UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

THIS IS AN INVITATION TO BID This is a notice seeking bids from interested parties in relation to the Department for Education procurement of a National Delivery Partner to establish and deliver the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network across England. The National Delivery Partner will be responsible for the strategic leadership, design, implementation, and operational delivery of the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network. The Partnerships Network will focus on reducing inequalities in access and participation and improving the quality and consistency of PE and school sport for all children. It will provide flexible local support, support schools to protect two hours of PE weekly, and strengthen school-to-club links through peer-to-peer learning and co-ordinated CPD creating a more equitable, sustainable system for physical activity and sport in schools. Of the total circa £513m programme funding, the contract value for this opportunity is circa £426,000,000 for the initial contract term. A large proportion of this is pass through funding with a price cap placed on service element of this provision. For more information on the funding set up potential bidders are encouraged to carefully read the tender documentation provided. Total values in this notice include the the value of all potential extensions. Any funding beyond the initial term will be confirmed in due course. The DfE is keen to maximise opportunities to participate in procurement for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consideration will also be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations Note: You will need to register on the Department’s e-tendering portal, Jaggaer https://education.app.jaggaer.com/ to be able to access this opportunity.

The purpose of this preliminary market engagement notice is to inform the market of a forthcoming supplier engagement event regarding future support for schools and colleges to deliver careers education, information, advice and guidance for young people in England. The Department for Education (DfE) will be undertaking an online market engagement event via MS Teams at 13:30 on 4 June 2026 for interested parties. The event is anticipated to last for a duration of 120 minutes. The slide deck will be published on Jaggaer (ssq_747) following the event. If you wish to attend the market engagement event, please use the link below: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/37330634720732?p=0wulXBBrLzFePLzSOX We last carried out supplier engagement regarding future support for schools and colleges to deliver careers education, information, advice and guidance on 31 March 2026. In this event we shared our broad plans for how we want to continue to support schools and colleges to improve careers guidance from the 2027/28 academic year and to support partnership working with strategic and local authorities through careers hubs. We used a supplier survey to test bidder appetite and delivery viability with potential suppliers. The purpose of the follow up supplier engagement webinar on 4 June is to: • Respond to insights and questions gathered in the survey we issued after the supplier engagement event on 31 March, including providing further detail on proposed requirements. • Outline and test a draft service specification and outline Key Performance Indicators and seek supplier views to inform these. This Notice is not a binding statement of intent or a call for competition. It does not signify the commencement of any competitive process and does not constitute any commitment by the DfE. If DfE decides to commence any competitive process(es) as contemplated by this notice, a separate notice(s) will be published at the relevant time. The information contained in this notice, including information relating to the nature and scope of the authority's requirements, and the service classification of this requirement from the list of CPV codes, is only indicative of the authority's current thinking, and is neither exhaustive nor binding and the DfE reserves the right at its absolute discretion to amend this notice at the time of issue or at any other time. The DfE will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work or effort incurred by a provider in acting on the basis of this notice. Any funding estimates referenced are indicative only and subject to change. The Department makes no commitment at this stage to the final scope or funding envelope of any future contractual activity. The current funding estimates are between £90m and £180m for a 3-5 year contract, plus a mobilisation period of up to 6 months if required.

The Department for Education (DfE) is looking to run a procurement and establish a new multi-lot Framework for the provision of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and inclusion Continuing Professional Development (CPD) services across the education sector. The Framework term is expected to be 4 years, with 2 years of potential extension options. The Framework is intended to support the government's investment in SEND workforce development and provide a flexible route to market for both immediate and future SEND CPD requirements. The Framework may include multiple lots to address different audiences including Teachers and Leaders in both Schools and Further Education, School Teaching Assistants and Further Education Support Staff. Services may include, but are not limited to: · Design and development of national SEND CPD programmes · Training delivery · Design and development of learning resources and materials · Quality assurance · Digital learning and hosting solutions The procurement is expected to have a maximum potential lifetime value of up to £800 million, subject to Spending Review decisions and inclusive of potential future requirements and extension options. This figure represents the maximum potential value of the procurement and does not constitute a commitment to spend. The procurement is intended to support the delivery of the Department's SEND workforce development ambitions, including the £200 million investment in SEND teacher training announced in January 2026 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/200-million-landmark-send-teacher-training-programme). The DfE expects to launch the procurement tender process in September 2026, with a view to award the potential contracts by March 2027. The Market Engagement notice is linked, please register your interest under ssq_762 in Jaggaer for any future Market Engagement communications. All information contained within this notice is indicative only and subject to change. The scope, value, procurement approach, lot structure, timetable, term and requirements may be amended, refined or withdrawn as the Department's requirements develop and in light of the consultation on SEND.

