Centralised Civil Service Learning and Training Services

On 20 January 2026, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister announced that a new National School of Government and Public Services (the "National School") would be established. The National School, led by the Cabinet Office, will drive a new approach to delivering skills across the Civil Service and will be responsible for training across the Civil Service, providing high quality learning and development, including in priorities such as digital and artificial intelligence, leadership and management. The Minister for the Cabinet Office (the "Authority") has decided to accelerate the transition to the National School in order to realise the benefits that it will bring, and improve overall value for money sooner than originally anticipated. Contracts for the provision of centralised Civil Service learning and training services are to be awarded to each of KPMG LLP and Ernst & Young LLP to cover this transition period to the National School. Both suppliers have existing contracts for the same services in place with the Authority, which are due to expire in January 2027 and the intention is that these contracts will replace those existing contracts and will enable and facilitate a faster transition to the National School. The contract values stated in this notice are estimates of the maximum value of each contract. However; no guarantees are given by the Authority in relation to the volume or value of the services that will be instructed under the contracts. The contracts will be awarded by the Authority, however the services can be used by any of the bodies identified below (and their successors), and the contracts will be entered into for the benefit of the Authority and for the benefit of all such bodies that use the services from time to time: - All Ministerial Government Departments; - Non Ministerial Government Departments; - Executive Agencies of government and other subsidiary bodies; - Civil service bodies; - All non-Crown Status Government Companies wholly or partly owned by Central Government Departments and their subsidiaries; - The non-Departmental Public Bodies, other Public Bodies, Public Corporations and their subsidiary bodies sponsored by Central Government Departments which are not covered by the above categories; - All new bodies created which fall within the criteria set out above; - Those listed and maintained by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) as being part of Central Government at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/classificationsandstandards/economicstatisticsclassifications/introductiontoeconomicstatisticsclassifications or any replacement or updated web-link. Direct Award Justification (as set out in the Transparency Notice published on 14 July 2026): The contracts that are to be awarded to each of Ernst & Young LLP and KPMG LLP fall within the grounds for a direct award under paragraph 7 (Additional or repeat goods, services or works) of Schedule 5 to the Procurement Act 2023 as they concern the supply of services by existing suppliers which are intended as an extension to, or partial replacement of, existing services in circumstances where: (a) a change in supplier would result in the Authority receiving services that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing services; and (b) the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance. The Authority's view is that making a change in supplier at the current time would mean that the services were different and/or incompatible with the existing learning and training services and associated systems provided by the existing suppliers, and this would result in disproportionate technical difficulties for the Authority (and the wider Civil Service) in the operation and/or maintenance of those services and systems, including having regard to the limited duration of the transition period to the National School, as outlined above. The specific difficulties that the Authority would encounter in changing supplier at this point are: 1) the complexity of implementing and embedding cross-government managed learning service systems would prevent new providers from being able to deliver the services required within the required timeframe; 2) the Civil Service would be subjected to significant operational disruption from changing suppliers while simultaneously trying to build and then implement the new model needed for the National School; and 3) by continuing the existing service, the Authority is able to focus resources on realising the benefits of the National School sooner, reducing reliance on external spending and thereby providing better value for the taxpayer. In addition, and in the alternative, the contracts that are to be awarded to each of KPMG LLP and Ernst & Young LLP fall within the grounds for a direct award under paragraph 6 (Single suppliers) of Schedule 5 to the Procurement Act 2023 because: (a) due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the services required; and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those services. The Authority's view is that no alternative provider could take over the provision of the relevant learning and development services from the point that these services are required following expiry of the existing contracts, as there is insufficient time for transition to another provider to take place. This absence of competition is due to the technical reasons outlined above and is not the result of an artificial narrowing down of the parameters of the procurement.