Ends Jan 2027
UG Internships Abroad
Cardiff University · Wales · 1-year contract
Held by Gradcore Ltd
Careers education tenders and contracts
UK public sector, covering 600+ buyer sites
387 careers education tenders and contracts, 73 this year.
Updated 4 November 2026 · compiled by BidSkim Limited · How we count
- Awarded a month£150k
- Contracts a month1.8
- Won by SMEs74%
- Renewing in 6 months6
- Frameworks and DPSs1
- Live now2See them →
Careers education contracts
Tap a region to see its contracts. Pick as many as you like.
How many careers education contracts do keyword alerts miss?
In the last year, a "careers education" alert would have missed 28 of 28 careers education contracts (100%) and an expert list of 14 phrases 16 (57%). How we measured this
Keyword alert"careers education"
100% missed
28 of 28
Expert list14 phrases
57% missed
16 of 28
Expert list: careers education, careers programme, careers hub, careers guidance, careers inspiration, work experience, employer encounter, employability skills, careers adviser, careers enterprise, labour market information, careers resources, enterprise education, apprenticeship pathway
BidSkim reads every notice in full and matches the work, not the words.See what BidSkim finds for you
42 contracts across the UK, of any size
Live now
2 careers education opportunities are open now
- Pre-market12 Oct 2026Aspiring Pathways ProjectWest Yorkshire Combined Authority · Yorkshire and the HumberEst.£290k
- Pre-market12 Aug 2026Building a Lasting Legacy (BaLL) Programme Delivery PartnerEssex County Council · East of EnglandEst.£70k
- Awarded20 Oct 2026Boosting Apprenticeship Pathways (Employers) (SP43)North East Combined Authority · North EastWon by SDN Mesma Group Ltd£25k
- Awarded1 Oct 2026Boosting Apprenticeship Pathways (Young People) (SP43)North East Combined Authority · North EastWon by The North East Automotive Alliance Limited
- Awarded14 Sep 2026GMCA1934 System Leaders in EducationGreater Manchester Combined Authority · North WestWon by Bright Futures Educational Trust£34k
- Awarded2 Sep 2026Step into the NHS - Schools ProgrammeNHS EnglandWon by First In Class Limited£66k
- Awarded1 Sep 2026Creative Careers Carousel (SP31)North East Combined Authority · North EastWon by Queen's Hall Arts£4k
- Awarded28 Aug 2026AGREEMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF CAREERS HUB SERVICES IN RESPECT OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL, EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL AND SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCILCambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority · East of EnglandWon by Form the Future£343k
- Awarded24 Aug 2026Recruitment & Employability SessionsTees Valley Combined Authority · North EastWon by Enterprise Made Simple Ltd£30k
- Awarded21 Aug 2026Oracy for Careers Project (SP44)North East Combined Authority · North EastWon by The National Literacy Trust£20k
- Awarded10 Aug 2026Student Employability and Enterprise ProgrammeStaffordshire County Council · West MidlandsWon by PeoplePlus£412k
- Awarded7 Aug 2026Evolve Work ExperienceSellafield Ltd · North WestWon by University of Cumbria£120k
- Awarded27 Jul 2026Mock Student Assessment Centres AgreementLiverpool John Moores University · North WestWon by Penny Works Ltd£75k
- Awarded22 Jul 2026Boosting Apprenticeship ProgressionNorth East Combined Authority · North EastWon by FIRST Face to Face Ltd£59k
- Awarded6 Jul 2026T Level Industry Placement Support ServicesDepartment for Education · LondonWon by SDN Mesma Group Ltd£1.9m
- Awarded10 Jun 2026SC1 London Work Experience PilotLondon Borough of Southwark · LondonWon by We Rise Limited£50k
- Awarded28 May 2026Made Smarter East Midlands Digital Internship CoordinatorLincolnshire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Step Recruitment Limited£192k
- Awarded28 May 2026Skills/Recruitment Agent for PGT PlacementUniversity of East Anglia · East of EnglandWon by IC Impact Consulting£505k
- Awarded22 May 2026Vocational Progressions ProjectCambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority · East of EnglandWon by Education Development Trust£330k
- Awarded21 May 2026Skills/Recruitment Agent for PGT PlacementUniversity of East Anglia · East of EnglandWon by Twin Training International Limited£979k
- Awarded11 May 2026The Purpose LabUniversity of Kent · South EastWon by Crowne Associates Ltd£35k
- Awarded8 May 2026Year in Industry Student PlacementsCardiff University · WalesWon by Symmons Madge Associates LLP£500k
- Awarded11 Feb 2026Industry Project ProvidersUniversity of Salford · North WestWon by Eden Smith£115k
- Awarded30 Jan 2026School Transition ProgrammeNorth Yorkshire Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership£99k
- Awarded6 Jan 2026UG Internships AbroadCardiff University · WalesWon by Gradcore Ltd£42k
- Awarded11 Dec 2025Online Insights & Work Experience Provision for Young People and Adult LearnersMet Office · South WestWon by Springpod£60k
