RM1043.8-1-Department For Education-Sector Data Capability Pilot

Tender description

Work done so far Since 2023, we have engaged extensively with key stakeholders—including schools, multi-academy trusts (MATs), local authorities, and professional bodies—to better understand the challenges and opportunities around data use in education. As part of this work, we conducted a 3-month study to explore how data is currently collected, managed, and used across the schools sector. This research, alongside insights from the Star Chamber Scrutiny Board, the Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders study, and DfE-supported sector projects, has helped us identify key barriers to effective data use. Our findings highlight that: • Data fragmentation and limited interoperability across systems make it difficult for schools and trusts to consolidate information and use it effectively. • Strategic data leadership is often underdeveloped, leading to inefficiencies and duplication in reporting and analysis. • Data professionals face significant capacity pressures, particularly in responding to requests from DfE, MATs, and local authorities. • Opportunities for skills development are limited, and many professionals are unsure what training or support would best meet their needs. • There is a clear need for guidance on data quality and governance to support consistency and more efficient data use. Which phase the project is in Discovery Existing team The supplier will collaborate closely with a small, strategic policy team operating across Coventry and Sheffield. This team is responsible for shaping policy related to data capability and transformation. Their work centres on diagnosing current system challenges, identifying opportunities for improvement, and designing practical, evidence-based solutions to enhance how data is collected, used, and shared. The team comprises policy and programme leads who work in close partnership with digital, analytical and delivery colleagues across the Department. Address where the work will be done Department for Education, Cheylsmore House, Coventry, CV1 2WT. Department for Education, St Pauls Place, Sheffield, S1 2FJ. Working arrangements This will be a full-time (five-day-per-week) engagement over the course of the Discovery and Alpha phases. The supplier will be responsible for all delivery personnel and their outputs. DfE will not directly manage supplier staff or assign individual tasks, in line with IR35 requirements. The work will be organised around agile delivery principles. Day-to-day operations will be structured through a combination of remote collaboration and, if necessary, in-person workshops and stakeholder engagement sessions. The core team will include a supplier-led multidisciplinary team (e.g. service designers, user researchers, delivery specialists), working alongside nominated DfE product owners and subject matter experts. Delivery will be managed through an agile methodology, with standard agile ceremonies including daily stand-ups, sprint planning, show and tells, retrospectives and backlog refinement. These ceremonies will be facilitated by the supplier, and progress will be tracked via delivery plans and milestone reporting. A DfE Delivery Manager will provide oversight but not direction to supplier staff. Statements of Work will detail specific deliverables and outcomes, aligned to each project phase. These will be agreed jointly and reviewed regularly. The supplier must have the capacity and flexibility to adapt team composition to emerging findings from Discovery or Alpha activities. Provide more information about your security requirements: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Latest start date 2025-09-15 Enter the expected contract length: 6 months Special terms and conditions Bidders must respond to the opportunity using the response template found within the project attachments. Only essential and nice to have criteria require responses at stage 1. Special terms and conditions In order to participate in this opportunity, DOS6 awarded suppliers should have followed all necessary registration steps through the Public Procurement Gateway, operated by Crown Commercial Service (CCS). Please follow instructions sent to you at the email address supplied during the DOS6 application process. Special terms and conditions The Supplier shall ensure that no Supplier Staff who discloses that they have a Relevant Conviction, or who is found to have any Relevant Convictions (whether as a result of a police check or through the vetting procedure of HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard or through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or otherwise), is employed or engaged in any part of the provision of the Services without the prior written approval of the Buyer. Subject to the Data Protection Legislation, the Supplier shall disclose the results of their vetting process, immediately to the Buyer. The decision as to whether any of the Supplier’s Staff are allowed to perform activities in relation to the Call Off Contract, is entirely at the Buyer’s sole discretion. The Supplier shall be required to undertake annual periodic checks during the Call Off Contract Period of its Staff, in accordance with HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard so as to determine the Supplier Staff suitability to continue to Framework Schedule 6 (Order Form Template, Statement of Work Template and Call-Off Schedules) 5 provide Services under the Call Off Contract. The Supplier shall ensure that any Supplier Staff who discloses a Relevant Conviction (either spent or unspent) or is found by the Supplier to have a Relevant Conviction through standard national vetting procedures or otherwise, is immediately disclosed to the Buyer. The Supplier shall ensure that the individual staff member immediately ceases all activity in relation to the Call Off Contract, until the Buyer has reviewed the case, on an individual basis, and has made a final decision. Where the Buyer decides that a Supplier Staff should be removed from performing activities, as a result of obtaining information in relation to the Call Off Contract, or for any other reason, the Supplier shall promptly and diligently replace any individual identified. Special terms and conditions Expenses will not be paid for the monthly meet ups. The primary location of work will be specified in each Statement of Work (SoW) and expenses cannot be claimed for travel to that location. Expenses can be claimed for travel to any secondary location of work as required and agreed. Expenses are capped to the value specified in the SoW. When travel to secondary DfE sites is required, all costs incurred must comply with the prevailing DfE Travel and Subsistence policy. Parking is not available on DfE sites. Should base location vary it will be outlined and agreed upon the individual statements of work. Special terms and conditions The latest start date will be outlined in each individual statement of work. Except for in exceptional circumstances, and as agreed with the buyer. Special terms and conditions Service provider resources must work within the United Kingdom unless agreed by the Department on