UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

Expression of Interest (EOI) ONLY for: Curriculum experts - Provision of Primary Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage Expert resource for the Standards and Testing Agency 2026 – 2028 The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) will shortly be looking to procure 21 experienced curriculum experts to provide independent expertise for the development of the Key Stage 1 (KS1) and Key Stage 2 (KS2) National Curriculum tests for English Grammar Punctuation & Spelling, English Reading and Mathematics, Key Stage 3 (KS3) English Reading as well as Phonics and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) experts to provide advice on the development of the reception baseline assessment between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2028. STA is seeking to engage Curriculum Experts who have: • Substantial and recent expertise in their chosen subject(s); • A detailed understanding of key stages 1 and 2 within their chosen subject area(s) / A detailed understanding of the Early Years Framework as appropriate; • Expertise in critically analysing assessment materials; • An understanding of the curriculum, its structure and on-going strategy of improvement, including of teacher assessment requirements and the exemplification of national standards that support reliability, validity and consistency; • An understanding of the issues raised by recent reviews and consultations relating to assessment and how subsequent implementation may affect the future structure and strategy of the assessments; • The ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders, providing constructive feedback at all meetings and to provide workable solutions to any problems and/or issues identified during this project; and • Experience of test / assessment development processes, gained from either previous work on National Curriculum tests, or similar activity for another project (desirable).

The provision of an Integrated Consultant Team (ICT) to develop the Employer’s Brief in relation to the design and delivery of a new St Columban’s Primary School. The ICT shall develop the design and complete the RIBA (2020) Stage 4 Technical Design before appointing a Contracting Team to undertake the construction of the new St Columban’s Primary School. The ICT shall undertake the procurement, appointment and management of the Contracting Team on behalf of the Employer and shall continue to manage and oversee the project through the remaining stages of the RIBA 2020 Plan of Work 5-7.

**Please note, this is not a Tender exercise** The Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI), in preparation for a procurement process, wish to engage with the market to seek supplier views and feedback on potential approaches for a Framework for the Supply and Delivery of Sports and Fitness Equipment, and the Maintenance of Gymnasium and Fitness Equipment. Market Feedback will be provided via the completion of a questionnaire, to be submitted via eTendersNI. There are no documents to be completed or provided other than the questionnaire. Any information gathered through this market consultation exercise will inform internal business planning and any possible subsequent procurement process and will NOT be appraised in any future tender evaluation exercise. Please note that participation or nonparticipation in this preliminary market consultation exercise shall not prevent any supplier from participating in any potential procurement process, nor is it intended that any information supplied shall place any supplier at an advantage or disadvantage in any forthcoming procurement process. For the avoidance of doubt, this is the scoping phase of the project and is not part of a formal procurement process.