- Awarded11 Nov 2025GMCA 874.2 School Eco Refill Pilot - Wave 3Greater Manchester Combined Authority · North WestWon by Pupils Profit£46k
- Awarded10 Nov 2025Funded partnership agreementUniversity of East Anglia · East of EnglandWon by Norfolk Community Law Service Ltd£60k
- Awarded3 Nov 2025Skills and Entrepreneurship ProgrammeEssex County Council · East of EnglandWon by Earniversity£50k
- Awarded15 Oct 2025Award of CE-78-25-B - Provision of a Work Experience and Employer Engagement ServiceScottish Government · ScotlandWon by Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce£236k
- Awarded12 Sep 2025Careers in 360WLGA · WalesWon by One Step North£66k
- Awarded27 Aug 2025T Level Ambassador Network (TAN) Regional Strategic Co-ordination ServiceDepartment for Education · LondonWon by Strategic Development Network£362k
Where to bid
Where careers education tenders are run
In-Tend2 22%
Delta eSourcing1 11%
EU-Supply1 11%- Jaggaer1 11%
Panacea1 11%- Other portals (3)3 33%
Tenders published in the last year that name the bid portal they run on.
Springpod won the most careers education contracts
SDN Mesma Group Ltd won the most by value. Each dot is one contract, coloured by who bought it.
CouncilsEducationCentral governmentNHS and healthTransport and utilitiesOther buyers
| Rank | Contractor | Contracts won, by buyer | Contracts | Value won | Buyers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springpod South West · SME · See every contract | 3 | £91k | 3 | ||
| 2joint | SDN Mesma Group Ltd North East · SME · See every contract | 2 | £2m | 2 | ||
| 2joint | Form the Future East of England · SME · See every contract | 2 | £1.9m | 2 | ||
| 2joint | IC Impact Consulting East of England · SME · See every contract | 2 | £1.6m | 2 | ||
| 5joint | Twin Training International Limited East of England · SME · See every contract | 1 | £979k | 1 | ||
| 5joint | Symmons Madge Associates LLP Wales · SME · See every contract | 1 | £500k | 1 | ||
| 5joint | PeoplePlus West Midlands · See every contract | 1 | £412k | 1 | ||
| 5joint | Strategic Development Network London · SME · See every contract | 1 | £362k | 1 | ||
| 5joint | Education Development Trust East of England · See every contract | 1 | £330k | 1 | ||
| 5joint | Rewise Learning Ltd | 1 | £250k | 1 |
28 more careers education contractors ranked. See the full ranking →
Win careers education contracts? Share your ranking.
Who buys
Councils award 50% of careers education contracts
Schools, colleges and universities buy the bigger jobs, at a median of £95k against £55k. Contracts with a published value in the last 2 years, from the type of buyer to the size of the contract.
7 buyers bought careers education more than once in the last 2 years
Each dot is a buyer, by how many careers education contracts it awarded in the last 2 years.
See who they are and when they usually buy →
Few and big, or many and small
Each dot is a buyer: how many careers education contracts it awarded against what they were worth. The busiest and biggest are named.
CouncilsEducationCentral governmentNHS and healthTransport and utilitiesOther buyers
Top buyers by contracts awarded
| Rank | Buyer | Contracts | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North East Combined Authority | 6 | £108k |
| 2 | University of East Anglia | 3 | £1.5m |
| 3 | Department for Education | 2 | £2.3m |
| 4 | Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | 2 | £673k |
| 5 | Cardiff University | 2 | £542k |
| 6 | University of Salford | 2 | £140k |
| 7 | Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 2 | £80k |
| 8 | Greater Cambridge Partnership | 1 | £1.6m |
| 9 | University of Dundee | 1 | £1.1m |
| 10 | Staffordshire County Council | 1 | £412k |
147 careers education contracts awarded since 2021
- 132021
- 262022
- 292023
- 402024
- 142025
- 252026 so far
Prices
Half of careers education contracts are worth less than £63k
CouncilsEducationCentral governmentNHS and healthTransport and utilitiesOther buyers
The 10 biggest careers education contracts
- Department for EducationSDN Mesma Group Ltd · 6 Jul 2026
- Greater Cambridge PartnershipForm the Future · 31 Jan 2025
- University of DundeeIC Impact Consulting · 29 Apr 2025
- University of East AngliaTwin Training International Limited · 21 May 2026
- University of East AngliaIC Impact Consulting · 28 May 2026
- Cardiff UniversitySymmons Madge Associates LLP · 8 May 2026
- Staffordshire County CouncilPeoplePlus · 10 Aug 2026
- Department for EducationStrategic Development Network · 27 Aug 2025
- Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined AuthorityForm the Future · 28 Aug 2026
- Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined AuthorityEducation Development Trust · 22 May 2026
Renewing contracts
12 careers education contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months
6 in the next 6 months. Most careers education work is one-off: 48% of the contracts ending are recurring terms that get re-let. The 3 ending soonest are shown in full.
