Provision of Integrated HR & Payroll System

THE ACADEMIES FOR CHARACTER AND EXCELLENCEcontractFind a TenderRef ocds-h6vhtk-060bedProcurement Act 2023SME suitableplanning
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Estimated value

£450k

services

Awarded value

Suppliers

0

Lots

1

0 awarded

Published

22 Jan 2026

This is a preliminary market engagement notice

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Description

The Academies for Character and Excellence is a growing primary school Multi-Academy Trust currently comprising 20 schools, with anticipated growth to 25 schools during the tender period with future further growth anticipated in coming years. The Trust is undertaking pre-market engagement to inform a forthcoming procurement for an integrated HR and Payroll solution, including the delivery of a fully outsourced payroll service. The Trust is seeking a modern, cloud-based platform to support the full employee lifecycle, providing a single, secure source of workforce data across the Trust. Core requirements are expected to include employee records management, recruitment and onboarding, contract and position management, absence and leave management, HR reporting, DfE Workforce Census, employee self-service and integration with payroll processing. A key objective of this procurement is to secure a provider with demonstrable payroll expertise within the education sector, delivering a resilient, accurate, and compliant outsourced payroll service. This is expected to include monthly payroll processing, statutory and year-end submissions, pensions administration, handling of complex pay arrangements, and appropriate support services for payroll and HR queries. The Trust places strong emphasis on service quality, continuity, and sector knowledge and expertise, not solely the provision of software. The Trust currently uses Bromcom as its Management Information System and would welcome engagement with suppliers whose HR and payroll solutions can integrate effectively with this platform. Seamless integration between HR and payroll is a priority, alongside improved access to payroll data, enhanced reporting capability, and reduced reliance on manual processes. Scalability, data security, and automation will be key considerations to support the Trust’s ongoing growth. The contract start date will be between September and November 2026

Scope

Reference
ACE01.75
Total value
£450,000 excluding VAT
£540,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Commercial tool
Standalone contract
Contract dates
01 Sept 2026 to 31 Aug 2030
Possible extension to 31 Aug 2032

4 Year Term with the option of 2 further 1 year extensions.

Main category
services
CPV classifications
79631000
48450000
79211110
Contract locations
South West England, United Kingdom
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Award criteria

Criteria the buyer will use to evaluate bids.

NameDescriptionTypeWeighting
Implementation & Transition Deliveryquality4.00%
Quality of People & Support Teamquality5.00%
Quality of Managed Payroll Service Provisionquality5.00%
Customer Retention & Client Successquality4.00%
Service Support Model & Responsivenessquality2.00%
Contract Management & Strategic Partnershipquality1.50%
Service Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvementquality1.50%
Innovation, Product Roadmap & Future Fitquality1.00%
Complaint Resolution & Escalationquality1.00%
Software Functionailityquality40.00%
Priceprice35.00%

Participation

Conditions suppliers must meet to bid.

Financial Capacity Assessment: Bidders must demonstrate that their financial position is sufficiently robust to support both the implementation and ongoing delivery of the Finance System. Bidders must provide their audited financial statements for the previous two financial years. Where audited accounts are not available, bidders should provide certified accounts or equivalent financial information. Bidders should disclose any known events that may materially impact their financial position during the contract term (for example, planned sale, refinancing, or restructuring). Minimum Turnover Requirement The bidder’s annual turnover must be at least two times the estimated annual contract value. Net Asset Position Bidders must demonstrate a positive net asset position in their most recent financial statements Liquidity and Access to Financial Resources Bidders must demonstrate access to adequate financial resources to support ongoing business operations and contractual commitments. Revenue Model Stability Bidders must describe their revenue model, including the proportion of income that is recurring, contractually committed, or otherwise predictable. The Trust will assess the economic and financial standing of bidders to ensure that the successful supplier has the financial capacity and resilience required to deliver the contract for its full duration. The Trust is seeking a financially resilient supplier capable of sustaining long-term service delivery. The assessment is designed to ensure resilience rather than favour organisations of a particular size. The assessment will be conducted in accordance with the principles of proportionality, transparency, and equal treatment. Insurance requirements - can commit to obtain, prior to the award of the contract, the levels of insurance cover indicated below a. Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance* = £5m b. Public Liability Insurance = £5m c. Professional Indemnity Insurance = £1m d. Product Liability Insurance = £1m e. Cyber and Data Protection Insurance = £1m

Relevant experience and contract examples Please provide details of up to three contracts to meet conditions of participation relating to technical ability set out in the relevant notice or procurement documents, in any combination from either the public or private sectors (which may include samples of grant-funded work). The examples must be from the past three years. To constitute a pass, the minimum of two contract examples provided shall be relevant to the complexity of the requirement, with a sufficient level of detail that provides confidence in the Tenderer’s established past experience in similar and relevant projects/contracts. Organisational Standards Please provide details of the organisational standards and certifications your organisation holds that are relevant to the delivery of this contract, including (but not limited to) Quality Management and Information Security standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, or equivalent internationally recognised certifications. You must confirm that the scope of these certifications explicitly covers the services proposed within this procurement. Where equivalent standards are offered, please explain how they meet or exceed the requirements of the specified ISO standards. Bidders must submit the following evidence: • Copies of current certification issued by an accredited certification body. • A copy of the certification scope statement demonstrating that the services being procured fall within the accredited scope. • Confirmation of certification validity dates. • Details of any non-conformities identified during the most recent audit and the corrective actions taken.