The Department for Education (DfE) is planning a national framework for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The notice gives the procurement a maximum potential lifetime value of £640 million excluding VAT, or £800 million including VAT, subject to Spending Review decisions, future requirements and extension options.
This opportunity is designed for organisations involved in SEND workforce development: training providers, CPD programme designers, learning-resource specialists, quality-assurance providers and digital learning or hosting partners.
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 Framework May Include
The DfE says services may include:
- design and development of national SEND CPD programmes
- training delivery
- design and development of learning resources and materials
- quality assurance
- digital learning and hosting solutions
The framework is intended to support the government's investment in the SEND workforce and provide a flexible route to market for immediate and future CPD requirements. The eventual lot structure may separate audiences or service types, so suppliers should avoid assuming they will need to deliver every component.
If public sector tendering is relatively new to your organisation, our introduction to government tenders provides useful background on how opportunities of this type are procured.
Timing and Procurement Status
This is a planned procurement rather than a live tender. The DfE currently expects the tender notice to be published on 8 September 2026, with a view to awards by March 2027. The framework is expected to run for four years, with potential extensions taking the maximum term to six years.
The notice identifies both SMEs and VCSEs as particularly suitable, which is important for specialist training organisations and sector bodies that may not have the scale of a large national provider.
How SEND and CPD Providers Can Prepare
- Define your strongest delivery area. Separate programme design, training delivery, resources, QA and digital hosting when assessing your fit.
- Evidence learner and workforce outcomes. Go beyond participant numbers and show how CPD changed knowledge, practice, confidence or service outcomes.
- Demonstrate SEND credibility. Relevant specialist expertise, co-production, accessibility and understanding of different education settings are likely to matter.
- Plan for national scale where required. Consider trainer capacity, geographic coverage, digital delivery, quality consistency and mobilisation.
- Prepare measurable quality controls. For programme and resource development, show how content is reviewed, updated and quality-assured.
Quick Facts
- Buyer: Department for Education
- Commercial tool: Framework
- Maximum potential value: £640m excluding VAT / £800m including VAT
- Maximum term: Six years
- Coverage: United Kingdom
- SME/VCSE suitability: Yes
- Estimated tender publication: 8 September 2026
- View the official Find a Tender notice
Get Ready for the Formal Competition
The £800m figure is a maximum potential lifetime value, not a commitment to spend that amount. The more important questions for bidders will be the final lots, eligibility requirements and how the DfE evaluates delivery quality and outcomes.
If you want support reviewing the tender when it publishes, developing evidence or drafting the submission, contact Thornton & Lowe to discuss your bid strategy.
