Sector Support: T Level Industry Placement Coordinator (IPCO) Support in NHS Integrated Care System
This is an invitation to a Market Engagement event. The Department for Education invites all eligible NHS Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) in England to attend a Market Engagement information event. During this event, the department will share details of the upcoming competed grant fund, “T Level Industry Placement Coordinator (IPCO) Support in NHS Integrated Care System (2025-2028).” This funding aims to cover employee costs for a Band 7 IPCO, with one IPCO allocated per each of the 7 NHS regions, starting from Oct 1, 2025, until Mar 2028. Important: Only ICSs that have not previously received IPCO funding under the Pilot grant (Sept 23 to Mar 25) are eligible to apply for this new funding round. This is to ensure the benefits of employing an IPCO are spread as widely as possible.
- Opening date:
- Closing date: (Midday)
Contents
Summary
The new IPCO project aims to enhance the implementation of T Level industry placements within the NHS by funding Industry Placement Coordinators (IPCOs) who will operate within selected Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) over 2.5 years. This follows the success of the initial 7 IPCO grants awarded in June 2023, which at the midpoint evaluation showed significant progress in increasing employer engagement and establishing robust relationships between NHS Trusts and T Level providers. These initial grants have laid the groundwork for a sustainable model that NHS Trusts can continue once the IPCO posts are no longer funded by the DfE.
The key outcomes of this project include increased employer engagement, improved relationships between NHS Trusts and T Level providers, and the development of a sustainable model for industry placements when the grant funding concludes. Additionally, the project aims to increase the number of high-quality industry placements, develop good practices, and create case studies demonstrating successful student progression into NHS roles.
Services provided will involve strategic planning, coordination of placements, and support for NHS staff. This funding is to cover the employment of a Band 7 T Level Industry Placement Co-Ordinator (IPCO) to carry out these services within selected ICSs.
Eligibility
Qualification Criteria: minimum requirements to qualify to apply – as a minimum, applicants must:
Represent an entire Integrated Care System.
Not have received funding for an IPCO under the Pilot grant, (Sept 23 to Mar 25).
Objectives
Outcome no. 1 – Increasing awareness of T Levels in Health sector: Enhance the awareness of T Levels and technical education within NHS trusts by recruiting seven Industry Placement Coordinators (IPCOs). These IPCOs will advocate for the benefits of hosting T Level Industry Placement students, fostering a culture of high-quality industry placements within NHS trusts. By the end of the project's first year, on 30th September 2026, they will also showcase best practices to other NHS employers, demonstrating the positive impact and successful integration of T Level students..
Outcome no. 2 - Increasing number of Industry placements in health and priority sectors serviced by ICSs: Increase the number of IPs in the NHS ICS and wider region by establishing partnerships with T Level providers, with a particular focus on placements in priority routes such as Health, Digital and Engineering. In this project, we will ask applicants to self-benchmark as part of the bid process, allowing progress to be measured and targets to be agreed with the Grant Manager. This initiative aims to address the skills needs of the NHS and meet current and future workforce requirements, aligning with the Secretary of State’s priority to drive productivity by bringing education and employers closer together.
Support ICSs to reduce administrative pressure to find placements by having clear processes for: development of role profiles, interviewing/allocating students, signing agreements, inductions, mid-placement reviews, any placement splits and end of placement reviews.
Achieve these partnerships and placement targets by the end of the programme 31st March 2028.
Outcome no. 3 – Improve labour market outcomes and progression opportunities: Enhance labour market outcomes and progression opportunities for T Level students within the ICS’s and NHS by giving students a high-quality industry placement experience and establishing a clear pathway to employment within the NHS with additional mentoring and support post-placement or further education. Grant recipients will be asked to capture levels of student satisfaction with their industry placement (IP) experience through regular feedback. This will include methods such as post-placement surveys, focus groups, and exit interviews to gather insights. Additionally, employer-level data will be collected as part of the grant to monitor the effectiveness of placements and track student progression.
Outcome no. 4 – ensuring consistent quality of IPs across ICSs: Ensure quality and consistency of IP delivery across ICS and wider region, by implementing a placement progress monitoring process, with a clear contact point for line managers and students who are interested in offering a placement and taking a T Level. This is to be implemented by the end of the programme 31st March 2028. The framework should standardise processes and practices to ensure consistency, efficiency, and sustainability in offering T Level IPs in the NHS. The goal is to facilitate ongoing IP growth and development, making it easier, more cost-effective, and efficient for ICSs to manage and expand their IP offerings beyond the duration of the project.
Outcome no. 5 – Establishing a Sustainable Framework for Long-Term IP Growth and Development: Develop and implement a strategic framework for T Level industry placements (IPs) that can be universally adopted across the NHS Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and maintained at a national level.
To achieve this, new IPCOs will be encouraged to share good practices across their region through working groups, regional networks, and other collaborative platforms. This will facilitate knowledge exchange and ensure that successful strategies and approaches are disseminated widely, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the project. Additionally, IPCOs will be encouraged to share, re-use, or build on materials, templates, and resources produced by other IPCOs to reduce duplication and promote efficiency.
ICSs delivering T Levels should incorporate this framework into their workforce pipeline strategies to ensure sustainability is maintained beyond the end of the programme. The framework should be completed and implemented by 31st March 2028.
Dates
Following this Market Engagement Information Event the intention is to publish the Invitation to Bid (ITB) notice which will include all the relevant documents needed to submit a bid.
The expected date for the ITB publication is Friday 9th May
The ITB "Question Window" will open on Friday 9th May
The ITB "Question Window" will close on Friday 23rd May
The ITB submission date is Friday 30th May at 12.00 noon
How to apply
The link to the Market Engagement "Information" Event Webinar on Wednesday 7th May at 11am is as follows:
Please click on the link and follow the "Register" steps.
All neccessary details about the fund and instructions on how to prepare and submit a bid will be covered during the enagement event.
All neccessary documentation and instructions required to submit a bid will be included in the Invitation to Bid (ITB) pack which will be issued on Thursday 8th May following the Market Engagement "Information" Event.
Supporting information
Link to the Market Engagement "Information" Event to be hosted on 7th May 2025 at 11am below:https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2d890413-d2e3-4c45-9454-7875e1b253a7@fad277c9-c60a-4da1-b5f3-b3b8b34a82f9