The Government Commercial Agency is developing Learning and Development 2, reference RM6303, as a future framework for UK public-sector learning and development services. The current Find a Tender publication is a preliminary market engagement notice, not the tender itself.
The proposed commercial agreement has an estimated value of £4.8 billion including VAT and an eight-year term. Its scope is broad, spanning training delivery, coaching, managed learning, learning technology and adult skills provision. Suppliers have time to prepare, but this is also the stage when the future design is still being shaped. If RM6303 is strategically important to your pipeline, talk to Thornton & Lowe about early bid planning.
A wider L&D supplier market
The notice currently includes off-the-shelf courses, coaching and mentoring, managed learning services, bespoke training services, learning management systems and adult skills training delivered through different funding streams. That means the likely supplier base is wider than traditional classroom training companies.
Potential bidders may include specialist training providers, coaching organisations, managed service providers, digital learning and LMS businesses, adult skills organisations and larger multidisciplinary L&D suppliers. Our guide to preliminary market engagement explains why this stage can be useful for understanding buyer direction before a formal tender is released.
What is decided and what is not?
The headline scope, value and proposed contract dates are published, but the final commercial design is still being developed. GCA says further market engagement with customers and suppliers will take place in late 2026, including planned supplier webinars and requests for feedback on existing agreements, tendering processes and the proposed agreement design.
Suppliers should therefore separate confirmed facts from working assumptions. Do not build a bid plan around an unconfirmed lot structure or geographic model. Instead, monitor RM6303 updates and use the engagement period to understand how your services map to the proposed scope.
Preparation before the tender
An opportunity of this scale is likely to draw a large and varied market. Useful preparation includes reviewing relevant public-sector case studies, learning outcomes, trainer and coach credentials, accessibility, safeguarding where applicable, information security for digital services, learner data, quality assurance, subcontractor controls and social value evidence.
For technology and managed service providers, integration, service management, reporting and user experience may be as important as learning content. For direct training providers, evaluators are likely to need clear evidence of course quality, consistency, learner outcomes and scalable delivery.
Current timeline
- Notice type: preliminary market engagement
- Estimated value: £4.8 billion including VAT
- Proposed term: 8 December 2027 to 7 December 2035
- Market engagement deadline: 9 March 2027
- Estimated publication of tender notice: 9 June 2027
- SMEs and VCSEs are identified as particularly suitable participants
Follow the Learning and Development 2 Find a Tender notice and the GCA RM6303 updates for changes to the proposed design.
Build your RM6303 plan early
Thornton & Lowe can help you assess the opportunity, build an evidence plan and prepare reusable material before the formal tender is published. Speak to our bid team about Learning and Development 2.
