Market Engagement Event - Delivery partner for partnerships supporting early years-school transitions

Department for EducationcontractFind a TenderRef ocds-h6vhtk-066333Procurement Act 2023SME suitableVCSE suitableactive
View buyer

Estimated value

£2.3m

services

Awarded value

Suppliers

0

Lots

1

0 awarded

Published

19 Jun 2026

Deadline 20 Jul 2026

Description

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.

Scope

Reference
project_10387
Total value
£2,281,000 excluding VAT
£2,737,200 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Commercial tool
Standalone contract
Contract dates
02 Nov 2026 to 31 May 2029
Main category
services
CPV classifications
79633000
Contract locations
North East England, United Kingdom
North West England, United Kingdom
East Midlands, United Kingdom
West Midlands, United Kingdom
East of England, United Kingdom
South East England, United Kingdom
South West England, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Yorkshire and the Humber, United Kingdom
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)

Award criteria

Criteria the buyer will use to evaluate bids.

NameDescriptionTypeWeighting
Price Per Quality Pointquality100.00%

Submission & procedure

Enquiry deadline
15 Jul 2026, 4:00 pm
Submission deadline
20 Jul 2026, 11:00 am
Submission address
https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html
Electronic submission
Yes
Procedure
Open procedure