AwardedAwarded 27 February 2026

UK Sport - Associate pools to support the Coaching, Leadership, Talent and Culture Teams in their work with Olympic and Paralympic performance programmes

The United Kingdom Sports Council · Central government

In brief

The United Kingdom Sports Council awarded training work to FabricShift Limited, First Ascent Group Ltd and Rachel Ellison Limited and 87 others on 27 February 2026.

It is a framework worth up to £1,566,666 excluding VAT: the most the buyer expects to spend across all suppliers, not one contract.

The contract runs for 4 years, starting 12 December 2025.

It is split into 4 lots, so a supplier can bid for part of the work.

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.

What the notice says

The mission for the Leadership, Talent, Culture and Coaching (LTCC) Teams is to understand the demands of each sport's performance plan and the challenges faced by those leading and delivering them - ensuring that athletes and staff are effectively supported in realising their ambitions. ​To meet the evolving needs of leaders and coaches within the high-performance system, the LTCC Teams will offer a blended approach of: ​Self-services resources, ​Peer learning and communities of practice within and across sports, ​Expert advice, ​Access to programmes to enhance role effectiveness, and ​Targeted deployment of skilled associates to support capability development in and through performance…Read the full description
The mission for the Leadership, Talent, Culture and Coaching (LTCC) Teams is to understand the demands of each sport's performance plan and the challenges faced by those leading and delivering them - ensuring that athletes and staff are effectively supported in realising their ambitions. ​To meet the evolving needs of leaders and coaches within the high-performance system, the LTCC Teams will offer a blended approach of: ​Self-services resources, ​Peer learning and communities of practice within and across sports, ​Expert advice, ​Access to programmes to enhance role effectiveness, and ​Targeted deployment of skilled associates to support capability development in and through performance environments. ​To respond swiftly and effectively to the needs of sport, pools of high-quality, experienced associates will be procured and retained for the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic cycle. ​The scope of services covered by this procurement will be split into 4 lots: ​Associate - Support for Executive Leadership in High Performance Sport Provision of high-quality, confidential, and developmental executive coaching to leaders operating in high performance sport environments. ​Associate - Support for Culture & Senior Team Leadership in High Performance Sport Provision of support to shape and strengthen leadership team, performance programme, and organisational culture in high performance sport by designing and delivering impactful development that fosters trust, clarity, cohesion, and sustainable performance. ​Associate - Support for Coaching in High Performance Sport Provision of support to work alongside coaches and sports to plan, implement and evaluate bespoke programmes of learning that support coaches' personal and professional development. ​Associate - Support for Recruitment & Talent Management in High Performance Sport Provide expert advice, guidance, and support to organisations across high-performance sport system regarding on demand HR policy and procedures, Talent Management (attraction, identification, recruitment, and selection) of diverse and high-quality talent. It will also support development of optimal organisational design. ​Note: A single associate or organisation may tender for one, multiple, or all roles - provided they demonstrate the required capability and experience. Each individual put forward for an associate pool(s) will be assessed on their unique skills and experience. Any organisation applying for the associate pool(s) will be required to put forward a full body of evidence against the assessment criteria for each member of the team they are proposing. ​The yearly expected spend per lot is outlined in the below ​Annual Spend (Quadrennial Spend) ​Associate - Support for Executive Leadership in High Performance Sport ​£120k (£480k) ​Associate - Support for Culture & Senior Team Leadership in High Performance Sport ​£100k (£400k) ​Associate - Support for Coaching in High Performance Sport ​£150k (​£600k) ​Associate - Support for Recruitment & Talent Management in High Performance Sport ​£100k (​£400k) ​ ​It is anticipated that the value of pieces of work will be less than £30,000, with the majority of contracts below £10,000. Work will be awarded directly, with the project or programme lead engaging with the appropriate pools and individuals. People can be awarded multiple contracts which run at the same time over the tender period. ​In the scenario that a call-off contract is expected to exceed £30k (inc VAT) we will award the contract after a mini-competition period that is open to the suppliers within this lot. The assessment criteria will be consistent with the initial framework criteria with an additional nuanced criteria that is specific to the contract. All suppliers in the lot will be notified of these criteria in their invitation to bid. ​Being selected for the framework does not guarantee work ​Specification for each of the roles can be viewed in the assessment criteria section and in the attached documents at the bottom of the page

Lots

LotTradeValue
Support for Executive Leadership in High Performance Sport
12 December 2025 to 12 December 2029
What this lot covers

