Connect to Work (Supported Employment) - SEQF and West Kent IPS Provision

Descriptions

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has launched a new national supported employment programme called 'Connect to Work' (C2W). Connect to Work is a key part of the Government's new 'Get Britain Working Strategy' and its commitment to supporting the 1.8m people in the UK who would like to work but are not currently participating in the labour market.

The programme aims to support 81,000 individuals per year overall nationally. Connect to work will be delivered by 43 accountable bodies across the UK. Kent County Council (KCC) are one of 43 Accountable bodies and will be delivering the programme on behalf of Kent and Medway.

The "Connect to Work" programme is an initiative aimed at providing employment support to individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions, or other disadvantaged groups. The programme offers targeted interventions, job coaching, workplace support, and other support to ensure that individuals facing challenges can participate in and retain employment.

This Contract award relates to provision of SEQF Supported Employment Services for Kent and Medway, and IPS Services in West Kent. This also relates to piloting of IPS services across Kent and Medway during year one of the Connect to Work programme.

This Contract award concerns the following areas:

SEQF (Kent and Medway)

IPS (West Kent, comprising Dartford, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells). This will also include piloting of IPS provision across the Kent and Medway area for year one of the connect to work programme (until April 2026).

The Council has opted to award this element of the Connect to Work Programme to its Local Authority Trading Company (LATCO) edseco limited t/a the education people in accordance with the Vertical arrangement exemption under Schedule 2 of the Procurement Act 2023.

The remainder of commissioned services to deliver the Connect to Work Programme are subject to a competitive procurement process in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. Details of the competitive procurement process can be found below.

A competitive procurement process is underway, (details can be found at https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/035496-2025 and www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk), with a contract start date of April 2026 to seek external delivery partners for the following contract lots:

North Kent (IPS)

Mid Kent (IPS)

East Kent (IPS)

The relevant procurement documents can be found at www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk