II.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS code:

UKC

UKD

UKE

UKF

UKG

UKH

UKI

UKJ

UKK

II.2.4) Description of the procurement

Purpose:

The Department for Education (DfE) is seeking to work with multiple suppliers of pupil and school facing educational software in England. This is an opportunity to inform policy development relating to proposed SEND reforms, interoperability standards to improve the flow of data, and analysis to develop meaningful insights into pupil learning and progress.

Suppliers who meet the criteria set out will be able to get directly involved in projects developed by DfE and its authorised partners, sharing knowledge, insights and supplier-side perspectives. This will help DfE build collaboration with the EdTech market.

Areas of focus include SEND, key stage 3, and core pupil information and opportunities are set out under several lots described below.

Long-term benefits:

Suppliers:

This work will create clearer, more consistent routes for data exchange and strengthen collaboration between suppliers, schools, trusts, local authorities and DfE.

For suppliers, this provides an opportunity to better evidence the impact of their products in real-world settings, helping to build credibility with customers and differentiate in a competitive market.

Greater consistency in data standards will support product improvement, enable more meaningful insights for users, and create opportunities for new and innovative services.

By participating, suppliers will be contributing to a more evidence-led, high-quality EdTech market that is with DfE's ambition to support innovative providers and help those with proven products grow and scale.

Schools sector:

Schools, trusts and local authorities will benefit from consistent and standardised data across EdTech systems. This will help minimise manual reconciliation and improve data quality. Greater consistency in data will make it easier for schools to use information effectively within their existing systems while supporting improved pupil outcomes while reducing workload and duplication. This work will support the aims of the Every child achieving and thriving policy paper, including harnessing data to provide fast, accurate insights to improve children's outcomes and put insights directly into the hands of teachers, leaders and parents.

The Department for Education:

Access to near real-time school data will enable more timely and better-informed policy decisions and interventions. We'll combine datasets to strengthen insights to enable better evaluation while increasing efficiencies in data collection adhering to better standards and quality.

Scope:

This notice comprises of three Lots. The information requested will not be shared beyond DfE or its delivery partners and will be subject to a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

Lot 1: DfE invites suppliers of pupil-facing teaching and learning software operating in state-funded schools in England to participate in this proof of concept.

As part of this proof of concept, the aforementioned suppliers will be asked to:

• Provide information around data flows between suppliers and schools.

• Share test data (including table column headers) for all data collected in CSV format. A secure transfer method will be provided by DfE.

• Share stipulated live data which adhere to our data compliance and subject to appropriate data access consent and feasibility. A secure transfer method will be provided by DfE.

• Share data model, schema and data dictionary information to support data analysis.

This will enable DfE to:

• Assess the structure and quality of available data.

• Identify where data and interoperability standards may be required to support consistent, privacy‑respecting data exchange.

• Explore opportunities to generate high‑level, non‑comparative insights within agreed data domains, initially with a small number of schools or trusts, with an emphasis on learning and feedback rather than comparison.

• Conduct user research with suppliers to inform the development of data standards and adoption considerations.

Lot 2: DfE invites suppliers providing capture and tracking software for children and young people with SEND support in state-funded settings in England to participate in user research and engagement activities to inform the delivery of SEND Reform.

This engagement will focus on understanding how SEND-related information is currently:

• captured

• managed

• and shared across different systems and settings

As part of Lot 2, suppliers will be invited to:

• Share insights into how information is currently captured, managed and shared within their systems and between systems used by schools and other organisations

• Provide illustrative examples of how data is structured within their products (e.g. high-level views), where appropriate

• Describe their current approach to enabling data exchange or integration with other systems

This will enable DfE to:

• Understand current approaches across the sector, including variation in how SEND information is recorded and used

• Identify challenges and opportunities in how information is shared and used to support children and young people

• Explore practical approaches to improving consistency, reducing duplication, and supporting effective information sharing

• Test potential approaches with different user groups, including schools, trusts and local authorities

• Support settings to meet future legislative requirements, including those arising from SEND Reform

DfE is particularly interested in learning from existing supplier solutions and approaches, and this engagement is intended to inform implementation considerations.

This will include understanding what information needs to be accessible at different points in a child or young person's journey, particularly where information needs to be shared between settings or services.

