UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

The Department of Education (the Buyer) required a Supplier to undertake an independent evaluation of the RAISE programme. The Supplier must provide ongoing evidence and assessment to assist the Programme Board and Locality Reference Groups in refining the programme throughout its delivery/the delivery of their Strategic Area Plans.

Literacy provision in Northern Ireland primary schools currently varies widely, with no system wide standardised approach to early reading instruction. Although the curriculum provides support and schools implement their own interventions, significant attainment gaps persist, particularly in Communication at Key Stage 2. This research project is designed to address these gaps by evaluating the impact of a structured synthetic phonics programme, Read Write Inc., across a stratified and representative sample of schools. The aim is to generate robust, generalisable evidence to inform the new literacy strategy and curriculum reform. This initiative forms a core component of the Department’s TransformED programme and directly supports the Minister’s priorities for raising literacy outcomes system wide.

The Department of Education is responsible, under statute, for the provision of education for the children and young people of Northern Ireland and to promote the education system of Northern Ireland needs. The Department commissions evidence-based research including a number of international large-scale assessments of education systems. One such assessment is the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS is a world-wide comparative study of the attainment in mathematics and science of pupils aged 9/10 years; primary year six in Northern Ireland. TIMSS is managed internationally by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). To deliver the study in participating countries the IEA, under the conditions of their agreement, require each country to employ the services of a National Study Centre (NSC), this centre is to be led by a National Research Coordinator (NRC). The NSC will be responsible for the delivery of the TIMSS 2027 nationally. The Department therefore wishes to appoint a contractor for the provision of a NSC as well as a NRC to deliver TIMSS 2027 in Northern Ireland.

The Department of Education have a requirement for the provision of an online Professional Learning Platform on the Science of Learning for Post-Primary Schools. The contract will be for a duration of one year, with no option to extend.

The Department of Education has a requirement for temporary Staff Officer Accountant(s) to perform services in relation to Integr8 Programme.

Department of Education (DE), the Contracting Authority is delivering what was known as the Lisanelly (and now known as the Strule) Shared Education Campus. This is a landmark project providing a bespoke state of the art facility to deliver post primary school education in Omagh. The Strule Programme involves the relocation of 5 post primary schools and 1 special school in Omagh onto one purpose built campus site with shared facilities incorporating sports, the arts, media, home economics, design and technology. The programme has a complex stakeholder matrix which requires a comprehensive stakeholder management plan. Phase 1 of Strule entailed the delivery of the Arvalee Special School. Phase 2 will encompass the relocation of the 5 post primary schools onto the campus, the provision of sports/leisure facilities, the provision of a shared educational centre and other associated facilities and site development works over c.140 acres. The estimated construction works value at the outset was in the order of GBP 150 000 000. DE sought to appoint (and did appoint) an Economic Operator to provide the services of a Project Management led Integrated Consultancy Team (ICT) for Phase 2 of Strule to include, architecture, cost management, engineering and other associated construction professionals in related disciplines. The ICT was required to develop the existing exemplar design for the campus to RIBA plan of work 2013 Stage 3, to undertake associated studies and surveys and to acquire necessary planning permissions. The ICT was to provide a Technical Advisory role for the development of the Employer's Requirements, procurement and contract management of an Integrated Supply Team (IST) for number of separate construction packages.

The Strule Shared Education Campus (SSEC) Programme is a longstanding Executive priority with continued broad political support. It is a hugely significant programme, representing massive capital investment in the west of Northern Ireland (NI), stimulating further development and regeneration of the region. The SSEC programme will bring together 6 schools and over 4000 children and young people, from all backgrounds who will learn together on a vibrant and dynamic campus. As a pioneering project it will transform education in NI. Significant work on the Strule Programme has been completed to date, including delivery of 1 of the 6 schools. The SSEC Main Works Competition (MWC) will include the delivery of the remaining five post primary school buildings and associated facilities which equate to approximately 64,000m² of building accommodation, in addition to synthetic pitches, infrastructure, environmental protection, landscaping and general site development works.

Belfast Met have a requirement for the provision of hosting, development, support and maintenance of the Belfast Met website. The contract shall cover the following – • Hosting Services • Maintenance Services • Support Services including Helpdesk • Additional service days including development, adhoc training and out of hours support. The Contract will be for an initial period of 2 years from commencement date with the option to extend by two further periods of 2 years and 1 year (+2 + 1). The estimated value of the contract is £200,000

The contract is to conduct an outcomes-based evaluation, underpinned by use of Outcomes Based Accountability of the Limavady SEC. It is anticipated that the contract will commence on date award for a period of 5 years with no further options to extend.

The Department of Education (DE) is working towards standardisation of the DE Pre-school Education Programme (PSEP) throughout Northern Ireland. The overall aim of the contract is to appoint a Contractor to conduct a research study that will: • provide an analysis of the current state of readiness of individual PSEP settings of moving to a minimum of 22.5 hours per week standardised offer, including identifying opportunities for greater alignment of other aspects of PSEP; • examine the current training and qualification requirements within PSEP and provide costed options for a programme of CPD; and • examine the current advice and support available within PSEP and provide costed options for models of delivering advice and support.

The contract will provide an app which will meet the core principles and guidelines outlined in the Online Safety Strategy for NI 2020-25 through the provision of timely and evidenced based support for children, parents, carers and school staff including members of the safeguarding team. By incorporating parents/carers and school staff the aim is to give them the knowledge and tools needed to support children to stay safe online. The app is envisaged to be a digital library of safeguarding resources created for local school communities. It is about keeping children and young people safe online. Inside the app, there will be digital safeguarding information, practical advice and guidance, researched and written by online safeguarding experts. It should be interactive, with engaging content which is easy-to-access, simple to understand and intuitive to use, providing age-appropriate, credible, and relevant content and resources for the entire school community. A customised version of the app will be available for the school community. This will include resources and lessons for teachers, parents and carers and access to training for school staff and pupils. For pupils, there will be access to practical advice and tips to stay safe online. It will include guidance on creating strong passwords on devices and setting the best privacy settings on social media and gaming platforms. Young people can get advice about healthy relationships and trusted adults. The app can also provide advice on issues such as bullying, mental health or losing control of an image you have shared. The app will help parents and carers in the digital world that children and young people occupy through giving the tools needed to better protect them. All app users can stay up to date with all the latest safeguarding news and access the latest articles on relevant topics and trends in the online world. Parents and staff will also be sent the latest in safeguarding updates and alerts. Push notifications will ensure notifications go straight to the users phone to make sure they never miss what they need to know. There will be downloadable resources, designed to educate and facilitate conversations on on-line safety topics.

DE - Review of Special Educational Needs (SEN) service provision and processes