Ends Jan 2027
GCP Skills & Apprenticeship Service 2025
Greater Cambridge Partnership · East of England
Held by Form the Future
Ends Mar 2027
Flexible Framework Entry Point 2 for Vocational and Skills Based Interventions
North Lanarkshire Council · Scotland · 4-year contract
Held by Code Division Learning Centre, Right Track Scotland Ltd, Routes to Work Limited
Careers education contract for a school, college or universitySouth East£100k to £1mEnds Apr 2027
Careers education contract for a school, college or universityEast Midlands£100k to £1mEnds Apr 2027
Careers education contract for a councilEast Midlands£100k to £1mEnds Apr 2027
Careers education contract for a school, college or universityNorth East£100k to £1mEnds Jul 2027
Careers education contract for a councilNorth West£1m or moreEnds Aug 2027
Careers education contract for a school, college or universitySouth EastUnder £100kEnds Aug 2027
Where and when
Where and when careers education contracts are awarded
Contracts by region and by month awarded. Click a region to filter the page.
FewerMore contracts
The regions as a table
| Region | Open now | Contracts | Value | Typical contract | Won the most | Bought the most | Renewing in 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 0 | 7 | £138k | £25k | – | North East Combined Authority (6) | 1 |
| North West | 0 | 7 | £471k | £55k | – | University of Salford and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (2 each) | 1 |
| East of England | 1 | 7 | £3.9m | £343k | Form the Future (2) | University of East Anglia (3) | 2 |
| London | 0 | 4 | £2.4m | £206k | – | Department for Education (2) | 1 |
| South West | 0 | 3 | £94k | £21k | Springpod (2) | – | 0 |
| Wales | 0 | 3 | £608k | £66k | – | Cardiff University (2) | 1 |
| West Midlands | 0 | 2 | £441k | – | – | – | 0 |
| Scotland | 0 | 2 | £1.3m | – | – | – | 1 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 1 | 1 | £99k | – | – | – | 0 |
| East Midlands | 0 | 1 | £192k | – | – | – | 2 |
| South East | 0 | 1 | £35k | – | – | – | 2 |
| Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
Often bought with careers education
Related services
Key findings
- £150k a month
of careers education contracts awarded.
Typical contract £63k x 2.3 contracts a month, last 12 months. - 1.8
careers education contracts are awarded in a typical month.
42 contracts in the last 2 years. - 6
careers education contracts come up for renewal in the next 6 months.
Recurring contracts with a named supplier and a published end date before 5 May 2027. - 1
framework or DPS is running for careers education work.
0 open to join now. - 74%
of careers education contracts are won by SMEs.
As recorded by the buyer, on 38 award notices.
How many careers education tenders and contracts are there?
| Since November 2021 | Last 12 months | |
|---|---|---|
| Notices published | 387 | 73 |
| Contracts awarded | 135 | 28 |
39 careers education contracts and frameworks end in the next 12 months, 23 of them recurring services. In the last two years, 30 buyers awarded careers education contracts to 38 suppliers.
Source: Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI, to 4 November 2026. By Seamus White. How we count
Questions
How many careers education contracts does the UK public sector award?
42 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, from 30 public buyers.
How long are careers education tenders open for?
The median careers education tender is open for 26 days from publication to deadline.
How much is a typical public sector careers education contract worth?
The median is £63k, and 73% are worth less than £250k.
Who wins the most public sector careers education contracts?
Springpod won the most (3). SDN Mesma Group Ltd won the most by value (£2m).
Which buyers award the most careers education contracts?
Councils award 50% of them.
How many careers education contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months?
12 contracts end and are likely to be re-let, the first on 6 January 2027. Another 13 ending are one-off work.
What is included
Careers education programmes, employer encounters, work experience brokerage and employability skills sessions for school pupils and college or university students.
- Careers education programmes in schools, including with employers
- Careers inspiration for special schools
- Work experience placement management
- Developing the Young Workforce and employability skills courses
- T Level ambassador networks
- Student employability support and mock assessment centres
What is not included
- One-to-one careers guidance (see Careers information, advice and guidance)
- STEM outreach and enrichment (see STEM outreach and enrichment programmes)
- Vocational courses for school pupils (see Vocational courses for school pupils)
- Enterprise support for businesses (see Business mentoring)
- Careers fairs bought as event management (another industry: marketing-creative)