an individual basis. Departmental equipment must not be taken abroad or access the departmental network whilst outside the United Kingdom unless agreed by the Department on an individual basis. Special terms and conditions The Department’s standard approach to pricing mechanism will be ‘Capped Time and Materials’ (CTM) however we reserve the right to use any of the other approaches as listed in the call-off charges section. Special terms and conditions General Information Standard Framework and Call Off Terms and Conditions will apply Suppliers must agree to all DFE security clearance policies and processes. Suppliers must comply with the Regulation (GDPR) Regulation May 2018; the (DPA) Act 2018, the Law Enforcement Directive and any subsequent amendments/changes to date including providing sufficient guarantees to meet the requirements of GDPR in line with Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 02/18 May 2018 which updates PPN 03/17 All Project-Specific IPRs (as defined) and the Deliverables shall vest in the Buyer unconditionally and immediately upon their creation. Special terms and conditions Suppliers will be required to undertake Financial and Security Due Diligence as part of the tender process, prior to award. Special terms and conditions Non-Solicitation Clause: 1.1 The Supplier shall not, either directly or indirectly, by or through itself, its affiliate, its agent or otherwise, or in conjunction with its affiliate, its agent or otherwise, whether for its own benefit or for the benefit of any other person solicit, entice or induce, or endeavour to solicit, entice or induce, any employees of the Buyer who are employed or engaged in the performance of the Services with a view to employing or engaging the employee of the Buyer during the Call-Off Contract Period and for a period of [9 months] thereafter. 1.2. Notwithstanding clause 1.1 the Supplier may employ or engage any employees of the Buyer which have responded directly to a bona fide recruitment drive either through a recruitment agency engaged by the Supplier or via an advertisement placed publicly by the Supplier (either in the press, social media, online or in trade and industry publications). Are you prepared to show your budget details?: Yes Indicative maximum: £541,666.67 exc. VAT £650,000 inc. VAT Indicative minimum: £0 Confirm if you require a contracted out service or supply of resource Contracted out service: the off-payroll rules do not apply Summary of work The Department for Education (DfE) is exploring a data capability support offer for the education sector, focusing on data professionals in multi-academy trusts, schools, and publicly funded early-years providers. This Discovery and Alpha phase will explore how to support data professionals with skills, career development, and help organisations use data more effectively to improve outcomes for children and young people. While data is a critical enabler, many organisations face challenges such as inconsistent data maturity, unclear roles, limited technical capacity, and reliance on individual champions over systemic processes. Through this pilot, DfE seeks a supplier to: • Engage a diverse sample of organisations and users to understand their data capability needs and barriers. • Develop and test deliverables aligned with DfE’s Data Capability Skills Framework, informed by user research and prototyped across the sector. • Provide prioritised recommendations for short-, medium-, and long-term actions to strengthen data capability, including indicative costs and resource needs. • Deliver a final report with evidence-based findings and recommendations to inform DfE policy and a potential national support model. • Engage with related workstreams (e.g. data maturity research) to ensure alignment and avoid duplication. This strategic initiative aims to enable large-scale impact by improving how data is used across the education sector. The ideal supplier will have expertise in education, service design, user-centred design, and digital development. Where the supplied staff will work West Midlands Who the organisation using the products or services is Department for Education Why the work is being done DfE is exploring supporting schools, academy trusts, and local authorities to make better use of data to improve outcomes for children, ensure compliance with statutory responsibilities and enable more effective planning, evaluation and service delivery. However, a lack of clarity around data roles, inconsistent capability across organisations, and limited access to tailored support have hindered progress – particularly in organisations with lower digital and data maturity. This work is part of DfE’s broader digital and data strategy to build sector-wide resilience and capability. We want to explore a coherent national data capability support offer that is responsive to user needs and adaptable to a wide range of organisational contexts. The pilot will test the feasibility of delivering scalable, user-centred support aligned with the Data Capability Skills Framework we are exploring in parallel, helping data professionals develop and organisations understand their current capability, clarify internal roles, and build a roadmap for development. The work is expected to be completed within a 6-month period, with an anticipated start in mid-September 2025. Key milestones will include: • Discovery and user research (Mid Sept – Mid Nov 2025) • Prototyping and testing support tools and service models (Mid Dec 2025 – Mid Feb 2026) • Final report and recommendations (by Mid March 2026) Insights of this work will directly inform the design of a potential national rollout from 2026-27 (subject to further decisions) and ensure any future investment is grounded in evidence and real-world feasibility. The business problem you need to solve Organisations across the education sector are increasingly expected to use data to inform strategic decisions, ensure accountability, and improve outcomes for children and young people. However, there is currently no consistent, scalable support available to help these organisations and their workforce understand their data maturity, define capability needs or plan development activities. This results in: • Fragmented approaches to data management and use. • Unclear role definitions and skill requirements for data-related posts. • A lack of alignment with best practice in data professionals development seen in other sectors/industries. • Significant variability in organisational readiness and data maturity. The problem is not simply a lack of technical tools – it is a systemic issue related to culture, confidence and clarity. Many organisations lack the internal capacity, time or knowledge to assess their data capability or to make targeted improvements. Without support, these gaps are likely to persist and may worsen, particularly in low data maturity organisations. First user type: As a Data Professional in a school or trust First user type: As a Senior Data Professional (e.g. Data Manager, Head of Data) First user type: As a Trust or School Leader with responsibility for data (e.g. COO, Executive Headteacher) First user type: As a Line Manager overseeing a data function