Colleagues sit around a laptop with graphs on the screen

Flexible Procurement System


GMCA has created the Education, Work and Skills Flexible Procurement System (FPS) to allow for easier and quicker commissioning activity. This will minimise the timescale for procurement activity and reduce confusion and administration, whilst creating opportunities for a wider range of suppliers to bid for GMCA commissioned education, work and skills activity. The FPS will also be used by Local Authorities within Greater Manchester to commission Apprenticeships and other relevant activity.

GMCA’s ambition in Greater Manchester is to create an integrated labour market eco-system which has the individual and employer at its heart, that better responds to the needs of residents, communities, and businesses, and which contributes to the inclusive growth and productivity of the GM economy. Our vision is for an integrated education, work and skills system that will help all of our residents to be school ready, life ready and work ready.

What do Providers have to do to join the FPS?

All providers are required to complete a bid submission that is evaluated by a panel at GMCA.

  • Provider information

  • Mandatory and Discretionary exclusions

  • Finance and Technical Examples

  • Social Value

  • Information Governance

  • Supplier suitability: how you respond to the priorities of Greater Manchester, track record, and performance management

Providers will not be accepted onto the FPS unless they pass these sections. Admission to the FPS does not guarantee funding but gives providers to opportunity to bid on pots of funding that they are eligible for.

Requirements Matrix

The other element of an FPS submission is the requirements matrix, where providers are asked to evidence their work. Commissioners filter the FPS using the requirements matrix to produce lists of providers who are invited to bid on funding for projects.

The sections on the requirements matrix are:

  • Characteristics: employment status, demographic considerations, and personal circumstance

  • Interventions: supporting young people and adults to transition into further learning or work, supporting individuals currently in work, and supporting employers

  • Sector / Occupational Specialisms: accredited / bespoke sector-based delivery, and accredited / bespoke life skills

Key Dates and Information

The FPS will open for applications for one final time in December 2024 for new applications and reapplications from those organisations who have not previously been successful in joining the framework, as well as for additional applications from those already on the FPS who would like to apply for further matrix sections, or who would like to update the locations they deliver in and the contract values they can deliver.

We anticipate that the FPS will open for applications on Monday 16th December 2024 with a tender submission date of Monday 10th February 2025 at 12pm. These dates may be subject to change before the publication of the tender documents.

However, this will be the final re-opening as after careful consideration of the benefits and limitations of the FPS as part of an extensive options appraisal, and taking account of feedback from stakeholders and providers, it has been agreed that following the end of the initial period of the FPS on 22nd November 2025, there will be no extension of the FPS.

GMCA’s procurement approach will instead use a range of procurement routes, including open and restricted procurement, with the option to use available established existing frameworks, and other compliant routes to market.

We would like to thank all of our FPS providers, applicants and organisations who have engaged and worked with us over the past four years for all of their time, input and continuous feedback. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with you in the future to deliver the ambition for a fairer, greener, more prosperous Greater Manchester.

For further information or for any enquiries, please contact us via ewsframework@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk.

FPS Supply Chain Partners

Organisations will not be able to bid as a lead provider for contracts published via the FPS unless they have been successful in their application to join. However, organisations will still be able to become involved in these opportunities as a supply chain partner. If this is something that you are interested in, please email EWSframework@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk. The supplier contact sharing sheet is circulated to providers on the FPS, and they will be able to use your provided details to contact you. We will also send out relevant comms regarding our activity and upcoming opportunities that you may be interested in.

The following suppliers have already been successful in applying to the FPS:

  • 3D 360 Limited
  • Acacia Training
  • Access Skills
  • Acorn Training
  • Aim 2 Learn
  • Alliance Learning
  • Apprentify Ltd
  • Aspire Education
  • B4box Ltd
  • Babington Business College
  • Back 2 Work Complete Training Limited
  • Back on Track Manchester
  • Baltic Training
  • Barfection
  • Blue Apple Training
  • BMH Training Limited
  • Bolton College
  • Bolton Security
  • Bright Direction training
  • Bury Adult Learning Service
  • Bury College
  • B-Skill Limited
  • Buzzstart Academy
  • Calico Enterprise Limited
  • Career Connect
  • Catch22 Charity Limited
  • CECOS Computing International
  • Centrepoint Soho
  • Challenge-trg Skills Ltd
  • Code Nation Ltd
  • Complete Training and Assessment
  • Damar Limited
  • Dimensions Training Solutions
  • Dip (Batley) Ltd
  • DMR Training and Consultancy Ltd
  • Dynamis Enterprise Ltd
  • EFL Trust
  • Elysium Training
  • Endorphins Group
  • Expanse Group
  • Free to Learn Limited
  • Focusing First on People Limited
  • ForHousing Limited
  • Generation
  • Get Set Academy
  • Gloucestershire Training College
  • GNR Training Limited
  • Goddard Consultants Coaching Practice CIC
  • Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisations
  • Greater Manchester Youth Network
  • Greendale Limited t/a ECTA
  • Groundwork MSSTT
  • Hive Learning Network CIC
  • Holt Green Trading Ltd
  • Hopwood Hall College
  • HyperionDev / CoGrammar Limited
  • Imeta Training and Solutions Ltd
  • IN4.0 Group
  • Independent Training and Education
  • Ingeus UK
  • Innovative Alliance Limited
  • InspirED Associates Limited
  • Instep UK
  • IVS Training and Assessment Ltd
  • JM Excellence in Training Ltd
  • Juniper Training
  • Learning Curve Group
  • Learning Skills Partnership
  • LTE Group
  • MAES
  • Manchester Digital
  • Manchester First Ltd
  • Manchester Metropolitan University RES Office
  • Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
  • Mantra Learning Limited
  • Maximus UK Services Limited
  • Netcom Training Limited
  • New Charter Housing Trust / Jigsaw
  • NGTC Ltd
  • North Lancs Training Group
  • North West Skills Academy
  • One Manchester
  • Pathway First Limited
  • PeoplePlus Group
  • Plato Training
  • Portland Training Company Limited
  • Prevista Ltd
  • Procure Plus Holdings Limited
  • Professional Training Solutions
  • Proper Job
  • QA
  • Raytheon Professional Services
  • Realise Learning and Employment Limited
  • Reform Radio CIC
  • Remit Training
  • Rochdale Training Association Limited
  • Salford City College
  • Salford Foundation
  • Salford University Digital ICZ
  • SB Skills Solutions
  • Seetec Business Technology
  • Serco Limited
  • Society for the Reduction of Carbon
  • Solvo Vir Limited
  • St Antony's Centre
  • Standguide Limited
  • Stockport Homes Limited
  • System Group Limited
  • Tameside Adult Community
  • Tameside College
  • TechTalent Academy
  • Tech Returners
  • The Childcare Company Ltd
  • The Construction Skills People
  • The Education and Skills Partnership
  • The Growth Company
  • The Oldham College
  • The Princes Trust
  • The Qualification People
  • The Root of It
  • The Trafford College Group
  • The Training Brokers
  • Think Employment Limited
  • TMP Studios CIC
  • Total Excellence Centre Ltd
  • Total People Limited
  • Total Training Provision Limited
  • Training Strategies Ltd
  • Training Works 4 U Limited
  • Transport Training Academy Ltd
  • TRN Train
  • UK Skills Academy
  • Ultima Skills Ltd
  • United Response
  • Unity Radio
  • University of Bolton
  • Waltham International College Ltd
  • Warrington & Vale Royal College
  • We Are Digital
  • Wigan and Leigh College
  • Wigan Employment and Skills
  • Woodspeen
  • Workers' Educational Association