A multi-supplier framework opportunity for training providers specializing in professional development courses for Scotland’s social care and social work inspection workforce.
Scotland’s Care Inspectorate has published a €112,748 framework tender seeking 3-5 training suppliers to deliver soft skills development courses across its workforce. With a December 19, 2025 deadline and unknown contract duration, this open procedure framework provides positioning opportunity within Scotland’s social care inspection sector, serving an organization responsible for regulating and improving care services across the country.
Create your free account and start winning public contracts, easier.
Opportunity Overview
Contracting Authority: Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Care Inspectorate)
Buyer Official Name: Hjaltland Housing Association
Reference Number: 2526/Sept/001/SCSWIS
Tender Title: Framework for the Provision of a Range of Soft Skills Development Courses
Framework Structure: Multi-supplier framework containing 3-5 approved training providers
Scope: Provision of soft skills development programme for Care Inspectorate staff. While the tender notice provides limited detail on specific course requirements, soft skills training in social care inspection contexts typically includes:
Core Soft Skills Areas:
- Communication and interpersonal effectiveness
- Leadership and team management
- Emotional intelligence and resilience
- Conflict resolution and difficult conversations
- Report writing and professional documentation
- Presentation and facilitation skills
- Change management and adaptability
- Stakeholder engagement and relationship building
Delivery Expectations:
- Courses suitable for social care inspection professionals
- Flexible delivery (likely including face-to-face, virtual, and blended formats)
- Training aligned with Care Inspectorate values and inspection frameworks
- Professional development supporting regulatory and improvement functions
Location: Scotland
Contract Value: €112,748.47
Contract Duration: Unknown (framework duration not specified in notice)
Contract Type: Services
Procedure Type: Open
Key Dates:
- Publication: November 27, 2025
- Submission Deadline: December 19, 2025 (22 days)
- Tender Opening: December 19, 2025
Contact: scotsvarquotes@computacenter.com / +44 1707639072
EU Funding: No
Submission Portal: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Track Scottish training framework opportunities automatically.
Create your free Hermix account at https://hermix.com/sign-up/ for AI-powered monitoring across UK public sector education and training tenders.
Strategic Context: Care Inspectorate and Social Protection Sector
The Care Inspectorate serves as Scotland’s independent scrutiny and improvement body for social care and social work services. The organization inspects and supports improvement across care homes, childcare, home care, adoption and fostering services, and other care providers throughout Scotland.
Organizational Mission: Regulating, inspecting, and supporting improvement of care services to ensure quality, safety, and dignity for people using care services across Scotland.
Workforce Profile: Inspection staff require sophisticated soft skills to navigate complex situations including engaging with vulnerable service users, challenging care providers on quality issues, building improvement partnerships, and communicating inspection findings to diverse audiences.
Buyer Procurement Activity:
- Total Contract Awards: 1,900 contracts worth €12 billion
- Active Pipeline: 31 open tenders valued at €59 million
- Renewal Forecast: 464 upcoming renewals worth €1.9 billion
Training Services Market:
- Similar Contract Awards: 8 contracts totaling €1.9 million (average: €476K per contract)
- Similar Open Tenders: 4 opportunities worth €48 million
- Similar Renewals: 32 upcoming renewals worth €237 million
Competitive Landscape
Historical contract data reveals limited training-specific awards visible in the dataset, with diverse contractors spanning public sector bodies and specialized service providers.
Top Contract Winners (All Categories):
- THE CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL – €775K across 2 contracts (€388K average)
- WASTE INVESTIGATIONS SUPPORT & ENFORCEMENT LIMITED – €902K (1 contract)
- AYRSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – €225K (1 contract)
Key Observations:
Local Authority Presence: Edinburgh Council’s training contract awards (€775K across 2 contracts) suggest Scottish public sector experience is valued, potentially through shared services or collaborative delivery arrangements.
Chamber of Commerce Provider: Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce’s €225K contract indicates business support organizations with training capabilities compete successfully in this market.
100% UK Market: All 4 visible training-related contracts were awarded to UK-based entities, confirming domestic market focus for staff development services.
Contract Value Context: The €113K framework value is substantially below the historical average (€476K), suggesting either limited call-off expectations, exploratory framework scope, or supplementary training budget rather than comprehensive workforce development programme.
Expected Competitive Field: Actual competitors for this soft skills framework will likely include Scottish training consultancies, leadership development specialists, communication skills trainers, and organizations experienced in public sector professional development.
Commercial and Procedural Signals
Multi-Supplier Framework Approach: Appointing 3-5 suppliers (rather than single provider) indicates buyer preference for flexibility, specialist expertise across different soft skills areas, and competitive tension during call-off stage. Successful bidders gain framework access but must compete for individual assignments.
Unknown Duration: Absence of specified contract duration suggests either framework still under definition or standard Scottish public sector framework terms (typically 2-4 years with optional extensions).
Open Procedure: Standard competitive process without pre-qualification stage indicates accessibility for training providers of various sizes, though quality thresholds will apply through evaluation criteria.
Social Care Context: Training delivery must demonstrate understanding of social care inspection environment including regulatory frameworks, vulnerability awareness, professional ethics, and improvement-focused (rather than punitive) inspection philosophy.
Practical Takeaways for Bidders
Who This Framework Suits:
- Scottish-based training providers with public sector experience
- Soft skills specialists serving professional inspection or regulatory workforces
- Organizations with social care sector knowledge
- Training consultancies offering flexible delivery models
- Suppliers able to deliver across Scotland (potential multi-site requirement)
Critical Success Factors:
Sector Understanding: Demonstrate knowledge of Care Inspectorate’s role, inspection methodologies, and professional development needs of regulatory staff. Generic corporate training approaches will underperform compared to contextually informed programmes.
Soft Skills Portfolio: Provide detailed course outlines covering communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, resilience, conflict resolution, and relationship-building skills relevant to inspection contexts.
Delivery Flexibility: Showcase capability across delivery formats (classroom, virtual, blended, workshop, coaching) and adaptability to operational constraints of inspection workforce with travel commitments.
Scottish Presence: Highlight Scotland-based delivery capability, understanding of Scottish care policy context, and experience serving Scottish public bodies or care sector organizations.
Quality Assurance: Include trainer qualifications, course evaluation methodologies, learner feedback mechanisms, and examples of measurable impact on professional practice.
Framework Management: Explain call-off responsiveness, resource availability, pricing transparency, and collaborative approach to working within multi-supplier frameworks.
Create your free account and start winning public contracts, easier.
Conclusion
The Care Inspectorate’s €113,000 soft skills framework represents an accessible entry point for training providers seeking positioning within Scotland’s social care and regulatory sectors. While modest in value, framework appointment provides sustained relationship opportunity with influential organization at heart of Scotland’s care quality infrastructure, alongside visibility to broader Scottish public sector training markets where the buyer’s 464 renewals (€1.9B) signal substantial ongoing procurement activity.
Hermix simplifies tracking Scottish public sector training opportunities. Access automated monitoring, competitive intelligence, and framework alerts.
Create your free account at https://hermix.com/sign-up/ and secure more training framework appointments across UK’s complex procurement landscape.
PS: This analysis is based on publicly available tender documentation and data provided by the contracting authority. While we strive to provide accurate information, users are responsible for verifying all details against official tender documents before making any procurement decisions.
