FE Week has revealed the big winners of the controversial £310m European Social Fund tender, funding given to the UK to increase job opportunities and to help people to improve their skill levels. The agency said the contracts were awarded through a “stringent procurement process, which adhered to EU rules of open, fair and competitive tendering, and was conducted in accordance with the Public Contract Regulations 2015”. But the procurement wasn’t conducted without controversy, it says. Among other things questions were asked about an “unprecedented” amount of tie-breaks in the procurement. Serco came on top with 17 contracts worth £60.5 million. Read about the other winners and the objections here.