Serco has won the highest number of contracts to run the government’s National Citizen Service programme over the next two years.

Overall, eight organisations have won contracts to run the government’s National Citizen Service until 2014. The eight winning bidders will share a contract pot worth £200m and operate in 19 regions across the UK.

Serco will run the National Citizen Service in the most  regions - 6 across the UK - with its NCS Network, which includes four charities: Vinspired, NYA, UK Youth and Catch 22.

The eight winning bidders include four charities, two college consortia, and two private-sector led consortia. The two consortia with private sector lead bodies are piloting guidelines for effective working with the voluntary sector developed by NCVO.

Over 120 organisations will be involved in the national and local delivery of NCS over the next two years, including over 70 organisations from the voluntary sector, and around 50 colleges and local authorities.

The selected lead organisations are:
 
• Football League Trust (operating in 1 region)
• Inspira  (formerly Connexions Cumbria) (operating in 1 region)
• Lincolnshire & Rutland Education Business Partnership (operating in 1 region)
• New College Nottingham (College) (operating in 1 region)
• Petroc (College) (operating in 2 regions)
• The Challenge Network (operating in 5 regions)
• The NCS Network - led by Serco (operating in 6 regions)
• Reed in Partnership (operating in 2 regions)