Invitation to Tender for the PE and School Sport Partnership Network

What the buyer is asking for

THIS IS AN INVITATION TO BID This is a notice seeking bids from interested parties in relation to the Department for Education procurement of a National Delivery Partner to establish and deliver the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network across England. The National Delivery Partner will be responsible for the strategic leadership, design, implementation, and operational delivery of the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network. The Partnerships Network will focus on reducing inequalities in access and participation and improving the quality and consistency of PE and school sport for all children. It will provide flexible local support, support schools to protect two hours of PE weekly, and strengthen school-to-club links through peer-to-peer learning and co-ordinated CPD creating a more equitable, sustainable system for physical activity and sport in schools. Of the total circa £513m programme funding, the contract value for this opportunity is circa £426,000,000 for the initial contract term. A large proportion of this is pass through funding with a price cap placed on service element of this provision. For more information on the funding set up potential bidders are encouraged to carefully read the tender documentation provided. Total values in this notice include the the value of all potential extensions. Any funding beyond the initial term will be confirmed in due course. The DfE is keen to maximise opportunities to participate in procurement for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consideration will also be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations Note: You will need to register on the Department’s e-tendering portal, Jaggaer https://education.app.jaggaer.com/ to be able to access this opportunity.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 70%qualityTechnical QuestionsTechnical questions will assess bidders’ proposals for the end-to-end delivery of the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, including service design, mobilisation, school-facing support, targeting and intervention, financial and grant management, supply chain arrangements, safeguarding and quality assurance, digital platform delivery, and governance and performance management. (Q1 - Q18)
• 10%qualitySocial Value - Employment and training for those who face barriers to employmentThis question covers bidders’ proposals to deliver employment and training-related social value by increasing opportunities for disabled people and under-represented groups, addressing workforce inequality, and putting in place clear delivery, monitoring and reporting arrangements. Outcome 6 - Employment and training for those who face barriers to employment Award Criteria (6b) - Increase the representation of disabled people in the contract workforce. Award Criteria (6c) – Identify and tackle inequality in employment, skills and pay in the contract workforce Q19
• 20%priceCostThe pricing schedule requires bidders to submit a detailed and transparent breakdown of the tendered price for delivery of the contract, including costs, pricing assumptions, payment arrangements, and associated financial information relating to core service delivery, subcontracting and grant management, for the purposes of tender evaluation and subsequent contract management

What you must already have

Conditions of participation. These are pass or fail, so check them before writing anything.

• economic

  As a condition of participation in this tender process, bidders must demonstrate a minimum annual turnover of £55,000,000.

• technical

  To progress to the tender evaluation stage, bidders must demonstrate that they satisfy the following Conditions of Participation relating to technical and professional ability, as evidenced through their responses to the Participation Stage Questionnaire (PSQ): 1. Experience of delivering complex programmes and managing a wide range of stakeholders. 2. Experience of administering and managing large-scale public funding and/or pass-through funding arrangements. 3. Demonstrable financial controls, governance, and assurance capabilities appropriate to the scale and complexity of the contract. Bidders must provide sufficient evidence in their PSQ response to demonstrate compliance with each of the above Conditions of Participation. Failure to do so may result in their exclusion from further participation in the procurement process.

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 16 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

3 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published67 days ago

   17 Jul 2026, 11:33 BST
2. Submission deadlinein 3 days

   25 Sept 2026, 12:00 BST
3. Award decision expected byin 65 days

   25 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

3 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender

1. Pipeline or early engagement notice22 Apr 2026, 16:19 BST036787-2026
2. Pipeline or early engagement notice22 May 2026, 12:51 BST047816-2026
3. Tender notice17 Jul 2026, 11:33 BST067670-2026

Documents

• Tender notice on Find a Tender