Decision details

The intent of the GM’s Adult Skills Level 3 targeted offer is to support the priorities of the Greater Manchester Strategy 2021 – 2031 good lives for all.
Greater Manchester is a great place to grow up, get on and grow old; a great place to invest, do business, visit and study to become:
• A greener Greater Manchester: responding to the climate emergency.
• A fairer Greater Manchester: addressing inequalities and improving wellbeing for all
• A more prosperous Greater Manchester: driving local and UK growth.
• To develop the occupational competences needed to progress further in learning, work or careers, on courses aligned to Greater Manchester’s key growth and foundational occupational areas.
• To improve the skills of residents and be more productive or retrain to find a better job supporting in-work progression for adults into higher level careers, adapting to changing employer needs.
• Target occupational skills gaps to support our business needs, providing employers with a locally skilled workforce.
GM’s Adult Skills Level 3 Targeted Offer incorporates two funding streams under one single pot:
• An allocation of funding from GM’s core devolved Adult Education Budget for targeted Level 3 delivery, and
• GMs devolved ringfenced allocation from the national Free Courses for Jobs Level 3 offer.
Within the funding streams there are three core strands, differentiated by a resident’s eligibility and a set of fully funded Level 3 qualifications. These strands are as follows:
• GM Local Level 3 for Adults
• GM FCFJ Level 3 Local Funding Flexibility
• National Free Courses for Jobs Level 3 offer

Activity funded from this commission can be summarised as follows:

• Overall value: £4.91m for the period June 2023 to July 2024.
• In total, the successful bidders propose to engage with 3,112 residents across GM
Further information on the scope of the procurement can be found in the specification.
GMCA have run a competitive process. In total 17 bids were received.

Each bid was sent to a full evaluation panel. GMCA’s Information Governance Team also reviewed each provider’s IG submission to ensure that they were acceptable, and the finances of the bidding company were also checked.

The mini-competition comprised of 2 parts, covering (80%) Quality, (20%) Social Value via the Social Value Portal. The Quality selection process involved evaluating the bidders’ responses on a number of criteria including:
- Learning Delivery Approach
- Strategic Approach
- Track Record and Quality
- Engagement and Stakeholder Management
- Performance Management and Monitoring
- Financial Value for Money

Following evaluation, the bidders were ranked based on their total score. Contracts will be awarded to the bidders listed above. Any bidder who scored two or below on two or more questions or did not pass the financial checks were excluded from the process.

Following a competitive procurement process using GMCA’s Education Work and Skills Flexible Procurement System, GMCA wishes to award the following contracts:

The Growth Company - £710,692
Standguide Limited - £ 724,256.53
Bright Direction Training - £185,640
Plato Training - £979,939.10
Realise Learning and Employment - £772,540
Gloucestershire College - £325,134
Back to Work - £286,881.14
Total People Ltd - £351,814
DMR Training and Consultancy - £250,941
Workers' Educational Association - £330,119

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