Horsham council has approved a two-year AI apprenticeship training contract for its staff, awarded directly without a tender. The cost is not public.

Horsham District Council staff are to be trained in artificial intelligence under a two-year contract approved by Chief Executive Jane Eaton. The published decision authorises the direct award of a contract for AI apprenticeship training to a single supplier, without a competitive tender. It was signed on 30 June 2026 and published on the council’s decision register on 7 August.

Both the supplier’s name and the cost sit in an exempt appendix, so neither is public; the only accompanying document on the register is a redacted version of the report. The decision is classed as a non-key decision and is not subject to call-in, meaning councillors cannot pull it back for scrutiny before it takes effect.

Why no tender

The decision record says the council carried out “market engagement” with potential providers and concluded the chosen one “offers the strongest quality of provision, including course content, delivery methodology, learner support and alignment with organisational requirements”. Price, it says, was not a determining factor, because apprenticeship training is funded through the Apprenticeship Levy and providers charge within the same prescribed government funding bands.

Three alternatives were considered and rejected: running a competitive procurement, which the council judged unlikely to save money and likely to delay the programme; awarding to a different provider, which market research rated lower on quality; and doing nothing, rejected because it “would limit opportunities to develop workforce capability in AI”. (Decision record, Horsham District Council)

What it means for you

The decision record states the training is funded through the Apprenticeship Levy, a payroll levy the council already pays, rather than being a fresh call on the budget your council tax funds. The practical effect to watch for over the two years is how the council starts using AI in the services residents actually touch, from planning to waste and parking. The decision itself, including the full reasoning and the redacted report, is on the council’s decision register.