DNO 515 - Roles, Pathways and Curriculum

Ministry of Defence
South West
Selective procedure
4 June 2026 to 31 March 2031

Delivery of the Career Switchers Programme, a key initiative under the Nuclear Skills Plan. The project involves designing and implementing structured pathways, accelerator courses, and support mechanisms to attract and transition mid-career professionals into critical roles across civil and defence nuclear domains.

Open the official notice

Awarded value: £6.5m; As published
Published: 27 October 2025
Awarded: 18 May 2026; Cogent Skills Services Ltd, MHP Group, MTC Operations Ltd and 2 more
Contract length: 58 months; Ends 31 March 2031

What the contract covers

Service contract

Provision of workforce development, training, and recruitment programmes to address critical skills shortages within the UK nuclear sector.

Sector-funded campaign promoting careers in the UK nuclear industry
Website promoting careers in the UK nuclear industry
Support talented individuals, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, to access funding for education and/or wider professional development
Support degree-educated STEM individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds through the Nuclear Sponsorship Scheme
Create a national framework to integrate nuclear sector experts into training programmes
Career Switchers Programme to attract, prepare and accelerate mid-career professionals into critical nuclear sector roles across civil and defence nuclear domains
Dynamic model forecasting nuclear sector skills needs by integrating workforce demand with training supply
Periodic reports and a live analytical tool enabling strategic planning, real-time gap analysis and data-driven decisions

Lot	Estimated value	SMEs
Lot 1	Not stated	Not stated
Lot 2	Not stated	Not stated
Sponsorship Scheme	£17.1m	Not stated
Lot 4	Not stated	Not stated
Lot 5	Not stated	Not stated
Lot 6	Not stated	Not stated
Lot 7	Not stated	Not stated
Lot 8	Not stated	Not stated
Lot 9	Not stated	Not stated

Terms and requirements

Contract type: Service contract
Procedure: Selective procedure
Initial term: 60 months
Contract dates: 4 June 2026 to 31 March 2031
Certifications asked for: None stated
Lots: 9
Suitable for SMEs: Not stated
Category: Services
CPV codes: 79341400, 72415000, 79342100, 80430000

Services in this contract

Learning needs analysis and L&D consultancyMain service£62k typicalAnalysis and refinement of nuclear role profiles, career pathways and curricula
Economic development, growth and skills strategies£50k typicalNuclear skills supply and demand forecasting model with reports and analytical tool
Sector-based work academies and employer entry routes£50k typicalCareer Switchers programme moving mid-career professionals into nuclear sector roles

Lifecycle

Published
27 October 2025
Contract awardedto Cogent Skills Services Ltd, MHP Group, MTC Operations Ltd and 2 more
18 May 2026
Contract starts
4 June 2026
Contract ends
31 March 2031

The buyer

Ministry of Defence

Type: Locked
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Recorded value: Locked
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The suppliers

Cogent Skills Services Ltd

Contracts won, 24 months: Locked
Value won, 24 months: Locked

MHP Group

Contracts won, 24 months: Locked
Value won, 24 months: Locked

MTC Operations Ltd

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Value won, 24 months: Locked

and 2 more

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Cite this contract

Link: https://bidskim.com/tender/331439/dno-515-roles-pathways-and-curriculum
Buyer reference: Not published
Open contracting ID: ocds-h6vhtk-05d48e
Last checked: 5 November 2026

Ministry of Defence. DNO 515 - Roles, Pathways and Curriculum. Contract award, 27 October 2025. BidSkim, https://bidskim.com/tender/331439/dno-515-roles-pathways-and-curriculum (accessed 5 November 2026).