Social Mobility Commission - Qualitative research understanding the experiences of young people who are NEET

The Social Mobility Commission (SMC) monitors progress towards improving social mobility in the UK and promotes social mobility in England. It is an independent statutory body created by an Act of Parliament. The SMC is conducting qualitative research to understand the lived experiences of young people who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), the factors that lead to them becoming and remaining NEET, and the barriers to effective support. This project aims to address key gaps in existing research, particularly the need for qualitative understanding of how complex, co-occurring, and compounding factors contribute to being NEET, and to examine this issue through a social mobility lens. The approach will be qualitative and phased, including a pilot in Blackpool with the potential to roll-out to two other high-NEET areas in North East England and the West Midlands (to be determined with the SMC). The supplier is required to deliver the Blackpool Pilot phase, which includes: - Carrying out semi-structured interviews with young people who are NEET in Blackpool with the aim of understanding young people's lived experiences of becoming NEET, their daily lives, and how support could be improved. - Carrying out one or two follow-up focus groups to consider what NEET young people think would help their return to education, employment or training. - Utilising a sampling approach that aims for diversity across key characteristics such as age, race, sex, and disability status. - Recruiting participants through local stakeholders such as the Blackpool Trailblazer, or other methods.. - Ensuring the research uses local youth forums to support development of interview questions and validate findings - Ensure that the pilot methodology established is robust for potential roll-out to other areas. - Using quantitative insights from relevant official and reliable data sources, ideally accessed at the local level to help contextualise the findings. The budget for this pilot is between £ 50k to 80k excluding VAT (to be confirmed). Following the Pilot, the supplier will be required to replicate the study in two other geographical areas. Potentially in the North East England and West Midlands Combined Authority trailblazers. Objectives and Deliverables Pilot study: - Submitting research plan and ethical proposal by March 2026 - Fieldwork completed by June 2026 - Final report by August 2026 Subsequent research locations: - Timelines to be agreed, with final report delivery by August 2027. About our organisation The Social Mobility Commission exists to create a United Kingdom where the circumstances of birth do not determine outcomes in life. It is responsible for: - Publishing an annual report setting out our views on the progress made towards improving social mobility in the United Kingdom. - Promoting social mobility in England, for example, by supporting employers, the professions, universities and schools to play their part in promoting social mobility. - Carrying out and publishing research in relation to social mobility. - Providing advice to ministers (at their request) on how to improve social mobility in England - this advice must then be published. The strategic objectives of the SMC are - To change the debate on social mobility. - To provide independent advice to policy and decision makers cross-sector, so they understand how to consider socio-economic disadvantage as part of their work. - To catalyse meaningful and measurable action by local and national government that can improve outcomes for all.