To note - 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. The Department reserves the right not to enter any formal processes or agreements. Accordingly, the Department will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work, or effort incurred by a provider in acting based on this notice. The Purpose A Preliminary Market Engagement event is being undertaken to understand market capacity and capability to help DfE deliver support to secondary schools in the £5 million Books for Secondary Schools programme, in order to maximise its impact. This engagement seeks to explore opportunities for philanthropic funders, business sponsors, charitable organisations, school reading book suppliers and other relevant partners to work alongside DfE to amplify the impact of this investment. We want to explore how additional resources, expertise and networks could be leveraged to increase access to, and engagement with, books and other reading materials for secondary school pupils across England. The engagement will explore how best to maximise the programme’s investment and support the National Year of Reading to improve reach and sustainability. We want to understand how partners can help ensure the investment directly benefits all children, including by addressing barriers to access and boosting reading. Background Reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits, including strong links with attainment, wellbeing, empathy, confidence, and aptitude for learning. However, in 2025, only one in three 8 to 18 year olds reported enjoying reading in their free time, which is an all-time low. That is why DfE has launched the National Year of Reading: a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults. It is a DfE initiative, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust, who are leading the delivery of the campaign, working alongside a range of partners. As part of the National Year of Reading, DfE is providing £5 million to secondary schools in England to purchase books and other reading materials to help inspire a love of reading amongst their pupils. This funding will be split between every state funded secondary school in England, because secondary school aged pupils regularly report lowest levels of reading enjoyment: in 2025, more children aged 5-8 (62.7%) and 8-11 (46.9%) enjoyed reading than those aged 11-14 (29.5%) and 14-16 (28.6%). Schools are central to bringing the National Year of Reading to life, serving as community hubs that can foster a culture of reading inside and beyond the classroom. Schools play a vital role in shaping young people’s relationship with reading and in ensuring that every pupil, regardless of background, can read for pleasure. For many children, school is the only place where they regularly encounter and have access to books: 8.6% of children aged 8–18 report having no book of their own at home, a figure that rises to 12.4% among disadvantaged children. DfE seeks to build on this momentum, creating a legacy that lasts well beyond 2026 by partnering with organisations who can increase the scale, creativity and reach of the Books for Schools initiative. Support and funding options We want to take a creative and ambitious approach to maximise the opportunity offered by the Books for Secondary Schools programme. While this funding provides a strong foundation, we believe its impact could be significantly amplified through innovative partnerships that bring fresh ideas and additional resources. Our aim is to investigate this opportunity with organisations who share our commitment to improving young people’s access to books and who want to help shape a programme capable of leaving a lasting legacy. DfE brings substantial infrastructure, national reach, and trusted relationships across the education system. Through our direct links with secondary schools across England, established delivery channels, and existing communication mechanisms, we can ensure that support gets to where it is most needed quickly and effectively. We are therefore inviting partners who can help us think differently about what this programme could deliver. By unlocking the collective imagination of the philanthropic, business and charitable sectors we are investigating how to create a culture of reading that continues long beyond the National Year of Reading.

Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI) is currently preparing to initiate a procurement process to award a framework for provision of Grounds Maintenance and Grass Cutting Machinery for the Education Authority throughout Northern Ireland. EANI wishes to engage with the market at this stage to establish the level of market interest and to gather information that will be beneficial in the retendering process. Suppliers who wish to participate in the market engagement exercise should complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire. Further information including the questionnaire can be downloaded from CfT Documents of CfT 6505731. The questionnaire must be completed and submitted no later than 3 pm on the closing date detailed. There are no formal documents to be completed other than the questionnaire. Any information gathered will NOT be considered in any future tender evaluation exercise. Participation or non-participation in this pre-procurement market engagement shall not prevent any supplier/provider from participating in a potential procurement process nor is it intended that any information supplied shall place any supplier/ provider at an advantage in any forthcoming procurement process. For the avoidance of doubt, this stage of the project is not part of a formal procurement process and there is no commitment, at this stage to carrying out such a process.

The Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI), in preparation for a procurement process, wish to engage with the market to seek supplier views and feedback on potential approaches for an Online Payment System. Suppliers who wish to participate in the pre market engagement exercise should complete the pre-market engagement questionnaire on eTendersNI under the CfT CA Unique ID EANI-5236. Further information including the questionnaire can be downloaded from the CfT Documents section of the project on eTendersNI. Suppliers also have the opportunity to submit queries regarding the project via the eTendersNI messaging function. The questionnaire must be completed and submitted no later than 3 pm 08th May 2026. There are no documents to be completed other than the questionnaire. Any information gathered through this market consultation exercise will inform internal business planning and any possible subsequent procurement process and will NOT be appraised in any future tender evaluation exercise. Please note that participation or nonparticipation in this preliminary market consultation exercise shall not prevent any supplier from participating in any potential procurement process, nor is it intended that any information supplied shall place any supplier at an advantage or disadvantage in any forthcoming procurement process. For the avoidance of doubt, this is the scoping phase of the project and is not part of a formal procurement process.

This is a notice seeking early engagement from interested parties in relation to the Department for Education procurement of a Delivery Partner to support effective delivery of partnerships that strengthen children’s transitions from pre-reception early years settings into school. The partnerships will focus particularly on support for those children with SEND and from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Delivery Partner will play a central role in helping partnerships plan and implement their approaches, promote collaboration and good practice, and support continuous improvement across the programme. The Delivery Partner will also help ensure delivery aligns with priorities, maintains strong governance standards and contributes to sustainable outcomes for children beyond the funding period. Please note that all references to procedure, value and term length are purely illustrative and subject to change. Please note that this notice is for early market engagement and exploratory purposes and is not a call for competition. The Department reserves the right not to enter any formal processes or agreements. Accordingly, the authority will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work, or effort incurred by a provider in acting based on this notice. 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.