Lot 3: DfE invites suppliers of digital apps and systems to state-funded schools and trusts in England to participate in user research and project working groups. Systems of interest include but are not limited to:

• Safeguarding information systems

• Staff information systems

• Data sharing services used to connect and share data between systems and apps used by schools

Suppliers of management information systems (MIS) are out of scope of this engagement but are encouraged to participate via the process set out in this notice: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027607-2026

As part of Lot 3, aforementioned suppliers may be asked to:

• Provide information about data flows between suppliers and schools.

• Share test data (including table column headers) for all data collected in CSV format. A secure transfer method will be provided by DfE.

• Share data model, schema and data dictionary information to support data analysis. A secure transfer method will be provided by DfE.

• Share insights about product/service change and development timescales and cycles

• Attend engagement sessions with DfE

This will enable DfE to:

• Understand the structure and quality of available data.

• Identify where data and interoperability standards may be required to support consistent, privacy‑respecting data exchange.

• Conduct market research with suppliers to inform the development of data standards and adoption considerations.

II.2.14) Additional information

How to participate:

For all lots, DfE is looking to engage with education software suppliers that currently operate in the state-funded schools' sector in England with the exception of MIS suppliers.

If you are an MIS supplier and are interested in working with us, please see the following notice: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/027607-2026

Details of expectations for each Lot is detailed below.

We actively encourage responses from a wide variety of suppliers of different sizes and across England.

Lot 1: Supplier must be a current provider of pupil-facing applications supporting Math or English for Key stage 3.

Suppliers that meet the above criteria will need to:

1. Provide access to test data via the DfE's secure transfer method.

2. Provide access to live data via the DfE's secure transfer method subject to data controller approval.

3. Provide details to their data model, schema and data dictionaries to support data analysis, subject to NDA agreements.

4. Take part in user research opportunities that might arise through the process, subject to prior agreement.

DfE will host a webinar on Wednesday 3rd June 2026 at 2.30pm to provide more information to interested parties on Lot 1. Please email data.spine@education.gov.uk if you wish to attend.

Lot 2: Supplier must provide capture and tracking software for children and young people with SEND support in state-funded settings in England.

Suppliers that meet the above criteria will be invited to meet with DfE to discuss the follow:

1. Share insights into how information is currently captured, managed and shared within their systems and between systems used by schools and other organisations

2. Provide illustrative examples of how data is structured within their products (e.g. high-level views), where appropriate

3. Describe their current approach to enabling data exchange or integration with other systems

Lot 3: Suppliers will provide safeguarding, pupil and staff information software beyond schools' management information systems to state-funded schools in England, or data sharing services used by system and app suppliers to state-funded schools in England.

Suppliers that meet the above criteria will be invited to meet with DfE to take part in individual market research meetings.

Interested suppliers should complete the registration form:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=yXfS-grGoU2187O4s0qC-acFi7oSxZxLsTzICFUKW0xUQ0hTUktVWEo5NkhTNVBNQThaT0UxSTNOQi4u&route=shorturl

Some required information for the form includes:

• Organisation name

• Contact name and email address

• Number of schools served

• Number of pupils users

• Age range of pupils

• Availability of free access, trial or demo versions

• Which opportunity you would like to take part in, lot 1, lot 2 and/or lot 3,

• Whether the tool is pupil-facing and/or out-of-classroom

• Subjects covered in line with the curriculum (e.g. Maths, English etc)

• Whether the tool supports pupil-level tracking (e.g. activity, progress, feedback)

• Pupil-level identifiers captured

Selection process:

For Lot 1, DfE intends to engage initially with up to 20 suppliers that come forward to participate during this phase. Providing suppliers meet the criteria referenced above, spaces will be allocated with a on a first come first served basis. The Department aims to expand engagement in subsequent phases.

For Lot 2, DfE will respond to those who express an interest via the form referenced above.

For Lot 3 we will invite suppliers who have responded to this notice to an initial information webinar to set out the purpose of each phase/project, and ask suppliers confirm their interest in participating in the relevant phase/project. Involvement will be on the basis of meeting the criteria of this notice, any further criteria set out in each phase/project webinar and on a first come first served basis where there is high interest.

Further opportunities are expected over the next 12 months for suppliers who have expressed an interest.