Role Purpose To provide high-quality, confidential, and developmental executive coaching to leaders operating in high performance sport environments. The role aims to enhance leadership effectiveness, personal growth, and system -wide impact through reflective practice, challenge, and support. Example Accountabilities (to be determined by needs of sports) Deliver impactful 1:1 coaching to senior leaders across performance sport (e.g., Chairs, CEOs, Performance Directors, Head Coaches, Head of Performance). Enable strategic leaders to improve self-awareness, human dynamics, decision-making, resilience, and influence in complex, high-pressure environments. Build psychologically safe and trusting relationships that support deep reflection and learning. Adapt coaching approaches to suit different leadership styles, disciplines, and stages of development. Contribute to communities of practice or learning networks, where appropriate. Maintain appropriate confidentiality, ethical practice, and supervision aligned to professional standards. Provide insight to support UKS to support organisational learning and leadership development strategies, identifying the recurring features of practice in performance programmes

Training£400,000
Associate - Culture & Senior Team Leadership Support Role
12 December 2025 to 12 December 2029
What this lot covers

To shape and strengthen leadership, team and organisational culture in high performance sport by designing and delivering impactful development that fosters trust, clarity, cohesion, and sustainable performance. The role works alongside senior leaders, coaches, and multidisciplinary teams to build environments where people can thrive under pressure and perform consistently at the highest level. Example Accountabilities (to be determined by needs of sports) Design and deliver tailored development interventions that enhance leadership capability, team effectiveness, and cultural alignment. Facilitate purposeful conversations around identity, values, behaviours, and performance expectations within teams and organisations. Support leaders to embed high performing team principles such as psychological safety, clarity of purpose, and inclusive leadership. Recognise and respond to culture flags, act as a thinking partner to performance leaders and coaches, offering insight, challenge, and support to shape environment and culture. Collaborate with performance and people teams to align leadership and culture work with wider performance objectives. Contribute to learning cycles by gathering feedback, reflecting on impact, and sharing insights across the system. Provide insight to support UKS to support organisational learning and leadership development strategies, identifying the recurring features of practice in performance programmes

Training£333,333
Associate - Support for Coaching in High Performance Sport
12 December 2025 to 12 December 2029
What this lot covers

Role Purpose UK Sport is seeking practitioners who have extensive experience of and with the relational, ethical, pedagogical and practical dimensions of working with coaches in high-performance environments. Associate practitioners will work alongside coaches and sports to plan, implement and evaluate bespoke programmes of learning that support coaches' personal and professional development. Example Accountabilities (to be determined by needs of sports): Provide targeted and embedded support for coaches and coaching teams working in Olympic and Paralympic programmes, acknowledging the interconnectedness of learning and practice. Work collaboratively with UK Sport's Coaching Team and Sport Facing Advisors to identify recurring features of practice across Olympic and Paralympic programmes and what this could mean for broader system-level support for coaching. Work collaboratively with UK Sport's Coaching Team and Sport Facing Advisors to support problem formulation, paying attention to the reasoning and strategising underpinning the work. Encourage and support sports to build internal capability, enhancing long-term capacity and sustainability to effectively support coaching across the high-performance community.

Training£500,000
Associate - Recruitment & Talent Management Support
12 December 2025 to 12 December 2029
What this lot covers

Role Purpose To provide expert advice, guidance, and support to organisations across high-performance sport system regarding on demand HR policy and procedures, Talent Management (attraction, identification, recruitment, and selection) of diverse and high-quality talent. The support ensures robust, inclusive, and future-focused recruitment practices are embedded across the system to strengthen leadership, coaching, and performance teams. It will also support development of optimal organisational design. Example Accountabilities (to be determined by needs of sports): Advise and support organisations on talent attraction, inclusive recruitment, and succession planning strategies tailored to the unique needs of high-performance environments. Facilitate and contribute to the design of recruitment processes that are fair, transparent, evidence-informed, and aligned with best practice and innovative in approach. Build hiring capability across the system by offering tools, guidance, and education to NGB leaders and hiring managers. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop inclusive outreach and candidate engagement strategies. Monitor and evaluate recruitment activity and impact, identifying patterns, gaps, and opportunities to enhance equity and performance outcomes. Support NGBs talent management approaches to track, monitor and report on EDI data Promote a values-led, person-centred approach to recruitment that reflects the culture and ambition of the high-performance system. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment law, safeguarding, and inclusive hiring practices, sharing insight with system partners and provide guidance on demand to NGBs as needed Contribute to the development of a wider system talent strategy that includes retention, progression, and leadership pipeline considerations. Advise on optimal organisation design and operationalisation to deliver performance