Introduction: School Gigabit Broadband Phase 2 The Department for Education (DfE) is seeking early engagement from interested organisations in relation to the Schools Gigabit Broadband Programme Phase 2. Please note that this notice is issued solely for the purposes of preliminary market engagement and information gathering. It does not constitute a call for competition, procurement, or invitation to tender. The Department reserves the right not to commence any formal procurement process or enter any contractual arrangements arising from this engagement. Accordingly, the Department will not be liable for any costs, expenditure, work, or effort incurred by any organisation in responding to or participating in activities associated with this notice. Background: Schools Gigabit Broadband Programme Phase 2 The Schools Gigabit Broadband Programme Phase 2 is a key DfE initiative that supports the Government's ambition to ensure that all schools in England can meet the required digital standards for broadband connectivity. The programme focuses on schools where suitable gigabit-capable connectivity is not currently available and where no commercial or publicly funded solution is expected to be delivered by the end of 2030. Between 2019 and 2022, the Department facilitated the delivery of gigabit connectivity to approximately 800 rural schools through the Rural Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) and Rural Gigabit Connectivity programmes, funded by Building Digital UK (BDUK) through a grant-based approach. Between 2023 and 2026, the Schools Gigabit Broadband Programme (Phase 1) connected a further 800 schools through a DfE-led procurement, partially funded by BDUK. Building on the programme's success to date, the Department plans to launch a further phase to connect approximately 800 schools across England that still require gigabit-capable broadband. This will help ensure that all schools have access to reliable, high-speed digital infrastructure that meets DfE standard.

The Department for Education (DfE) is preparing to re-procure its General Qualifications Logistics Service. The Standards and Testing Agency (The Authority) is an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE). The Authority is responsible for primary assessments and the General Qualifications Logistics Service (GQLS). The GQLS covers all secondary and further education establishments in England and provides a single means for Examination Officers to despatch packages of completed exam scripts for marking. There is activity in all months, but the major peak is the annual summer examination series which runs across May and June. We intend to utilise the Crown Commercial Service Courier, Distribution, Storage and Specialist Solutions Framework (RM6354), Lot 3c - Secure Collection and Delivery of Examination Test Papers and Materials. You are receiving this email because you are a registered supplier on this framework lot. Before launching the Invitation to Tender (ITT), we would like to engage with the market to gather supplier feedback and insights that will help us shape the procurement approach and ensure our requirements reflect current market capability and best practice. To support this activity, we are inviting suppliers to attend a one-to-one market engagement session with the DfE project team. These sessions will provide an opportunity to: • Understand DfE's high-level requirements and objectives • Provide feedback on the proposed service requirements. • Share views on market developments, innovation and opportunities. • Identify potential risks, challenges and dependencies. The engagement sessions are intended solely for information gathering and market research purposes. Participation in these sessions will not form part of any future procurement evaluation process and will not provide any supplier with an advantage in any subsequent competition. The estimated value of the contract for the initial 5 years is currently being determined and is anticipated to fall within the range of £40 million to £49 million.

The Department for Education intends to procure a lead supplier, or consortium led by a lead supplier, to deliver the next phase of the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), a national programme designed to improve computing education through professional development, teacher capability building, targeted school support, curriculum and qualification reform readiness activity, stakeholder engagement, digital services, monitoring and evaluation. The programme is expected to comprise a universal computing continuing professional development (CPD) offer alongside targeted interventions designed to improve participation, strengthen school capability and support digital skills progression pathways The service is expected to include the design, development and delivery of a national computing CPD offer; support for teachers and school leaders; targeted activity to address participation and attainment gaps; support for curriculum and qualification reform readiness; stakeholder engagement and communications; monitoring and evaluation; and associated digital, data and programme management services. Delivery is anticipated to be primarily through scalable online provision, supplemented by targeted interventions where appropriate. The purpose of the upcoming market engagement event is to provide potential suppliers with an overview of the planned procurement, including the anticipated requirements and indicative timescales. The event will also allow the Department to engage with the market at an early stage and gather supplier feedback to help inform the procurement approach. Suppliers attending the event may be invited to complete a feedback questionnaire following the session.

