Published date: 2 February 2026

Open opportunity - This means that the contract is currently active, and the buying department is looking for potential suppliers to fulfil the contract.


Closing: 13 March 2026, 12pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Education and training services - 80000000

Location of contract

North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West

Value of contract

£0

Procurement reference

tender_518863/1548815

Published date

2 February 2026

Closing date

13 March 2026

Closing time

12pm

Contract start date

15 June 2026

Contract end date

28 February 2029

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Other: Open - Light Touch Procedure

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

The Invitation to Tender (ITT) has been issued by the Department of Education and Standards and Testing Agency (STA) in connection with a competitive procurement exercise under the Educational and Children's Social Care (ECSC) Framework.

The Educational and Children's Social Care (ECSC) Framework, established on 1 February 2025, is the Department for Education's primary route for procuring specialist and advisory services. It runs for four years, with an option to extend by two, ending no later than 1 February 2031.

The framework is dynamic, allowing lots to be reopened and new lots added as needed to the framework. In line with this flexibility, the Department is reopening the framework and adding Lot 13: Quality Assurance Proof Readers

The purpose of this procurement is to acquire resource to support Quality Assurance processes within STA in relation to the tests that STA are responsible for developing.
STA is looking to procure a pool of proofers to quality assure key stage 1 and key stage 2 national curriculum tests and reception baseline assessment to ensure that these tests are accurate and of high quality. The national curriculum tests include the year 1 phonics screening check, English grammar, punctuation and spelling (key stage 1 and key stage 2), English reading (key stage 1 and key stage 2), mathematics (key stage 1 and key stage 2), and the year 4 multiplication tables check (MTC).

Government policy changes may bring other assessments within scope of any contracts awarded to successful suppliers.

More information

Links

Additional text

How to apply

Follow the instructions given in the description or the more information section.

About the buyer

Address

Sanctuary Bld, Great Smith Stret
London
SW1P 3BT
England

Email

TendersTD.STA@education.gov.uk