UK Cabinet Office Awards £456M Training Contract to KPMG and EY Amidst Consultancy Spending Scrutiny
The UK Cabinet Office has awarded a substantial training contract, valued at up to £456 million, to accounting firms KPMG and EY. This agreement, reported by the Financial Times and citing data from procurement tracker Tussell, is intended to provide training to civil servants in various skill areas, including artificial intelligence, between 2026 and 2028. KPMG is set to receive up to £319 million, while EY will receive up to £137 million. This contract marks the largest single award to 'Big Four' consultancies since Tussell began compiling records 14 years ago, surpassing a £322 million deal awarded to PwC in 2012. The deal is described as an interim measure until the government establishes an internal training model, known as the national school for government, designed to reduce external costs. The maximum value awarded to KPMG represents nearly a quarter of its annual UK advisory net sales for last year, and EY's allocation accounts for roughly 13% of its UK consulting income over the same period. 