Training£333,333

Who won

WinnerLotValueDates
FabricShift Limited (SME)
First Ascent Group Ltd (SME)
Rachel Ellison Limited (SME)
NTX (SME)
Shift MK Limited (SME)
Breakthrough Thinking Ltd (SME)
Sara Symington
Karuna Performance
2 Develop Limited (SME)
Alfano Consultancy Ltd (SME)
Athru Coaching Ltd
Bankpoint Leadership Limited
Be More Learning and Development Limited (SME)
Berkshire Consultancy Limited (SME)
Beyond Consultants Limited (SME)
Blended Learning Studio UK Ltd (SME)
Brighter Thinking Limited (SME)
Calin Cross Limited
Conversations That Count Ltd (SME)
Farleigh Performance Limited (SME)
Flying Iguana Ltd (SME)
Haynes-Shariff Business Consultants Limited (SME)
I-Coach Academy Limited (SME)
Ineo Life Ltd (SME)
Leaderbeing Ltd (SME)
Lindsay Wittenberg Limited (SME)
Lizzy Yarnold Limited
LSP Leadership Ltd (SME)
Luke Tyburski Ltd (SME)
Performance Focus Ltd (SME)
PERSONNEL DYNAMICS LIMITED (trading as Positive Dynamics) (SME)
Podium Performance Group Limited (SME)
The Goalgetter Organisation Limited (SME)
The X Group (TXG) Ltd (SME)
WJ Performance Consultants Ltd (SME)
Kirstie Moore Limited
Limitless Peak
Support for Executive Leadership in High Performance Sport£400,000
2 March 2026 to 23 January 2030
Sheffield Hallam University
Leeds Beckett University
Loughborough Business School
FabricShift Limited (SME)
First Ascent Group Ltd (SME)
Emma Smith Coaching Ltd (SME)
Rachel Ellison Limited (SME)
NTX (SME)
Shift MK Limited (SME)
Breakthrough Thinking Ltd (SME)
2 Develop Limited (SME)
Alfano Consultancy Ltd (SME)
Bankpoint Leadership Limited
Be More Learning and Development Limited (SME)
Blended Learning Studio UK Ltd (SME)
Calin Cross Limited
Conversations That Count Ltd (SME)
Farleigh Performance Limited (SME)
Flying Iguana Ltd (SME)
Haynes-Shariff Business Consultants Limited (SME)
Ineo Life Ltd (SME)
Luke Tyburski Ltd (SME)
Performance Focus Ltd (SME)
PERSONNEL DYNAMICS LIMITED (trading as Positive Dynamics) (SME)
WJ Performance Consultants Ltd (SME)
Kirstie Moore Limited
Limitless Peak
Adaptivemind Consultancy Limited (SME)
Changing Minds Ltd (SME)
Grey Matters Performance Limited (SME)
Head for a Win Limited (SME)
Lancing Consultancy Limited (SME)
Liberating Brilliance Ltd (SME)
Likos People Ltd (SME)
Liminal Space Consulting Ltd (SME)
Made for More Limited
Mda Coaching Services Ltd (SME)
Next Brave Move Limited (SME)
Paulson Performance Consulting Limited (SME)
Top Seed Consulting Limited (SME)
You Cubed Coaching
Clear Space Consultancy
Chris Beaumont Consulting
Lesley McKenna
Mentorial Performance
Advisory Seven Ltd (SME)
Opus 29 Consultancy
Julian North
Transformative Space
Coaching & Performance Development Ltd. (SME)
Nigel Donohue Performance Consultant
Sport Performance Services (SME)
Tracy Whittaker-Smith
Associate - Culture & Senior Team Leadership Support Role£333,000
2 March 2026 to 23 January 2030
Cardiff MET Company Ltd
Leeds Beckett University
Breakthrough Thinking Ltd (SME)
2 Develop Limited (SME)
Kirstie Moore Limited
Adaptivemind Consultancy Limited (SME)
Changing Minds Ltd (SME)
Grey Matters Performance Limited (SME)
Head for a Win Limited (SME)
Lancing Consultancy Limited (SME)
Liberating Brilliance Ltd (SME)
Liminal Space Consulting Ltd (SME)
Mda Coaching Services Ltd (SME)
Top Seed Consulting Limited (SME)
Chris Beaumont Consulting
Lesley McKenna
Mentorial Performance
Julian North
Sport Performance Services (SME)
Tracy Whittaker-Smith
L&A Performance Limited (SME)
Loughborough University Enterprises Limited (SME)
One High Performance Coaching Limited
Performance Vision Limited (SME)
Praxis Coaching Limited (SME)
SG Learning & Development Ltd
Coach Craft
Andrew Mark Gillott
Experience Project
Dean Clark
Drivetrain Coaching and Consulting
Lacuna Learning
Good Things Coming
E. T. Hall Consulting
Handyside Coaching
Martin Dighton
Michelle Vernon-Way
Paul Kinnerk Coaching Limited (SME)
Paul Russell
Associate - Support for Coaching in High Performance Sport£500,000
2 March 2026 to 23 January 2030
Ep Partners Ltd (SME)
People Up HR Consulting Ltd (SME)
Hawthorn People Consulting
Associate - Recruitment & Talent Management Support£333,333
2 March 2026 to 23 January 2030

Values as the award notice gives them, excluding VAT where stated.

Timeline

  1. Tender notice · UK4, notice 065917-2025
  2. Tender notice · UK4, notice 070200-2025
  3. Contract details notice · UK7, notice 018030-2026

About the buyer

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From notice 065917-2025 on Find a Tender, first published 16 October 2025, last updated 27 February 2026. We last checked for changes on 28 September 2026.