Training tenders cover courses and learning programmes bought by councils, NHS bodies, colleges and government: staff and management training, health and safety and first aid, vocational and specialist courses, and leadership development. Contracts range from a single course for one team to multi-year programmes across an organisation. This page sets out what buyers check, from DBS and insurance to data handling, and how smaller training companies win. Our tender eligibility checker is coming soon. Until then, tell us your trade and postcode to join the free weekly list of live tenders, starting soon.
What buyers usually ask training providers for
Training has few rules of its own, so the buyer sets most requirements in the pack. The points below have a legal or policy basis, and the tender pack sets out anything on top.
Trainer qualifications and awarding-body approvals
Buyers set these contract by contract. Expect to be asked for trainers’ qualifications and experience and, where a course leads to a certificate, which awarding body approves it. The notice or pack says which awarding bodies the buyer accepts.
DBS checks where training involves children or vulnerable adults
Standard and Enhanced DBS checks are only available where the role meets the legal criteria (England and Wales); Basic checks are open to anyone. The DBS eligibility guidance says the recruiting organisation is responsible for deciding if a check is needed and at what level.
From 1 September 2026, the supervision exemption was removed from regulated activity with children. It applies in England and Wales under section 139 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, brought into force by SI 2026/939, and in Northern Ireland under section 140. Scotland has its own PVG Scheme. If you use unpaid helpers on courses for children, check how this affects your staffing. For schools, see education and training tenders.
Insurance
Employers’ liability insurance is compulsory for employers in Great Britain, with limited exemptions (Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969), and gov.uk says the cover must be at least £5 million. It applies if you employ staff. Public liability and professional indemnity are set contract by contract. The buyer sets this in the tender pack. See professional indemnity for trainers.
Learner data and quality certification
Learner records are personal data, so the Data Protection Act 2018 applies. PPN 014 covers central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies, and NHS bodies, for contracts with characteristics such as handling personal information. It says in-scope bodies must not take a blanket approach. Where it applies you need Cyber Essentials (or equivalent). See Cyber Essentials for government contracts. Some buyers also ask for ISO 9001, explained in ISO 9001 for tenders.
Apprenticeship training: the register
To deliver apprenticeship training with government funding you need a place on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). The gov.uk guidance sets out the routes. The application guidance lists the conditions, including a UKPRN and an ICO registration number. We don’t cover funding rules here.
How to win training contracts
In the week to 10 Oct 2026 there were 24 live education and training notices in our data, the parent sector (as of 10 Oct 2026).
Below-threshold contracts and light-touch rules
If a buyer advertises a below-threshold contract worth £12,000 or more (central government, including NHS trusts) or £30,000 or more (other authorities), including VAT, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice. Buyers can also invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising. If a buyer invites tenders, it can’t run a separate suitability stage before tenders are submitted, but it can still assess suitability at the award stage (Welsh devolved buyers and framework call-offs aside), and it must consider the barriers small businesses face. See the gov.uk guidance and our guide to council contracts for small businesses.
Training services (80500000) are listed as light-touch services in Schedule 1 of the Procurement Regulations 2024. At or above £663,540 including VAT (PPN 023), a light-touch contract must be advertised with a tender notice unless a direct award is justified. There are no fixed minimum tendering periods, but timescales must be reasonable (light-touch guidance). Staff training services (80511000) can be reserved for public service mutuals, for five years or less.
Frameworks for learning and development
A framework is a contract with suppliers for future call-offs, and call-offs can be awarded with or without competition. Most frameworks are limited to four years, but not light-touch frameworks. Ask how call-offs are awarded before you pay to join.
Evidence: outcomes, evaluation and accessibility
Show how you measure learning: pre- and post-course checks, feedback forms, and follow-up after a few weeks. Describe how you adapt courses for different needs and venues. Use figures you can prove from your own records, with the dates they cover, and name referees only with their permission.
Social value
Central government departments, their executive agencies and NDPBs must give social value at least a 10% weighting on above-threshold contracts where it is relevant and proportionate (PPN 002). Training suits commitments such as places for local learners or support for apprenticeships. Make them specific and measurable.
Pitfalls
- pricing by day rate only, with no allowance for preparation, materials or travel
- no cancellation or rebooking terms
- a thin evaluation plan
- assuming the notice’s CPV code matches your subject
Related work: see recruitment tenders if you also supply staff, and consultancy tenders for leadership and organisational development. The live list on this page picks up notices tagged with CPV codes for training services (805) and personnel-training and staff development services (79632000 and 79633000).
Questions
Where do councils and the NHS advertise training contracts?
Notices go on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, and TenderWorthy covers both. Scottish public bodies must advertise regulated procurements on the Public Contracts Scotland website, which TenderWorthy doesn't cover. A buyer only has to publish a below-threshold tender notice if it advertises, and it can instead invite quotes from chosen suppliers, so build relationships with buyers as well.
Do trainers need DBS checks for public sector contracts?
Only where the role meets the legal criteria for the check. Standard and Enhanced DBS checks are only available where the role meets the legal criteria (England and Wales), and Basic checks are open to anyone. The organisation requesting the check decides whether one is needed and at what level. The tender pack should say what the buyer expects, especially if you train children or vulnerable adults.
What insurance do training providers need for tenders?
Employers' liability insurance is compulsory for employers in Great Britain, with limited exemptions, and gov.uk says the cover must be at least £5 million. Public liability and professional indemnity are set contract by contract. The buyer sets this in the tender pack.
Can a sole trader or small training company win public contracts?
Yes. Before inviting tenders for a regulated below-threshold contract, a buyer must consider the barriers small businesses face and whether they can be reduced, and if it invites tenders it can't run a separate suitability stage before tenders are submitted, but it can still assess suitability at the award stage (Welsh devolved buyers and framework call-offs aside). Check the notice and the pack for insurance, DBS and capacity requirements before you invest time.
Are training contracts usually on frameworks?
Some are. In the week to 10 Oct 2026, 72 of the 470 live notices in our data across all sectors mentioned frameworks or dynamic purchasing systems (DPS, now called dynamic markets) (as of 10 Oct 2026). Check each notice for the route. A framework is a contract with suppliers for future call-offs, which can be awarded with or without competition.