Standards and Frameworks Suppliers
The changes have been prompted by a requirement for the UK Commission to significantly reduce spend in the areas within scope, with the key aims of the new process being to improve quality, consistency and obtain value for money.
The foundations and objectives of Standard & Frameworks
In order that we had a strong evidence base for change, we commissioned SERCO to undertake an initial review of the market for the Standards & Frameworks products and the delivery arrangements. SERCO provided us with recommendations for developing a new approach which were based on the 3 key improvement levers of:
- A reduction in demand and volumes
- Changes to the current funding, moving to output funding based on unit pricing
- Reducing the number of contracts.
Please read the full report (DOCX, 1.9 Mb)
Standards & Frameworks – Suppliers & SOC Coverage
The new commissioning approach has now been concluded and a network of nine Sector Skills Council (SSC) preferred supplier partnerships have been identified. Each of the collaborative partnerships detailed in the table below is made up of a number of partner organisations and headed up by a lead SSC.
Lead Organisation |
Partners |
| Asset Skills |
Summit Skills, Skills For Security |
| CITB/Construction Skills |
ProSkills |
| Creative & Cultural Skills |
Skillset |
| EU Skills |
Cogent, Improve, ProSkills, SEMTA, Summit Skills |
| e-skills |
|
| Lantra |
SkillsActive, HABIA, People 1st, Improve, GoSkills |
| Skills For Care & Development |
Skills Third Sector |
| Skillsmart Retail |
Skills For Logistics, IMI |
Universal Skills Ltd (joint venture company) – Skills For Justice, Skills For Health, Financial Skills Partnership |
Skills Third Sector |
Each partnership covers an awarded selection of SOC code areas. For more detail on which partnership looks after which specific SOC code (XLSX, 26 Kb) areas for Standards & Frameworks.
The preferred suppliers have been awarded a three year agreement for the period 2012-2015 for the awarded SOC codes. This agreement is not a guarantee of annual funding but an agreement which allocates the partnership the role of developing (where required) the Standards & Framework activities for their specific SOC code allocation.
Funding agreements with selected providers for Standards & Framework activities are negotiated and awarded on an annual basis. Outputs are only agreed and awarded where they have been supported by evidence of demand and demonstrate value for money.
In addition to the SSC suppliers above, the UK Commission will also be contracting in 12/13 with three Standard Setting Organisations (SSOs) :
These SSOs have been awarded a 12/13 funding contract only for specific Standards & Frameworks outputs so as to ensure maximum sector coverage.