This PME does not signify the commencement of any procurement process and does not constitute any commitment by the Department for Education (DfE). If DfE decides to commence any procurement process subject to the Procurement Act 2023 as contemplated by this notice, a separate notice(s) will be published at the relevant time. DfE would like to encourage all relevant organisations, including Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs), to participate and have made the engagement process as open as possible in order to facilitate this (please see further details in the “Engagement process description” section below). Consideration will be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations subject to confirmation of a competitive tender process. The Purpose: Preliminary Market Engagement is being undertaken to refine DfE's requirements as it looks to establish a route to market for schools under the Procurement Act 2023 for management information systems (MIS) that enables them to analyse, use and report on key data with a focus on interoperability. It is currently anticipated that this will be in the form of an open framework as defined in the Procurement Act 2023. As part of the preliminary market engagement, DfE is keen to work with MIS suppliers in England to explore how we can harness the potential of data to provide new and valuable insights to share with schools, academy trusts, and local authorities in England to improve outcomes for children and young people, parents and carers. This particular initiative has been branded the Data spine and was referenced in the Schools White Paper published in February 2026. It is anticipated that outcomes of this initiative will be included within the remit of aforementioned route to market. Further information on the link between the MIS route to market project and the Data spine will be shared as part of the engagement process, starting with the market engagement webinar (please see further details in the “Engagement process description” section below). We will conduct further market engagement during spring 2026 with a view to using the market engagement and stakeholders views to further inform the specifics of the proposed MIS route to market. By fully engaging in this process, including the Data spine initiative, organisations have the opportunity to feed into the design of the proposed MIS route to market and ensure it is cognizant of market capabilities.

This procurement relates to the appointment of an accredited Microsoft Solutions Partner (with Microsoft Business Applications accreditation) to provide specialist support, maintenance, development, enhancement and consultancy services for the Department’s core finance system, based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (currently hosted on-premises within Azure Cloud, with a future roadmap to migrate to the SaaS platform). The contract is intended to ensure the ongoing stability, performance, resilience and evolution of this business-critical platform and its associated Microsoft technology estate. The Supplier shall possess the technical expertise and capability to support, maintain and develop the wider Microsoft application environment, including Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft SQL Server databases, integration services, Power Platform, Copilot, Logic Apps and associated Microsoft technologies. The scope of the requirement includes the provision of 2nd and 3rd line support services delivered against agreed service levels and key performance indicators (KPIs), including incident response and resolution times based on the priority and severity of incidents. The Supplier will be responsible for incident, problem and change management, code development, code deployment, system enhancements and continuous service improvement activities. The Supplier will assume responsibility for the support, maintenance, performance optimisation and ongoing development of all existing custom code, extensions, integrations, Logic Apps, Power Platform solutions, Copilot capabilities, workflows and associated components within the Business Central environment. The Supplier will deliver platform upgrades, release and deployment management, technical architecture support, integration services, disaster recovery planning and testing, business continuity support, security and assurance activities, and all associated documentation and knowledge transfer activities. The Supplier will ensure the continued availability, resilience, recoverability, scalability and performance of the platform, whilst maintaining alignment with Microsoft's product roadmap and delivering ongoing enhancements to support the Department's evolving business and operational requirements. It is anticipated that the Supplier will act as the conduit for the administration and ongoing management of software licences, maintenance agreements, support contracts and enhancement services relating to third-party solutions used within the environment. This includes, but is not limited to, Microsoft enhancements, Insights JET Enterprise, the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) Application provided via MITL Ltd, Continia (OCR), and the Miracle Pay Application provided via EQE2. The Supplier will be responsible for coordinating these arrangements and ensuring continuity of the associated services throughout the contract term. The Supplier shall work collaboratively with internal Department for Education stakeholders and the Department’s contracted managed service provider to support the effective operation, maintenance and continuous improvement of the service, ensuring appropriate governance, communication, knowledge sharing and alignment across all parties. Overall, the requirement encompasses the full range of specialist services necessary to maintain, support, enhance and develop the Department’s Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central environment and associated Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft SQL Server databases, integrations, Logic Apps, Power Platform, disaster recovery and related services.

