Heart Academies Trust is carrying out preliminary market engagement for a proposed Salary Sacrifice Vehicle Services framework, estimated at £250 million excluding VAT / £300 million including VAT over four years. The framework is expected to be available primarily to education-sector organisations, including schools, academy trusts, colleges and universities, with potential access for the wider UK public sector.
This is not an opportunity for transport operators in general. The strongest fit is with providers that can deliver and administer employee vehicle salary sacrifice schemes, including vehicle leasing or supply, electric and ultra-low-emission vehicle options, scheme platforms, employee support and integration with HR, payroll and finance systems.
If you are assessing whether this opportunity fits your business, speak to Thornton & Lowe for an objective bid/no-bid review and practical support with the next steps.
What the Buyer Is Testing With the Market
The engagement is intended to help shape the delivery model, framework structure, specification and evaluation approach. Areas highlighted by the buyer include:
- service delivery and implementation models
- integration with HR, payroll and finance systems
- employee onboarding, communications and experience
- pension considerations associated with salary sacrifice
- administrative requirements for HR, payroll and finance teams
- reporting, governance and management information
- supplier support and account management
- pricing structures and commercial options
Vehicle choice will also matter, particularly the availability of electric and ultra-low-emission vehicles. Providers therefore need to combine competitive fleet access with a robust employee and employer administration service.
For a related example of how vehicle and fleet suppliers can approach framework opportunities, see our guide to bid writing for fleet-related frameworks.
Who Should Consider the Framework?
Potential bidders may include established vehicle salary sacrifice scheme providers, leasing and fleet-management companies with salary sacrifice capability, EV-focused employee benefit providers and technology-led scheme operators that can manage the full administration process.
The notice identifies SMEs and VCSEs as suitable for the market engagement. That does not remove the need to demonstrate sufficient fleet, systems and service capacity, but it does mean smaller providers should not dismiss the opportunity purely because of the £300m headline value.
What to Prepare
- Implementation evidence: Show how employers and employees are onboarded without creating excessive administrative burden.
- Systems integration: Prepare examples of successful payroll, HR and finance integrations and how data quality and security are controlled.
- Employee experience: Evidence communications, support, vehicle ordering, issue resolution and end-of-lease processes.
- EV proposition: Be clear on electric/ULEV availability, lead times, charging support and how the scheme contributes to employer sustainability objectives.
- Governance and reporting: Demonstrate the management information available to participating organisations and how performance is monitored.
Quick Facts
- Buyer: Heart Academies Trust
- Estimated value: £250m excluding VAT / £300m including VAT
- Planned term: Four years
- Primary users: Education-sector organisations, with possible wider UK public-sector access
- Current stage: Preliminary market engagement
- Engagement deadline: 30 September 2026
- SME/VCSE suitability: Yes
- View the official Find a Tender notice
Assess the Opportunity on Service Fit
For this framework, the vehicle itself is only part of the proposition. Strong bidders will need to demonstrate the technology, administration, employee experience, governance and account-management capability needed to run salary sacrifice schemes at public-sector scale.
If you would like an independent review of your fit or support once the tender goes live, contact Thornton & Lowe to discuss the opportunity.
