CollegeAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender