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SOL30066 SOL Alternative Provision 2027

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council · Local authority

In brief

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council has announced plans to buy education work. This is an early notice: there is nothing to bid on yet, but it tells you a tender may follow.

It is a framework worth up to £2,400,000 excluding VAT: the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers, not one contract.

The contract runs for 3 years, up to 5 years with extensions, starting 1 September 2027.

The buyer says it is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Built from the notice's own fields. Always check the official notice before you bid.

Can I win this?

Competition

Typical: a median of 4 bids per contract for this buyer (from 8 awards in the last 12 months).

Framework

Winning puts you on a list of suppliers the buyer can call on; it does not guarantee work. The £2,400,000 is the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers over the framework's life, not one contract.

What the notice says

Market Engagement Questionnaire - Solihull Council is developing a quality-assured provider framework to supplement existing statutory, commissioned and in-house provision where suitable education or targeted support cannot be secured through current arrangements. The Council wishes to engage with providers and is inviting them to submit an online questionnaire which will help shape future service delivery requirements and tender options. The proposed lotting structure is being tested through the questionnaire although final scope and details are subject to change: Lot 1: Registered AP - Education placements delivered by registered AP schools or registered independent schools, including…Read the full description
Market Engagement Questionnaire - Solihull Council is developing a quality-assured provider framework to supplement existing statutory, commissioned and in-house provision where suitable education or targeted support cannot be secured through current arrangements. The Council wishes to engage with providers and is inviting them to submit an online questionnaire which will help shape future service delivery requirements and tender options. The proposed lotting structure is being tested through the questionnaire although final scope and details are subject to change: Lot 1: Registered AP - Education placements delivered by registered AP schools or registered independent schools, including short-stay, transitional and longer pathways where appropriate. Lot 2: Non-school AP - Primarily educational or re-engagement programmes delivered at a provider-controlled site by organisations that are not registered schools. This may include part-time, supplementary, well-being or activity-based programmes, subject to clear registration boundaries and commissioner oversight. Lot 3: Vocational AP - Practical, vocational, outdoor, accredited, employability and skills-based education for school-aged pupils, delivered in a school or school-like learning setting such as a college or provider-controlled site, not on ordinary commercial work premises. Lot 4: Outreach - AP-specific support delivered to a pupil, family or school at a school, home or community location, without creating a provider-site placement. This may include attendance, EBSA, re-engagement and reintegration support. Lot 5: Medical / Specialist / SEND - Education or AP-specific specialist support where medical, SEND, ASC, communication, sensory or related needs affect access to education. This may include remote, hybrid, graded-return, assessment and stabilisation approaches. Standalone clinical therapy or healthcare is outside scope unless explicitly commissioned as part of an educational package. Please respond by 4th November 2026.

How to bid

  1. Read the full notice on Find a Tender, including any tender documents it links to.
  2. Register your organisation on the Central Digital Platform (through Find a Tender) if you have not already. Suppliers need to be registered to take part in procurements under the Procurement Act 2023.
  3. Follow the submission instructions in the notice; it does not name an e-tendering portal.

Timeline

  1. Preliminary market engagement notice · UK2, notice 097348-2026

About the buyer

Procurements

62

Awards

23

Suppliers it has used most for education

  • Every Life Matters1 contract

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From notice 097348-2026 on Find a Tender, first published 15 October 2026. We last checked for changes on 15 October 2026.