RISE Parent Support and Wilderness Programme

West College Scotland is seeking a suitably experienced provider to deliver an integrated parent support and wilderness programme as part of the Scottish Funding Council's Raising Income through Skills and Education (RISE) initiative. The programme will support approximately 100 eligible parents and carers across Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire, helping them overcome barriers to learning and employment through a combination of one-to-one support, personal development, community-based activities and structured wilderness residential experiences. The programme aims to build confidence, resilience and transferable skills, while supporting progression into education, training, volunteering and employment opportunities. Delivery must commence immediately following contract award, with all activity completed by 31 July 2027. West College Scotland are issuing this PIN as a market testing and information gathering exercise. Participation in this exercise will not result in any preferential treatment, should this result in an eventual tender. Where the deadline for the expression of interest is referenced in the Notice, this refers to the deadline for the supplier's full response to this Prior Information Notice and responses must be completed and uploaded to the PCS post-box or returned to the stated email address by then. This is NOT a regulated procurement notice and is NOT an intention to procure goods, services, or works at this point. WCS invites organisations to demonstrate their capacity to meet the complete service requirement. Companies expressing interest are required to evidence the following and complete and return the expression of interest and evidence document by no later Close of Business 29th October 2026: - Relevant experience supporting low-income parents/carers and participants with complex barriers, including evidence of comparable programme outcomes. - Ability to operate across all four local authority areas and begin participant engagement immediately upon contract award, including a credible first 30-day recruitment plan. - Delivery model for 100 participants and at least 14 wilderness residential experiences, including arrangements for follow-up support and progression. - Staffing, specialist outdoor competence, licences where applicable, safeguarding, emergency arrangements and insurance. - Approach to participant information, GDPR, monitoring and SFC-aligned reporting. - Providers must evidence established and operational referral networks, appropriately qualified and experienced staffing, residential delivery capacity, safeguarding arrangements and the necessary infrastructure to enable immediate mobilisation and commencement of delivery following contract award. Providers must demonstrate that these arrangements are already in place, without reliance on lengthy recruitment, infrastructure development or mobilisation periods. - Providers must also demonstrate the capacity, staffing, facilities and operational arrangements to make residential participation available to all participants. - An indicative, fully costed delivery approach not exceeding 140,000 GBP inclusive of VAT, including any proposed delivery partners or subcontractors. This notice is intended to test market capability and does not itself constitute an invitation to tender or a contract award. WCS will determine and communicate the appropriate next procurement steps in accordance with applicable Scottish procurement requirements. NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=845673. (SC Ref:845673)