Finland – Adult and other education services – Helsingin työllisyyspalvelut, KotoPilotti

The Employment Services of Helsinki are procuring a pilot for integration training, for which two service providers will be selected to implement the training for a total of approximately 300 clients (3 starts / service provider, approximately 50 clients per start). The procurement includes an option of the same scope. The contract is fixed-term. The integration training is implemented as a comprehensive entity based on credits, where 1 credit corresponds to 27 hours of work. The training progresses in 8-week periods, and individual study paths and objectives are defined for the students before the start of the training. The aim of the procurement is to arrange integration training, in which the student progresses according to their individual plan towards functional basic language skills (B1.1) and employment or transition to further education. The training is built around the student's own goals, learning readiness and life situation, not around fixed groups and a common pace of progress. The students participate in different contents according to their own personal study plan, so the training adapts to the needs of the student and not the student to the structure of the training. The aim is that the flexible training structure produces better learning outcomes, faster employment and smoother transitions to further education. The contract is scheduled to begin on 1.11.2026, however, the contract comes into force when the Parties have signed it. The main procurement period contract of the first-ranked Supplier ends on 31.3.2029 and the main procurement period contract of the second-ranked Supplier ends on 30.4.2029. The procurement is a procurement exceeding the EU threshold. BACKGROUND AND PROCUREMENT OBJECTIVE Structural challenges have been identified in the current integration training model, for which this procurement seeks new solutions. The current model is group-based and does not encourage individual solutions. The results-based incentives do not guide the activity in the desired direction. The training ends at employment, even though integration may still be incomplete and employment is not always a permanent solution. Employer cooperation has also not reached the desired level. The administrative coordination of the trainings is burdensome, as internal transfers and changes require separate administrative decisions. This procurement tests a new training model that responds to these challenges. The results-based incentive model is updated to cover faster transitions to education in addition to employment, and the level of incentives is increased from the previous level. The training does not end at employment, but the student can continue integration training alongside work. The development of employer cooperation is included in the procurement as a development project, and the steering group includes representation from the employer services of the Employment Services of Helsinki. The flexible training structure removes the need for administrative measures other than those based on law. The procurement is implemented as a pilot, in which the Suppliers develop the training model. The implementation methods, operating models and practices (e.g. teaching arrangements, period structures, guidance models and employment support practices) developed and implemented during the pilot are available for the Buyer to use in the development of integration training and the preparation of future procurements. Suppliers are expected to be ready for open cooperation, developing dialogue and continuous evaluation of the operating model during the pilot. Due to the pilot nature, the procurement includes more monitoring and reporting than usual. The Buyer must be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the training model and the paths of the students.