Education & SEND
Education & SEND tenders enable specialist providers to access procurement opportunities commissioned by Local Authorities, Integrated Care Boards, NHS trusts, and multi-academy trusts across England.
They cover a wide range of services, from specialist school placements and alternative provision through to Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language Therapy, and Physiotherapy, as well as early years support and wider educational support services.
Contracts range from single-placement framework agreements to multi-year specialist provision contracts, and submissions are assessed against SEND Code of Practice standards, safeguarding requirements, and outcomes-focused quality criteria.
Education & SEND
Education & SEND tenders organisations deliver publicly funded services across a broad range of sectors. The following categories reflect the types of contracts typically available.
Specialist Education & Alternative Provision
Allied Health Therapies
Early Years & Educational Support
Children’s Health & Education Crossover
Why consider tenders?
Contracted, stable income
Education & SEND contracts typically run for two to three years, often with extension or rollover options tied to EHCP review cycles, giving your organisation a reliable, contracted revenue stream.
Growing demand
EHCP numbers have risen sharply in recent years, and Local Authorities increasingly rely on external specialist providers to meet statutory obligations, creating sustained demand for specialist school places, alternative provision, and allied health therapies.
Credibility and long-term commissioner relationships
Holding an Education & SEND contract signals to Local Authorities, schools, and health commissioners that your organisation meets rigorous safeguarding and quality standards, carrying weight when applying for further placements or framework renewals.
Growth, reach and service expansion
Many Education & SEND contracts span multiple schools or an entire Local Authority area, giving providers a platform to diversify beyond a single setting and increase both income and impact.
Costs
Fees: Our fees are scoped individually based on the nature and complexity of each submission. Pricing is provided following an initial consultation.
Bidding as a consortium?
Some Charities & Third Sector tenders are best approached as a consortium or with named subcontractors. For example, a smaller charity may partner with a larger organisation to meet financial thresholds, or several community organisations combining to cover a wider geographic footprint. This can strengthen your bid by demonstrating broader reach and shared capacity.
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SOCIAL VALUE
Social Value is increasingly a scored requirement in Charities & Third Sector procurement, and often an area where VCSE organisations already have a natural advantage.
BidElevate supports organisations to develop credible, evidenced Social Value commitments aligned to commissioner expectations, helping you articulate the community impact you’re already delivering!
What is a Framework?
Many Charities & Third Sector contracts, particularly community health, wellbeing, and outreach services. Many are commissioned through Frameworks or Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS).
Tender success story
We’d tried to apply to our local authority framework twice before and kept getting knocked back. BidElevate identified exactly what was missing and we were immediately accepted onto both.