The Maximising Value for Pupils (MaxVP) programme (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maximising-value-for-pupils/maximising-value-for-pupils), launched in December 2025, aims to support schools and trusts in achieving better value across their spending, ensuring that resources are used as effectively as possible to improve outcomes for pupils. Software and digital services are a key area of focus within this programme, given their growing importance in the day-to-day operation of schools. Through a combination of recent engagement with the education sector and established market insight, the Department for Education (DfE) recognises that software procurement and management present a number of significant challenges. These range from increasing and often opaque costs, to complexities in licensing models, and, in some cases, practices that do not consistently deliver fair value to schools and trusts. In response, the DfE has identified an opportunity to explore the implementation of a Value Added Reseller (VAR) model. Such a model has the potential to simplify procurement routes, improve pricing transparency, and provide more consistent support to schools in managing their software requirements. It could also enable the aggregation of demand, leading to stronger commercial outcomes and reduced burden on individual institutions. In parallel, the DfE has been considering the application of a VAR model to support its own internal software requirements for a number of years. Aligning these ambitions presents an opportunity to create a unified commercial approach that delivers benefits at both departmental and sector levels. The overarching objective is therefore to establish a VAR model that effectively meets the needs of both the education sector and the DfE, driving improved value, greater efficiency, and more sustainable software procurement practices.

Value range: Up to £27,600,000 inclusive of VAT. Following the EY SEND CPD Market Engagement in March 2026, the Department launches this deliverable in response to commitments in the 'Every child achieving and thriving' white paper which detailed a series of reforms of the SEND system, including the need for high-quality SEND CPD and the Best Start in Life strategy which commits to making inclusive practice standard practice in the early years. The Department is looking to procure the development and delivery of a package of new, national, comprehensive continuous professional development (CPD) for all Early Years Practitioners (EYPs) on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) training materials. Phased delivery of this new training package should start from September 2027 The training should be specific to SEND in early years only, specifically ages 0-4. It should be available and applicable to all early years practitioners, regardless of qualification level or setting type (Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVIs), school-based nurseries, childminders etc.) and meet government accessibility standards. This procurement will be phase 2 of a programme to improve SEND capability and inclusive practice in EY settings. Phase 1 is being procured for separately and will be in place from September 2026. The supplier will provide Phase 2 of the programme that will include: - A suite of online modules, available to all EYPs and accessible for professionals in the wider EY sector (Best Start Inclusion Practitioners (BSIPs) within Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH), health visitors, Reception teachers, etc.); - Interactive, online webinars centred on the online modules, designed to enhance learning and embed inclusive practice, available to all EYPs with some webinars targeted at specific groups (e.g. childminders, leaders); - A face to face local support offer to share best practice and strengthen local networks.

These procurements will be ran via the GCA Framework "Digital Outcomes and Specialists 7" RM1043.9, Lot 2. Only suppliers awarded onto this framework Lot shall be invited to participate in this preliminary market engagement event and subsequent further competition. This event is to alert the market of an upcoming tender opportunity and to provide important context and information ahead of the requirements being launched. Portfolio Support We are seeking a supplier that will partner with us to maintain and deliver digital products and services to support the Careers and Skills policy outcomes in rainbow teams alongside other suppliers and permanent civil servants.

These procurements will be ran via the GCA Framework "Digital Outcomes and Specialists 7" RM1043.9, Lot 2. Only suppliers awarded onto this framework Lot shall be invited to participate in this preliminary market engagement event and subsequent further competition. This event is to alert the market of an upcoming tender opportunity and to provide important context and information ahead of the requirements being launched. Technical and Live Services We are seeking a supplier that will partner with us to provide on-going technical capability to maintain the web presence of the National Careers Service, Data Sharing Service (DSS), Skills for Careers and associated Course Directory. The desired outcome is for the awarded supplier to bring industry best practices and high performing individuals to work alongside our delivery and in-house team.