Education tenders cover tuition, alternative provision, outdoor education, school improvement and training services, bought by councils, colleges, central government and some schools. Before you bid, three things decide your chances: the safeguarding checks the buyer expects, whether you need a place on a government register, and which procurement rules the contract falls under. This page sets out what buyers usually ask for and the routes into public education work, with a link to the government source for each rule. The tender pack has the final detail.
What buyers usually ask education providers for
If your people will be around children, safeguarding is the first thing a buyer checks. The points below come from gov.uk guidance. Where a rule is specific to one part of the UK, we say so.
DBS checks and regulated activity with children
Regulated activity is work that a barred person must not do. Roles that qualify are eligible for an enhanced DBS check with a check of the children’s barred list, whether paid or unpaid.
Who decides? The recruiting organisation is responsible for deciding if a check is needed and at what level. In a supplier contract, the pack should say who arranges the checks and which of your roles the buyer treats as eligible. Don’t assume.
The change from 1 September 2026 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
From 1 September 2026, the supervision exemption was removed. The change applies in England and Wales under section 139 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, brought into force by SI 2026/939, and in Northern Ireland under section 140. Scotland has its own Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.
The main group affected is volunteers. Unpaid teaching, instructing or supervising of children can count as regulated activity if it is frequent or meets the period condition: more than 3 days in a 30-day period, counting across settings. Volunteers on overnight trips are covered too. Paid staff were already in regulated activity.
If you use volunteers or helpers on school contracts, such as outdoor education or after-school clubs, check how that now affects your staffing.
Safeguarding policies
Keeping children safe in education is statutory guidance for all schools and colleges in England. It is written for schools, not suppliers, so a school may ask how your own policies line up with it. The pack will say what evidence it wants.
Apprenticeship training: the register
To deliver apprenticeship training you need a place on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). The gov.uk guidance sets out the routes. One is nomination by an employer that has shown a gap in provision. Nominated providers must have 12 months of active trading history, and have 30 calendar days to apply once invited.
The APAR application guidance adds the conditions that apply to every applicant:
- a UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN), an Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) registration number and a UK business address
- active trading for at least 12 months on the main provider or employer provider routes, or at least 3 months on the supporting provider route, with financial information to show it
- no inadequate Ofsted grade for apprenticeships (or for overall effectiveness under its FE and skills remit, where there is no separate apprenticeships grade) in your latest inspection report
The guidance says to allow about 12 weeks for the assessment, and an organisation can apply only once in a 12-month period.
Pupil data
If your staff handle pupil records, you are handling personal data and the Data Protection Act 2018 applies. PPN 014 covers central government departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies, and NHS bodies. It applies only to contracts with the characteristics it lists, and it doesn’t set a blanket approach. Schools and councils aren’t named there, so only assume you need Cyber Essentials if the pack says so.
How to win education contracts
In the week to 10 Oct 2026 there were 24 live education and training notices in our data (as of 10 Oct 2026). The sample is small, so we don’t quote a typical contract value. These are routes into public education work for small providers.
Light-touch contracts
Education and training services are light-touch contracts. The threshold is £663,540 (PPN 023). All 55 CPV codes in division 80, education and training services, are listed as light-touch in Schedule 1 of the Procurement Regulations 2024. Check the CPV code on the notice.
Several of those services can be reserved for public service mutuals: tutorial services (80590000), special education services (80340000), e-learning services (80420000) and staff training services (80511000). A reserved contract can run for five years or less and must use the competitive flexible procedure (section 33). If you are an employee-owned or spun-out provider, check the qualifying conditions in the light-touch guidance.
The same guidance says these contracts must still be advertised with a tender notice unless a direct award is justified. There are no fixed minimum tendering periods, but timescales must be reasonable, and a standstill period is voluntary. In practice, note the deadline the day you see the notice. If you deliver courses for employers rather than schools, see our training tenders page. For evaluation and research work, see research and evaluation tenders.
Below-threshold school and council contracts
If a buyer advertises a contract worth £12,000 or more (central government, including NHS trusts) or £30,000 or more (other buyers), including VAT, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice. Buyers can also invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising. The guidance adds that buyers can’t run a separate supplier-suitability stage before inviting tenders on these contracts.
Before inviting tenders, a buyer must also consider the barriers small businesses face and whether they can be reduced. Schools and transferred Northern Ireland authorities are outside these rules, so introduce yourself to a school directly as well. Our guide to council contracts for small businesses covers how local authorities buy.
Lots by key stage, area or subject
A buyer must consider whether to split a requirement into lots, and either do so or give its reasons. Section 18 still applies to light-touch contracts, but under regulation 18(2)(q) the buyer doesn’t have to justify in the tender notice a decision not to use lots (light-touch guidance, paragraph 28). The lots duty covers only contracts at or above the threshold (section 3). Where tuition or training is split, lots may follow key stage, area or subject. Bid only for the lots you can staff from day one.
Evidence outcomes without inventing statistics
Use numbers you can prove from your own records: learners supported, qualifications achieved, attendance, with the dates they cover. Name referees only with their permission. A buyer can check a modest, dated figure. It can’t check a vague boast.
Our tender eligibility checker is coming soon. Until then, tell us your trade and postcode to join the free weekly list of live tenders, starting soon.
Questions
What DBS check do my staff need to work in schools on a contract?
If a role counts as regulated activity with children, it is eligible for an enhanced DBS check with a check of the children's barred list. The recruiting organisation is responsible for deciding whether a check is needed and at what level. The tender pack should say who arranges the checks and which roles the buyer treats as regulated, so read that section before you price.
What changed for supervised staff and volunteers on 1 September 2026?
The supervision exemption was removed from the definition of regulated activity. The main group affected is volunteers: unpaid work teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children can now count as regulated activity if it is frequent or meets the period condition (more than 3 days in a 30-day period, or overnight). Paid staff were already covered. The change applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.
How do I become an apprenticeship training provider for public bodies?
You apply to the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Routes include being nominated by an employer that has shown a gap in provision, or applying in an area the government wants to grow. Nominated providers need 12 months of active trading history. The full conditions are in the APAR application guidance, so check them before you apply.
Are education services contracts run under different procurement rules?
Some education-related services are classed as light-touch contracts, which have a threshold of £663,540 and more flexible timescales. The list of light-touch services is in Schedule 1 of the Procurement Regulations 2024, so check whether the services in a notice are on it. Contracts above the threshold must still be advertised unless a direct award is justified.
Can a small tutoring company win council contracts?
Yes, small firms can bid. If a buyer advertises a contract worth £30,000 or more including VAT (the amount for buyers outside central government), it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice, and buyers can also invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising. For larger requirements, buyers must consider splitting them into lots. Smaller local lots by area or subject are where a small provider can compete. Check the pack for safeguarding, insurance and capacity requirements first.