Learning and Development County Wide Training DPS
Framework Description
Telford and Wrekin Council's Learning and Development County Wide Training DPS is a dynamic purchasing system for training delivered to council staff. It is split into 12 lots, from adult and children's services training to ICT skills, leadership and wellbeing. The current DPS was advertised under Find a Tender notice 008321-2024 and runs until 27 October 2028, admitting new providers throughout.
Context & Use Case
The council uses the DPS to buy training for its own workforce across departments, drawing on local, regional and national providers. Joining is a two-stage process: providers first complete a selection questionnaire to be admitted, then, when a training need arises, the council runs a mini-competition among admitted providers in the relevant lot and awards the course to the best response.
Scope of Services
Lots 1–2: Adult Services; Children's Services Lots 3–4: Communication; Commercial Skills Lots 5–6: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Financial and Procurement Lots 7–8: Health and Safety; ICT Systems and Skills Lots 9–10: Legal, Governance and Political Awareness; Management and Leadership Lots 11–12: Personal Development; Wellbeing
Lots
Lot 1 - Adult Services; Lot 2 - Children's Services; Lot 3 - Communication; Lot 4 - Commercial Skills; Lot 5 - Equality/Diversity/Inclusion; Lot 6 - Financial/Procurement; Lot 7 - Health & Safety; Lot 8 - ICT Systems/Skills; Lot 9 - Legal/Governance/Political Awareness; Lot 10 - Management/Leadership; Lot 11 - Personal Development; Lot 12 - Wellbeing
Who Can Apply
Suits independent trainers, training companies and colleges that deliver workforce courses in one or more of the 12 subject lots. Because it is a DPS, providers can apply to join at any point before 27 October 2028 by passing the selection questionnaire, then compete for individual training requirements.
Buyer Benefits
The council can source a specific course quickly from providers who have already passed selection, matched to the exact subject lot. Mini-competitions keep prices tested for each requirement, and the open-entry model means new specialists, including local trainers, keep arriving rather than the council being locked to a fixed list for years.
Next Steps
Pick the lots where you have delivery evidence, then complete the selection questionnaire through the route given on Find a Tender notice 008321-2024. Once admitted, watch for mini-competition invitations and respond with course outlines, trainer CVs and day rates matched to each brief. Apply sooner rather than later, as the DPS closes on 27 October 2028.
How Athena Can Help
Athena can help a training provider get admitted and then win courses. Our DPS application service works out which of the 12 lots fit your trainers, completes the selection questionnaire and runs a compliance check before submission.
Once you are on, our mini-competition bid support shapes course proposals and day rates against each brief, and we can advise on bidding to councils more widely so Telford becomes one of several public sector training clients.
