Devon County Council has launched a large-scale Skills for Growth Light Touch Open Framework to commission organisations delivering skills, training and employment support across the region.
With an estimated total value of £120 million, this opportunity is designed to support economic growth by improving workforce skills, employability and access to training.
About the Opportunity
The Skills for Growth framework will bring together a range of providers to deliver programmes that support individuals into employment, upskill the existing workforce and respond to local labour market needs.
Organisations accepted onto the framework will be eligible to deliver contracts over several years, aligned to Devon’s economic priorities and skills gaps.
The framework is structured across three key delivery areas, allowing providers to specialise or apply across multiple lots depending on their expertise.
Contract Value and Duration
- Total estimated value: £120 million
- Contract start: July 2026
- Initial duration: 3 years
- Potential extension: up to 5 years total
This creates a long-term pipeline of opportunities for organisations delivering skills and employment support.
Framework Lots Explained
The framework is split into three distinct lots:
Lot 1 – Adult Skills Fund (ASF) and Free Courses for Jobs (FCFJ)
This lot focuses on delivering adult education and accredited training aligned to national funding programmes.
Providers will deliver:
- Qualifications and accredited courses for adults
- Training aligned to the Free Courses for Jobs offer
- Skills provision targeting unemployed or low-skilled adults
- Programmes supporting progression into work or further learning
This lot is suited to organisations with experience delivering regulated training, qualifications and adult education programmes.
Lot 2 – Skills Bootcamps
This lot focuses on short, intensive training programmes designed to quickly move individuals into employment or higher-skilled roles.
Delivery includes:
- Sector-specific bootcamps (e.g. digital, construction, green skills)
- Employer-linked training with clear job outcomes
- Flexible, accelerated learning models
- Programmes designed to address immediate skills shortages
Providers will need strong employer links and the ability to deliver outcomes such as job placements or career progression.
Lot 3 – Future Skills Projects
This lot supports innovative and forward-looking skills initiatives that respond to emerging needs in the economy.
Projects may include:
- Pilot programmes testing new approaches to skills delivery
- Training linked to future industries or emerging sectors
- Innovative models that improve access to learning
- Projects targeting underrepresented groups or new delivery methods
This lot is particularly suited to organisations with innovative ideas or specialist expertise in developing new approaches to workforce development.