THIS IS AN INVITATION TO A MARKET ENGAGEMENT EVENT The Department for Education, actively supported by the Department for Health and Social Care and Department for Culture Media and Sport is seeking to procure a national delivery partner to design, implement, and manage a PE and School Sport Partnership Network across England. The Department for Education (DfE) is issuing this notice to initiate market consultation regarding a potential procurement opportunity for the development of a new PE and School Sport Partnership Network. This Network will support both primary and secondary schools. The ambition of the Network is to build strong partnerships between schools, local clubs, National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and the wider PE and sport sector. The Network will ensure a range of training and support is provided to increase the number and range of opportunities for children and young people to take part in sport and physical activity, to improve the quality of provision, and to support the best use of facilities. The Network will identify need and target support to overcome barriers to PE, sport and physical activity, with a specific focus to reduce inactivity levels and increase participation in a range of sport and physical activities for pupils who are the least active. This includes pupils from less affluent backgrounds, pupils from Black, Asian and other ethnicities, pupils with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), and girls. To support this, we are holding an online Market Engagement event on 7th May via Teams from 13:0 to 15:0, where we will share more details of: The proposed delivery model and management arrangements Priority aims and outcomes for the Network The commercial delivery model Funding flow models including grants and financial controls Quality assurance, data and evidence Evaluation, reporting and accountability Governance The procurement process and timelines 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. A strategic national delivery partner will be awarded a contract to design, implement, and manage a national infrastructure which we are currently calling the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network which will focus on enhancing PE, physical activity and school sport across England. We fully expect that there will be options to extend the contract beyond the initial contract period. NB: This notice has an estimated contract length included, this is still to be confirmed and we will hold an informal follow-up Market Engagement Event to confirm the contract value and length ahead of the Invitation to Tender. The date of this event will be notified via Jaggaer.

The University of Portsmouth is undertaking pre‑market engagement to seek views from experienced suppliers on a proposal to combine its existing Student and Staff Occupational Health contracts into a single, integrated supplier‑delivered service. The University has around 28,000 students and employs around 3,500 staff. This engagement aims to explore the feasibility of this approach, including service delivery models, commercial considerations, and potential benefits for both staff and students. The proposed service would provide a comprehensive occupational health offering for both staff and students, including: - The delivery of occupational health clearance for students, in line with current course‑specific occupational health guidance, to support their eligibility to undertake mandatory placement activities. - The provision of occupational health assessments, health surveillance, and vaccination services for staff, aligned with statutory and best‑practice occupational health requirements. - Initial and vaccination appointments for students and staff delivered at the University of Portsmouth site. - Accessible facilities and local service provision to ensure that both staff and students can easily access occupational health services within the local area.

