DEL-Delivery of the Workable(NI) Programme for the Disability Employment Service

Tender description

Workable (NI) is one of the programmes administered by the Disability Employment Service on behalf of the Department for Employment and Learning (the Department) to assist people with disabilities find and/or keep suitable employment. Workable (NI) was introduced in NI in 2006 and was developed following widespread consultation, as a replacement for the Employment Support programme. The Department intends to award contracts for the delivery of the Workable (NI) programme and invites tenders from organisations across Northern Ireland for the programme’s management and delivery, in the three Employment Service regions within NI The Department will award a maximum of three contracts per Employment Service Region to deliver the Workable (NI) programme. Organisations can tender for delivery of the programme in 1, 2 or all of the Employment Service Regions. The contracts will be awarded for an initial period of three years with an option to extend by a further two one year periods. The total amount of funding over the five year period would equate to approx £9 million. There are currently over 350 participants on Workable (NI). 148 new participants started the programme during the 2010 calendar year. The number of new starts for the previous three years averaged 161 per annum. Aim of the Programme Workable (NI) aims to assist people with substantial disabilities enter and stay in employment through the provision of a flexible range of support. Emphasis is on progressing relevant participants within and from the programme after a two year period by use of a distance travelled approach. Payment to Providers is based on the level of support required by and provided to individual Workable (NI) participants, by the Provider.