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Awarded· 15 Dec 2025

Connect to Work (Lot 3)

Devon County Council · Exeter, South West

Devon County Council has awarded Connect to Work (Lot 3). It is a contract for other health and social care in Exeter.

Source: Find a Tender, published 15 Dec 2025. Details are refreshed every 30 minutes.

Key dates

  1. 2025

    Award notice published

    UK5 - Transparency Notice · 14:50

    View notice
  2. 2026

    Contract starts

  3. Next

    2027

    Contract ends

    1 year after it starts

01

About this tender

In brief

Devon County Council has awarded Connect to Work (Lot 3). It is a contract for other health and social care in Exeter. The contract went to Crystal Pathways. It was awarded on 15 December 2025. The awarded value is £566,100. The contract runs from 15 January 2026 to 15 January 2027. It lasts 1 year.

It is run as a direct award. The buyer marks it as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs. Find a Tender published it on 15 December 2025. The notice number is 082970-2025. The OCDS ID is ocds-h6vhtk-05f5e7.

Summary of the contracting process

Devon County Council leads the procurement initiative titled "Connect to Work (Lot 3)" under a direct award system. With the programme grant funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), this initiative targets economic inactivity and employment risk among persons with disabilities or other priority audiences.

The procurement process, currently within the award stage, focuses on delivering Improved Placement and Support (IPS) services in Teignbridge, South Hams, and West Devon. The contract starts on 15th January 2026 and extends for a year, with a potential one-year renewal based on performance. Businesses interested in health, social work, and education service sectors can benefit from this opportunity, with a gross contract value of £679,320.

Crystal Pathways Ltd has been selected as the supplier for delivering the services. The initiative adheres to the Procurement Regulations Act 2023, ensuring compliance and accessibility for SMEs and VCSEs. Designed to utilise Fidelity Models, the initiative integrates employment support with health services.

SMEs and enterprises aligned with service delivery through a Supported Employment model may find substantial growth opportunities, enhancing community support and employment sustainment for the target audience.

The notice in full

Connect to Work is a DWP programme grant funded through DCC as the lead accountable body on behalf of Torbay, Plymouth and Devon. The Programme requires the delivery to the following persons with social disability or other priority audiences who are: * Economically inactive or unemployed: Person has not worked for around 6 months due to their disability,

long term health condition or disadvantages and feel they need comprehensive tailored employment support to help them to identify the right roles for their needs and to engage in effective job search towards work. * Employed but risk of dropping out of work: Person is working/Self-employed for at least 3 months and is struggling to sustain employment due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages.

However, it is acceptable to offer support to individuals who have been employed for shorter periods where the Accountable Body judges that would be appropriate. * Maintaining work: Person has never been in employment or a track record of struggling to retain jobs/sustain employment due to their disability, long term health condition or disadvantages The programme is delivered through a Supported Employment model - a place train and maintain model delivered through a five-stage process.

There are two approaches, both using recognised international standards (Fidelity Models) and both using the principles that participants are employed in the Open Labour Market, it being Paid Work with Ongoing Support provided. * IPS integrates employment support alongside primary and secondary health services, and other support services. This integration ideally occurs at a physical level, through co-location and other policies, where applicable.

IPS has been successfully utilised within the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme to support individuals with mild to moderate mental health and/or physical health conditions. Universal Support will utilise and expand on the approach taken with IPSPC.

Whilst Universal Support will complement IPS Severe Mental Illness and IPS Alcohol and Drugs, these will remain separate IPS services. * SEQF is (as required) a more in-depth intervention than the form of IPS used for Universal Support. SEQF is oriented most usually around supporting learning disabled and/or autistic adults as well as others with complex support needs where clinical integration is not needed or appropriate.

Lot 3 is for IPS services delivered in Teignbridge, South Hams and West Devon.

Lots: no lot details came through with this notice. The official notice and the tender pack have the full breakdown.

02

Key facts

Every field the notice carries. Anything it leaves blank is listed under its table.

Contract

Service
Other health and social care
Procurement type
Standard
Category
Services
Contract period
15 Jan 2026 to 15 Jan 2027 (1 year)
Suitable for
Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs); Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs)
Awarded to
Crystal Pathways
Number of suppliers
1

Procedure

Notice type
UK5 - Transparency Notice
Procurement method
Direct
Procedure
Direct award
Current stage
Award
Stages so far
Award
Published on
Find a Tender Service
Awardee scale
SME

Values

Awards value
£566,100

Not stated in the notice: tender value, lots value, contracts value.

Status

Tender
Complete
Lots
Complete
Awards
Pending

Not stated in the notice: contracts.

References

Find a Tender notice
082970-2025
Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f5e7
CPV code
79611000 - Job search services; 80000000 - Education and training services; 85000000 - Health and social work services; 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services
CPV division
79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security; 80 - Education and training services; 85 - Health and social work services; 98 - Other community, social and personal services
03

Location

Devon County Council is based in Exeter. The area the service covers can be wider, so check the notice and the lots.
Local authority
Exeter
Town
Exeter
Postcode
EX2 4QD
Electoral ward
Newtown and St Leonard's
Constituency
Exeter
Region
South West
Sub-region
Devon CC
Area
Devon
Country
England
04

Buyer and supplier

Contracting authority

Organisation
Devon County Council
Category
Services
Address
Exeter,, EX2 4QD · South West · England

Not stated in the notice: contact, phone.

Awarded supplier

Supplier
Crystal Pathways
Awardee scale
SME
Number of suppliers
1
Awards value
£566,100
05

Documents and links

Official sources for this notice. The tender pack itself sits on the buyer's portal.
06

Questions about Connect to Work (Lot 3)

Who won the Connect to Work (Lot 3) contract?

Devon County Council awarded the contract to Crystal Pathways on 15 December 2025. It is due to end on 15 January 2027, which is when a re-tender would normally follow.

How much is the Connect to Work (Lot 3) contract worth?

The awarded value is £566,100. The contract runs from 15 January 2026 to 15 January 2027 (1 year).

Who is the buyer for Connect to Work (Lot 3)?

Devon County Council, based in Exeter, South West.

Get ready for the next round

Contracts like this come back. We help care providers build the evidence, policies and case studies a buyer scores, so you are ready when the re-tender opens.

What to do next

  1. This contract has been awarded.
  2. It is due to end on 15 January 2027.
  3. A re-tender usually follows near the end.
  4. Build your evidence and case studies now.
  5. Keep your policies and training records current.