Official UK procurement notice
ALTERNATIVE PROVISION – OEAS PLACEMENTS - PERMANENTLY EXCLUDED PRIMARY PUPILS
Authority: Lincolnshire County Council (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Council requires the provision of ALTERNATIVE PROVISION PLACEMENTS for PERMANENTLY EXCLUDED PRIMARY PUPILS. This to be provided by a Department for Education Online Education Accreditation Scheme approved Supplier who can deliver full time online education to 5-11year olds (primary phase pupils). Pupils will be resident in Lincolnshire and be placed on an interim basis until a site based placement in either regulated site based Alternative Provision, returns to mainstream school or is progressed to a specialist setting in order to meet their needs.
The Service shall operate a ‘roll on, roll off’ education programme with PEX placements commencing and ending at any point of an academic year. Placement volumes will be demand based and occupancy will fluctuate according to PEX primary volumes and placement needs in an academic year.
This is a below services threshold (non covered) procurement and requires the supplier to hold a DfE accreditation with primary phase approval within the accreditation in order to participate. Therefore participation is by Request for Quotation and via direct invitation by the Council, which is in line with the Council's Contract and Procurement Procedure Rules for below threshold services procurement.
CPV: Primary education services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Below threshold - limited competition
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 26 Feb 2026, 14:38 GMT
- Last source update
- 30 Jul 2026, 11:41 BST
- Authority reference
CS0033- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-072098- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-065d30Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
26 Feb 2026 → 30 Jul 2026 · 4 dates- Planning notice published242 days ago26 Feb 2026, 14:38 GMT
- Market engagement234 days ago6 Mar 2026, 23:59 GMT
Online survey - questionnaire
- Contract starts195 days ago15 Apr 2026
- Latest notice published88 days ago30 Jul 2026, 11:41 BST
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 26 Feb 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published26 Feb 2026, 14:38 GMTUK2
- Contract award notice published2 Jul 2026, 16:01 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete2 Jul 2026, 16:01 BST
- Procurement method changed2 Jul 2026, 16:01 BST
- Contract signature expected15 Jul 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published30 Jul 2026, 11:41 BSTUK7
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sophia High LimitedSME20 Jul 2026 – 31 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2028Extensions: 1 year (12 month extension) where a service need remains and budget is available | £199,680 | 2 Jul 2026 | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 1 · Sophia High LimitedSME
- Signed
- 27 Jul 2026
- Value
- £199,680
- Period
- 1 Sept 2026 – 31 Aug 2027 · up to 31 Aug 2028 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- 12 months - subject to any ongoing need for placements into 2027/28 academic year and where allocated budget remains available.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3final-stage tenders | 2 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- SOPHIA HIGH LIMITEDAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender