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PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision Guidance

Department for Education · compiled

Tender information last checkedLast checked 30 Sept 2026, 06:12.

Opportunity overview

The purpose of this early engagement notice is to notify the market of a forthcoming market engagement event relating to a potential procurement of an experienced Delivery Partner (DP) to develop best practice guidance, in partnership with DfE, to operate (and set up) SEN units, resourced provision, and pupil support units within mainstream schools. The guidance will be DfE guidance hosted on gov.uk. The department will be undertaking an online event on 24th July 2025 for interested suppliers. The Delivery Partner must: 1. Have access to lead practitioners with an excellent understanding and proven track record of setting up and operating SEN units, resourced provision, and pupil support units (sometimes referred to as Internal AP) (collectively hereafter referred to as ‘bases’). 2. Understand the needs of mainstream schools and local authorities, so that the guidance helps senior leaders and staff to deliver high quality practice. 3. Have a track record of producing high quality and impactful sector facing resources, including guidance. 4. Have experienced facilitators able to engage and coordinate a wide range of stakeholders. 5. Have capacity to arrange and deliver facilitated working group sessions, work in partnership with the Department for Education (DfE) to develop interim and final guidance, over a 6 month period. A delivery partner will be selected via ECSC Dynamic Procurement System. Registration details can be found here: https://educationgovuk.sharepoint.com/sites/SURPGuidanceProcurement/_layouts/15/download.aspx?SourceUrl=%2Fsites%2FSURPGuidanceProcurement%2FShared%20Documents%2FDPS%20Guidance%2FNew%20%2D%201303%20%2D%20JAGGAER%20DPS%20Supplier%20Registration%20Guidance%20%28December%202020%29%20%281%29%2Epdf The Department will be undertaking a market engagement webinar event on the 24th July at 14:00. We would like to invite you to the webinar, where we will provide further detail on the requirement and an opportunity to ask questions. It is anticipated that the event will last 45 minutes. The objectives of the event will be to: • Give you an understanding of the aim of the potential procurement. • Give you the opportunity to provide feedback. Please note that a maximum of two people from each organisation can attend the event. You do not need to have completed DPS registration to attend the event, but you must be registered on the DPS to submit a bid. We may record all questions asked, as well as answers given, and make these publicly available as reference for all interested parties. If the procurement exercise goes ahead, it is expected to open in August 2025 for a window of around 14 days. More information on the potential procurement process will be provided following this market engagement activity. This notice is for information only and is not a call for competition. The Department reserves the right not to enter a formal procurement process and not award contracts. Accordingly, the Authority will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work or effort incurred by a provider in acting on the basis of this PIN. All future information will be issued to potential providers via the DfE eTendering Portal. Kind regards DfE

Classification

  • CPV80000000 — Education and training services

Lots

  • The Delivery Partner (DP) will be expected to develop best practice guidance in partnership with DfE, to operate and set up SEN units, resourced provision, and pupil support units within mainstream schools. The DfE team will support the DP to deliver these workstreams. This programme of work aims to: 1. Use lead practitioners to establish best practice guidance for operating and setting up bases, seeking ideas/input from a wide range of practitioners. 2. Engage a wide range of stakeholders in the development of the guidance and build consensus. 3. Produce high-quality guidance, in collaboration with DfE, that will support schools and LAs to develop high-quality provision.Value not stated

Published notice details

Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.

Scope, procedure and submissions

Id
ocds-h6vhtk-056313
Status
planned
Main Procurement Category
services

Covered By

GPA

Legal basis

Id
32014L0024
Scheme
CELEX

Communication

Future Notice Date
21 Jul 2025, 00:00

Classification

Id
80000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Education and training services

Lots and requirements

Entry 1
Id
1
Status
planned
Description
The Delivery Partner (DP) will be expected to develop best practice guidance in partnership with DfE, to operate and set up SEN units, resourced provision, and pupil support units within mainstream schools. The DfE team will support the DP to deliver these workstreams. This programme of work aims to: 1. Use lead practitioners to establish best practice guidance for operating and setting up bases, seeking ideas/input from a wide range of practitioners. 2. Engage a wide range of stakeholders in the development of the guidance and build consensus. 3. Produce high-quality guidance, in collaboration with DfE, that will support schools and LAs to develop high-quality provision.

Items and delivery

Item 1
Id
1
Related Lot
1

Delivery locations

Entry 1
Region
UKC
Entry 2
Region
UKD
Entry 3
Region
UKE
Entry 4
Region
UKF
Entry 5
Region
UKG
Entry 6
Region
UKH
Entry 7
Region
UKI
Entry 8
Region
UKJ
Entry 9
Region
UKK

Additional Classifications

Entry 1
Id
80000000
Scheme
CPV
Description
Education and training services

Buyer, suppliers and contacts

Organisation 1
Id
GB-FTS-83459
Name
Department for Education

Roles

buyer
centralPurchasingBody

Address

Region
UK
Locality
London
Postal Code
SW1P 3BT
Country Name
United Kingdom
Street Address
Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street

Details

Classifications

Entry 1
Id
BODY_PUBLIC
Scheme
TED_CA_TYPE
Description
Body governed by public law
Entry 2
Id
09
Scheme
COFOG
Description
Education

Identifier

Id
00000000
Legal Name
Department for Education

Contact

Name
Core Procurement Team

Recorded locations

  • Buyer location · London · UK · SW1P 3BT · United Kingdom
  • Delivery location · UKC
  • Delivery location · UKD
  • Delivery location · UKE
  • Delivery location · UKF
  • Delivery location · UKG
  • Delivery location · UKH
  • Delivery location · UKI
  • Delivery location · UKJ
  • Delivery location · UKK

Notice and amendment history

1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.

1 VERSION
  1. ocds-h6vhtk-056313-2025-07-21T14:56:09+01:00compiled ·