Public Sector Frameworks List: Who Runs Training Frameworks

Most guides explain what a framework agreement is. Far fewer tell a training provider who actually runs the frameworks that buy training. There is no single public sector frameworks list: there are buying organisations, councils, NHS trusts and universities, each with its own portfolio and renewal cycle.

This guide is a public sector frameworks list for training and L&D providers: who runs training frameworks and DPSs, what each runs today, and how you get on.

At a glance

• Frameworks are run by public buying organisations and by individual buyers, not by government centrally.
• The buying organisations most relevant to training are YPO, ESPO, NEPO and, for education, CPC.
• Nationally, the Government Commercial Agency (formerly CCS) runs a learning and training DPS.
• Many of the most accessible routes are run directly by councils, NHS trusts and universities.
• Getting on is a competitive application in its own right, and timing matters as much as merit.

If you are new to the mechanics, read what a framework agreement is first.

The public buying organisations

YPO, ESPO and NEPO are owned or governed by councils; CPC serves the education sector. All of them set up agreements that other public bodies buy through.

YPO is a public sector buying organisation based in Wakefield. Its current training agreement, 000999, is a DPS covering a wide range of training for the emergency services and the wider public sector, extended to 24 February 2029. YPO has announced a successor, the 1175 Training Solutions Framework, through a preliminary market engagement notice that proposes four lots, from off-the-shelf courses to specialist and regulated training. See our YPO training framework guide.

ESPO is wholly public sector owned and managed by six councils: Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Warwickshire and Peterborough. It runs over 100 frameworks. For training, ESPO runs Managed Learning Services (383_25), which buys a managed learning service or a learning management system rather than courses from individual training providers, so it suits larger managed-service firms more than a small provider.

NEPO is governed by the 12 North East local authorities. Its External Training DPS (NEPO514) gives its member and associate member authorities access to training providers across categories including corporate development, social care and occupational health and safety. NEPO says new providers who meet the criteria are added throughout its term.

CPC is the education sector's buying organisation. It sets up frameworks and DPSs on behalf of its members, which are education establishments, and some are open to the wider public sector. If your training is aimed at schools, colleges or universities, check CPC frameworks for a training category before you rely on it as a route.

Government Commercial Agency (formerly CCS)

Crown Commercial Service became the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) on 1 April 2026. Existing CCS agreements stay valid. Its main training agreement is the Learning and Training Services DPS (RM6219), open to the whole UK public sector until 27 October 2028, and GCA plans a successor framework. We cover it in Crown Commercial Service for training providers.

NHS buyers

Individual NHS trusts run their own frameworks: the EEAST training framework, run by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, is one. NHS London Procurement Partnership offers its members access to the same Learning and Training Services DPS, and GCA runs that DPS jointly with NHS Procurement in Partnership as part of the Workforce Alliance. See also how to win NHS contracts.

Councils and universities

Some of the most accessible routes for a training provider are run by a single council or university rather than a buying organisation: the Hull learning and training DPS, the Sunderland public health training DPS, the Warrington apprenticeship DPS and the University of Birmingham's apprenticeship DPS. The two apprenticeship DPSs are only for providers already on the apprenticeship provider register. All six routes we focus on are on our frameworks overview.

How you actually get on one

1. Work out which organisations cover what you deliver. A safeguarding trainer and an apprenticeship provider watch different lists.
2. Find the opportunity. Frameworks and DPSs are advertised on Find a Tender and on each organisation's own pipeline page. See where to find UK tenders.
3. Register on the right e-sourcing portal. Each organisation uses its own. Registration is free and is not an application.
4. Pass the selection stage. Insurance, policies, safeguarding and DBS arrangements, financial standing and evidence of delivery. See the PQQ and Standard Selection Questionnaire.
5. Win your place. Your application is scored against published criteria, in your own organisation's name.

The two things that catch providers out

A place is not work. On most training frameworks you still compete for each call-off through a mini competition.

Timing. Closed frameworks typically run for four years, and a missed window means a long wait. DPSs and dynamic markets stay open. See dynamic purchasing systems.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a list of public sector frameworks for training?

There is no single official list. Training frameworks and DPSs are run by buying organisations such as YPO, ESPO and NEPO, by the Government Commercial Agency, and directly by councils, NHS trusts and universities.

Who runs public sector frameworks in the UK?

Public buying organisations, most owned or governed by councils, the Government Commercial Agency nationally, and individual public bodies that set up their own frameworks and DPSs.

Is Crown Commercial Service still called CCS?

CCS became the Government Commercial Agency on 1 April 2026. Existing CCS agreements and call-off contracts remain valid, and the CCS name still appears in many documents.

Does it cost anything to apply for a framework?

Registering on an e-sourcing portal and applying cost nothing. Under the Procurement Act 2023, a dynamic market cannot charge providers for membership; any charge can only fall on a provider that has been awarded a contract.

Can a small training provider get onto a framework?

Yes. Open DPSs and council or NHS frameworks with a lighter entry route are often the best places to start. Treat the application as a scored bid, not a form.

Sources

• YPO — Training Solutions, preliminary market engagement notice (Find a Tender)
• YPO — 000999 Training Solutions, notice of changes (Find a Tender)
• ESPO — About us
• ESPO — Managed Learning Services (383_25)
• NEPO — About
• NEPO — External Training
• CPC — Framework notice published on behalf of CPC members (Find a Tender)
• GCA — Government Commercial Agency: what you need to know
• GCA — Learning and Training Services DPS (RM6219)
• NHS London Procurement Partnership — Learning and Training Services DPS
• GOV.UK — Guidance: dynamic markets (Procurement Act 2023)
• GOV.UK — Guidance: frameworks (Procurement Act 2023)