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Employment Readiness and Progression Support Service - Portsmouth 2026

Portsmouth City Council · South East · up to £470,000

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What the buyer wants

Portsmouth City Council seeks a provider to deliver an Employment Readiness and Progression Support Service for adults with learning disabilities, autism, or neurodivergence to help them prepare for and progress towards paid employment. The contract starts April 2027 for two years with possible extensions up to five years, with an indicative annual budget of £80,000 plus £8,000 for personal budgets. The service includes assessments, tailored support, employer engagement, and partnership working.

Portsmouth City Council ('the Council') is inviting tenders from suitably qualified Providers to provide a specialist Employment Readiness and Progression Support Service for adults aged 18 and over who have a learning disability and/or are autistic or self-identify as neurodivergent.

The Contract will commence on 1 April 2027 for an initial term of two years. The Council may, at its sole discretion, extend the Contract for one or more further periods, provided that the total Contract term does not exceed five years from the Contract Commencement Date.

The Council has identified an indicative budget of approximately £80,000 per annum excluding VAT for delivery of the Service and is seeking proposals that demonstrate how the best possible outcomes can be achieved within the available funding.

The successful Provider will be required to deliver the Services in accordance with the Contract, Specification, submitted Tender and any agreed mobilisation arrangements.

Background information

The Council currently commissions a specialist employment support service for adults with a learning disability. Through service review, preliminary market engagement and wider employment pathway development work, the Council has identified an opportunity to remodel the service to create a clearer progression route towards employment for adults with a learning disability and autistic and neurodivergent adults.

The Council recognises that many individuals who aspire to paid employment require additional support before they are ready to engage successfully with employment-focused programmes. People may require support to build confidence, independence, work-related routines, practical skills, travel confidence, workplace understanding and relevant experience before progressing towards employment opportunities.

The employment support landscape has also evolved through the introduction and expansion of programmes such as Connect to Work. The Council considers that specialist work-readiness support and employment-placement support perform distinct functions within an individual's employment journey and can be most effective when delivered as part of a coordinated pathway.

The recommissioned service therefore represents a shift towards a dedicated Employment Readiness and Progression Support Service. The Council's objective is to establish a service that helps individuals identify and overcome barriers to employment, develop skills and confidence, access meaningful development opportunities and progress towards paid employment through appropriate pathways and partnerships.

The Council also wishes to strengthen co-production, employer engagement and partnership working to improve employment opportunities and outcomes for people with learning disabilities and autistic and neurodivergent adults. The successful Provider will play a key role in supporting this ambition through collaborative working with individuals, employers, stakeholders and partner organisations.

Specification

The Council is seeking a Provider to deliver a specialist Employment Readiness and Progression Support Service for adults aged 18 and over who have a learning disability and/or are autistic or self-identify as neurodivergent. The service is intended for individuals who aspire to paid employment but who require additional support to develop their readiness for employment and progression towards appropriate employment opportunities.

The successful Provider will deliver an accessible, strengths-based and person-centred service that supports individuals to identify aspirations, understand and overcome barriers, develop practical skills and confidence, and progress towards meaningful employment outcomes.

The primary purpose of the service is to prepare individuals for progression towards employment through personalised work-readiness support, skills development, employer engagement and structured progression planning.

The successful Provider will be expected to:

• undertake strengths-based assessments and develop co-produced employment readiness and progression plans

• provide tailored individual and group-based support

• support confidence building, independence, communication, workplace behaviours, travel skills, routine development and self-advocacy

• facilitate access to volunteering, work experience, work tasters, workplace visits and other purposeful development opportunities

• develop and maintain relationships with employers and promote inclusive employment opportunities

• support individuals to identify and address barriers that may affect progression towards employment

• support the appropriate use of Personal Budgets, Direct Payments and Individual Service Funds where additional support is required to help achieve employment-related outcomes

• establish effective referral, progression and transition arrangements with Connect to Work and other relevant services

• embed co-production and lived experience in the design, delivery, review and continuous improvement of the service

• collect and report performance and outcome information in accordance with the Specification

A key objective of the service is to increase access to employment-related opportunities through effective employer engagement, partnership working and progression planning. The Provider will be expected to work collaboratively with employers, community organisations and relevant stakeholders to support sustainable progression towards employment.

The successful Provider will also be required to mobilise the service prior to the Contract Commencement Date. Mobilisation activities are expected to include implementation planning, stakeholder engagement, referral pathway development, workforce mobilisation, governance arrangements, performance reporting arrangements and any other activities necessary to ensure the service is fully operational from the commencement date.

The Service must be delivered in accordance with the core service principles set out within the Specification, including strengths-based practice, person-centred support, co-production, inclusion and progression towards meaningful employment outcomes.

As the remodelled service differs materially from the current service model, the Provider will be required to establish baseline information relating to demand, activity, outcomes, employer engagement and service performance during the first contract year. This information will inform the future development of contractual Key Performance Indicators and associated targets.

Full details of the service requirements are set out within the Specification.

The Council has identified an indicative core service budget of £80,000 per annum excluding VAT for delivery of the Services. In addition, the Council has identified an indicative allowance of £8,000 per annum excluding VAT for expenditure through Personal Budgets and/or Individual Service Funds to support employment-related outcomes in accordance with the Specification.

For procurement planning, tendering and evaluation purposes, the maximum total value of the Contract, including the Initial Contract Term and all available Extension Periods, is £467,203.95 exclusive of VAT. This value has been calculated using:

• an indicative annual core service value of £80,000 in Contract Year 1;

• an indicative annual Personal Budget and Individual Service Fund allowance of £8,000 in Contract Year 1;

• an illustrative annual uplift of 3% in each subsequent Contract Year; and

• the assumption that the Initial Contract Term and all available Extension Periods are exercised.

The Maximum Total Value stated above has been calculated solely for procurement planning, tendering and evaluation purposes. The Council acknowledges that actual expenditure during the Contract term may differ from these estimates. In particular, actual inflationary adjustments, approved expenditure through Personal Budgets or Individual Service Funds, changes in service demand, funding arrangements or other operational

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