P12819 - National School of Government and Public Services

Scope as published

This notice is not an official launch of our procurement(s), it is to alert the market to future opportunities and allow us to begin conversations that will shape plans for multiple future requirements. The Cabinet Office (Government Skills Group) is transforming the way learning and development (L&D) is designed, procured, and delivered across the Civil Service. Following the announcement by the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, the government is establishing the new National School of Government and Public Services (hereon The National School). The National School is tasked with delivering high-quality, targeted training to approximately 558,000 civil servants, developing executive leadership in the wider public sector, and to partner with public sector training bodies. The strategic goal of the National School is to shift away from the historically outsourced prime-supplier managed-service model. In its place, the Cabinet Office is building an insourced, hybrid capability. Under this new Future Operating Model (FOM), the Cabinet Office will directly manage core operations, standard curricula, and stakeholder engagement. However, expert external provision will remain a critical element of the programme. The National School transformation programme relies on three core, interdependent pillars to transition Civil Service training away from fully outsourced prime-supplier models toward an in-house, hybrid operating model by April 2028. Together, these pillars work to build direct relationships with suppliers, provide a modern digital learning infrastructure, and establish robust in-house operational workflows. Pillar 1: Future Supplier Partnerships (FSP) The FSP project serves as the commercial enabler of the new operating model, building the in-house capability required to buy learning services and manage supply chains directly. We aim to establish direct, value-driven contractual relationships with UK-based SMEs, universities, business schools, and niche providers. The project team have identified an indicative Three-Stage Roadmap to enable this delivery: Stage 1 (Immediate - April 2027): Procuring urgent digital and specialist training needs that cannot be fulfilled through existing frameworks. Stage 2 (April 2027-March 2028): Phased procurement for core, National School-sponsored curriculum, coaching, and talent programmes. Stage 3 (March 2028 onwards): On-going phased procurements falling out of Stages 1 and 2, depending on the length of contracts identified. The scope of the requirements will cover several key procurement categories, including, but not limited to, specialised coaching pools (including for neuro-diverse leaders), blended training delivery, learning design (retaining Crown Intellectual Property), access to subject matter experts including within academia, independent research and evaluation, helpdesk/admin surge, and off-the-shelf qualifications. Pillar 2: Future Technologies (FT) The Future Technologies project focuses on designing and implementing the digital architecture required to run a personalised training operation for approximately 558,000 civil servants. The core objective here is the setting up and integration of platforms to manage the access, booking, payments, and evaluation of learning materials. This involves transitioning away from heavy manual processes to maximise technological efficiencies. At this stage the project team has identified the central deliverable as a unified online portal allowing learners to access the full National School offering. Key technologies in scope for procurement include, but are not limited to, a new Learning Management System (LMS)/ Learning Experience Platform (LXP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to centralise stakeholder engagement, and design/delivery tools. Pillar 3: Future Learning Operations (FLO) The Learning Operations project is responsible for building the actual systems, processes, and internal capabilities required to run the …

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