The Department for Education (DfE) is establishing an alternative student finance (ASF) product, compatible with Islamic finance principles, to enable all students, regardless of their faith, to access Higher Education (HE). Whilst the current student finance system provides interest-bearing loans for students entering HE study, some students, particularly those who identify as Muslim, do not feel able to access these loans due to their faith. ASF will address this barrier by providing a faith-sensitive equivalent to the current loan product. Students accessing ASF will not suffer any detriment nor experience any advantage through choosing to access student support via this route. The ASF system will be based on a ‘Takaful’ model, to provide a form of group-based mutual support. Recipients will receive financial support for HE and, in return, will commit to making contributions back to the scheme in the future which will be used to help other students go to university. ASF recipients will make the same total contributions as those who opt for the conventional student loan product. Like the conventional student loan scheme, these contributions will be based on what people earn and will therefore be of the same amount and made at the same time as repayments for conventional student loans. Legislation has been put in place, through the Higher Education and Research Act (HERA) 2017, to enable ASF to be introduced. At present, we are working closely with a group of specialist advisors to develop a robust ASF model. Alongside this, the Government is also reforming the wider student finance system. The introduction of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) will significantly change how students access learning and financial support. We intend to introduce ASF as soon as possible after the LLE, so that both reforms work cohesively to expand opportunity and support for all learners. To ensure that ASF funds are managed in accordance with Islamic finance principles, the DfE is exploring the banking arrangements required. This will include establishing a bank account that can hold and move funds in a compliant manner, including that the account must not bear or generate interest. This engagement activity is focused on generating insights from the market, including market interest in fulfilling this service, feasibility of account options, the anticipated availability of compliant accounts meeting DfE’s requirements, expected costs for the required account and estimated timeframes to establish and operationalise the account. We are keen to identify whether there are innovative solutions that may help deliver better public services and value for money. We anticipate that there will be a contract for this service. The supplier must be able to: • provide evidence of how it handles and holds money in an Islamic finance compliant manner • facilitate the transfer of funds • be fully regulated with FCA/MPM compliance. We expect that a full specification of requirements will be provided after this exercise, in line with an invitation to tender if/when issued.

This is a notice seeking early market engagement from interested parties for a Department for Education’s delivery partner procurement to support local authority delivery of Best Start in Life (BSiL). We want to secure a delivery partner that can oversee and drive BSiL and Best Start Family Hub transformation and empower local authorities to: • Lead and drive bold, innovative local system transformation through strong leadership and partnerships, strategically targeting resources, assets, and expertise to maximise impact on early child development and health outcomes. • Deliver ambitious, high quality BSiL and Best Start Family Hub (BSFH) services that improve early child development outcomes for children and families in their local area. • Learn from, develop and share best practice to build local authority capability;; that enabling effective use of data and digital tools; and a combination of tools, resources, tailored group and 1:1 support to enabe effective use of data and digital tools and address challenges in leadership, partnership working, workforce, and specialist areas including speech and language pathways, health integration, access, SEND and data sharing. We welcome suggestions on the most effective procurement approach to ensure value for money is achieved.

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.

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 14:0 on 31st March 2026 for interested parties. The event is anticipated to last for a duration of an hour. 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 found in the Engagement section below entitled: Attend market engagement event – 31st March 2026 We last carried out supplier engagement in November 2024 in order to inform the delivery of careers support for young people. The purpose of this supplier engagement webinar is to: • Build on the insight gathered in the supplier engagement conducted in 2024. • Share 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 support partnership working with strategic and local authorities through careers hubs. • Test bidder appetite and delivery viability for the support to improve careers guidance for young people with potential suppliers. This is not a binding statement of intent or a call for competition This Notice 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 agreement, plus a mobilisation period of up to 6 months if required.

On 17 December, the UK and the European Commission reached an agreement in principle for the UK to associate to Erasmus+ in 2027. Erasmus+ is the European Union's flagship programme to support education, training, youth, and sport in Europe and beyond, with an overall estimated budget of €26.2 billion for the period 2021-27. It is a grant funding scheme offering a broad range of opportunities for learners and staff across the education, training, youth, and sport sectors. Procurement of a Visa Sponsor Separately, the Department is seeking to procure an overarching sponsor to issue Certificates of Sponsorship and ensure compliance with Home Office requirements for a new Erasmus+ Government Authorised Exchange (Temporary Work) visa scheme, for inbound mobilities to the UK where participants are undertaking supernumerary work placements such as traineeships, teacher assignments or training assignments. 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.

The provision of an Integrated Consultant Team (ICT) to develop the Employer’s Brief in relation to the design and delivery of a new St Columban’s Primary School. The ICT shall develop the design and complete the RIBA (2020) Stage 4 Technical Design before appointing a Contracting Team to undertake the construction of the new St Columban’s Primary School. The ICT shall undertake the procurement, appointment and management of the Contracting Team on behalf of the Employer and shall continue to manage and oversee the project through the remaining stages of the RIBA 2020 Plan of Work 5-7.

