PS3237F - RFI for the Provision of Contracted Training Services for Education Training Boards (ETBs)

Description

Education and Training Boards (ETBs) play a pivotal role in shaping and managing Contracted Training (CT) as part of their broader Further Education and Training (FET) strategy. CT is typically used to complement in-house provision, offering a flexible and responsive means of addressing identified training needs where internal delivery may not be feasible or timely. ETBs assess local and regional requirements and use contracted training provision where appropriate. While external providers are engaged through competitive procedures, ETBs retain responsibility for ensuring that contracted services align with agreed curricula, delivery schedules, learner outcomes, and quality assurance frameworks, including those set by QQI. Through ongoing planning, oversight, and performance monitoring, ETBs ensure that CT remains a quality-assured, relevant, and accessible solution that supports both learner progression and labour market responsiveness. Contracted Training is deployed across a broad range of subject and occupational areas, particularly on programmes delivered at Levels 5 and 6 of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). This breadth of application allows ETBs to respond effectively to diverse regional labour market demands, support sector-specific upskilling, and address priority skills gaps where specialist expertise or additional capacity is required. The EPS (Education Procurement Service), on behalf of the Education and Training Boards (ETBs), intends to invite submissions from companies / organisations with capacity, expertise and capability relating to the delivery and provision of general Contracted Further Education and Training programmes. This is a market sounding exercise to obtain market information on the supply of contract training to the Education and Training Boards to: 1. better understand any changes in the supply market since the previous ETB, national Framework Competition was run, and 2. identify any necessary amendments to the scope and specifications of this CT framework.