Content

To approve an
exemption from the Council’s Procurement Procedure Rules and
to enter into an agreement with SDN Mesma Group (Strategic Development Network) for
consultancy support to strengthen apprenticeship governance,
quality and compliance.
 
The agreement will
cover the academic year 2026/2027.

Reasons for the decision

This agreement will
strengthen apprenticeship governance and scrutiny, build confidence
and capability across the Apprenticeship Board, maintain Ofsted
readiness under the revised inspection framework, provide
light?touch compliance assurance, and support future?proofing of
provision in anticipation of policy and register changes. An
exemption from the Council’s Procurement Procedure Rules is
granted because SDN Mesma Group is a specialist independent
organisation with expertise that is not readily available
elsewhere. A like?for?like alternative provider has not been
identified, and therefore an exemption is the appropriate route to
secure the specific support required.
 
The Council’s
Corporate Director (Finance and IT) & Section 151 Officer has
been consulted and has concurred with this decision being made.

Alternative options considered

No suitable
alternative provider offering the required combination of
apprenticeship governance, quality assurance and Ofsted?readiness
expertise was identified. The Work Based Learning Manager was
unable to locate a like?for?like further education support provider
that meets DfE, DWP and Ofsted requirements.
 
SDN Mesma Group has previously supported Career Track
successfully, including in its applications to join the National
Apprenticeship Provider Register. Based on this experience and the
absence of an equivalent provider, SDN is considered the most
suitable solution.