Planned Procurement notice – Regional Care Cooperatives and Fostering Recruitment & Retention Programme The Department for Education intends to procure a Delivery Partner to support the establishment and early operation of up to six new Regional Care Cooperatives (RCCs) and to deliver the expanded Fostering Recruitment and Retention Programme. This contract is intended to run from July 2026 to 31 March 2028 (final timelines will be set out in the tendering documentation), with activity delivered across England through a mix of virtual and in person engagement. This notice is being issued to inform the market of the forthcoming opportunity and of preliminary market engagement; a full contract notice and information regarding engagement with the market will follow. Regional Care Cooperatives Every child deserves safe, high-quality care close to home. Regional care cooperatives (RCCs) will help make this a reality by transforming the approach local areas take to commissioning and providing homes for children in care. Further background on RCCs and the policy intent behind this reform can be found here: Regional care cooperatives policy statement - GOV.UK The Delivery Partner will provide structured coaching, facilitation, and technical expertise to support regions through the RCC staged progression model—Foundation and Development—so that they are prepared to transition into Delivery, as set out in the RCC Design Specification Guidance here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-set-up-a-regional-care-cooperative. This will include support for: • diagnostics, planning and governance • co design and development of sufficiency strategies • market shaping approaches • adoption of the national common data model • establishment of core regional functions for sustainable forecasting and commissioning As part of its market engagement activity, the Department is also seeking to understand the breadth of legal and commercial expertise available to support RCCs. This includes suppliers capable of providing legally robust, directly accountable advice on organisational and governance structures, pooled and shared budget arrangements, joint decision making frameworks, and commissioning responsibilities alongside the other support set out in this PIN. The Delivery Partner will also be expected to strengthen RCCs’ commercial capability—supporting regions to develop and apply commercial strategies, analyse and model block and soft block contracting arrangements, improve negotiation confidence, and align commercial decisions with sufficiency planning. All support should be designed to build long term capability within RCCs. Fostering Recruitment and Retention Programme The Department is also seeking a Delivery Partner to support the next phase of the Fostering Recruitment and Retention Programme, delivered under the same contract as the RCC support package. In this expanded phase, Fostering Hubs will progress beyond initial applicant engagement to manage the entire recruitment and approval process, creating a more integrated and end to end model of recruiting, assessing, and supporting foster carers. The programme contributes to the Department’s ambition to secure homes for 10,000 more children by 2029. Fostering Hubs guidance and application forms can be found here Fostering Programme: New Hubs Expression of Interest - GOV-UK Find a grant. The Delivery Partner will provide subject matter expertise in fostering recruitment and retention, alongside support to hubs in establishing performance monitoring and reporting mechanisms, delivering change management, and offering troubleshooting support as programme and/or LA level issues emerge. Support may include stakeholder relationship facilitation, HR related assistance, and co production of assessing social worker practice models. For new hubs, the Delivery Partner will provide challenge, independent oversight, and practical support through design and implementation. All support should be designed to build long term capability within hubs. It is anticipated that the Delivery Partner will work with approximately 100 participating LAs across new and existing hubs. The successful organisation will be expected to ensure strategic alignment between RCCs and Fostering Hubs, working closely with RCC leadership where established, and supporting areas to integrate hubs into RCCs as the system evolves. The long term vision is for every local authority to be part of an RCC.

This notice is to capture supplier interest to register on Jaggaer to benefit from the opportunity to apply for membership on the Educational Children's Social Care (ECSC) Professional Framework as a Skills Education Adviser. It is the Department for Education’s intention to re-open LOT 2 Skills Education Advisers, to provide expertise on education training and development to the skills group, with the specific skills in designing, developing, and evaluating qualifications, and experts in assessment strategy. The DfE are seeking to bring in additional EAs with the expertise to support development of Technical and Vocational Qualifications such as; T Levels including Foundation Year; 16-19 English and Maths; English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); Essential Digital Skills The opportunity will be published non contracts Finder and potential suppliers are encouraged to register on Jaggaer to access the opportunity via the link.

Value range: £600,000 - £1,500,000 Following the SEND CPD Market Engagement in March 2026, the Department launches this first deliverable as part of this larger potential requirement from the Schools White Paper announcement: A package of high-quality materials aimed at schools and further education settings to support the delivery of in-house training to all staff on SEND and inclusion. We require the package content to be co-designed with DfE and sector experts and for the materials to be tested with key audiences. The content should center around inclusive, universal provision in mainstream primary and secondary schools, and further education settings. Content will need to be compatible to be hosted on a Government platform such as GOV.UK. Package of materials to support in-house SEND CPD The first requirement is to design a set of online and downloadable resources that can be used by staff responsible for delivering in-house training to teachers and support staff across primary schools, secondary schools and further education settings. Users should be able to easily incorporate the materials into existing school and college templates for delivery. Content may include but is not limited to videos, guidance and explainers that support staff in: - Designing and delivering effective in-house CPD (for example planning templates, advice on evaluation, support in designing follow-up activities) - Understanding the Department’s vision for SEND reform -Bringing staff together to create a shared vision and understanding of local context. - Developing understanding of high-quality teaching practice that supports all learners, especially those with SEND. Curriculum in Practice Materials The second requirement is to design a suite of resources for use by individual teachers including subject and phase leaders to support curriculum adaptation for all children and young people, including those with SEND. This content will build on the package of materials outlined above and will help staff implement and embed their learning in practice. The suite of resources may include, but is not limited to, case studies, prompts, and explainers. In particular we welcome materials that include subject‑specific or phase-specific content/considerations, or resources that support curriculum and subject teams to embed learning within their own curriculum contexts.

**THIS PRIOR INFORMATION NOTICE IS TO NOTIFY SUPPLIERS OF AN UPCOMING MARKET ENGAGEMENT RELATED TO A POTENTIAL NEW PROGRAMME**. The Department for Education’s (DfE) Education Estates team is seeking further engagement with suppliers in the construction services and construction works markets related to the development of a potential new programme. This programme would focus on the condition and sustainability of buildings across the Education Estate in England, working closely with those responsible for their estate (Local Authorities, Academy Trusts, Dioceses etc.).

The Department for Education (DfE) intends to launch an Invitation to Tender (ITT) on Monday 30 March 2026 for the T Level Industry Placement Support Services procurement. This forthcoming ITT will seek a supplier (or consortium) with the capability and capacity to deliver high‑quality national support to providers and employers to scale and enhance T Level industry placement delivery from September 2026 onwards. This planned procurement follows earlier market engagement activity, during which the DfE outlined the evolving strategic direction for T Level Industry Placement Support Services. As the programme continues to mature, future delivery will focus on strengthening provider capability, increasing employer readiness, and ensuring a sustainable supply of high‑quality placement opportunities across England. The Department anticipates that the services procured through this competition will: -Enhance employer and provider awareness of T Level Industry Placements and encourage greater use of the digital service. -Strengthen provider capability and confidence to embed and scale high‑quality industry placement delivery. -Build employer capability and readiness to deliver meaningful placements at scale. -Foster sustainable collaboration across employers, providers and wider partners within the T Level ecosystem. -Generate actionable intelligence and insights to inform ongoing policy, strategy, and delivery decisions. Anticipated Contract Start Date - The contract is expected to commence on 1 August 2026, allowing for a one‑month mobilisation period prior to the start of live delivery from September 2026. Upcoming “How to Bid” Webinar - To support potential suppliers, the DfE will host an online “How to Bid” webinar on Wednesday 1 April 2026 at 2pm, providing an overview of the procurement, key requirements, and the bidding process. Webinar link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/c5ff7c98-baec-474f-870e-65a2fc6303f0@fad277c9-c60a-4da1-b5f3-b3b8b34a82f9 Next Steps - The ITT documentation will be published via the Department for Education’s eSourcing Portal, Jaggaer, under project_10008. Suppliers not yet registered are encouraged to register here: https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html Reference: ssq_647 This Planned Procurement Notice is for information only. It does not constitute a call for competition, nor does it commit the Department to award a contract or proceed in any particular way. All future procurement activity remains subject to internal approvals, budgetary considerations, and the availability of funding. The Department looks forward to engaging with organisations interested in supporting the continued growth and long‑term sustainability of T Level Industry Placements.