Official UK procurement notice
ASEAN-UK SAGE · UK public procurement notice
Authority: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe ASEAN-UK SAGE programme is a six-year Business Case funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the UK Mission to ASEAN. Delivered in two phases, the UK Mission to ASEAN is now seeking eligible organisation(s) to deliver a three-year Phase 2.
Phase 2 will run for three UK financial years, from August 2026 to March 2029, with a total budget of £9,000,000. It will be delivered by a lead organisation under an agreement with the UK Mission to ASEAN, supported by downstream partners as needed.
The focus of ASEAN-UK SAGE is to support inclusive and equitable quality education for children across Southeast Asia Region in close collaboration with ASEAN secretariat, especially for girls and the most marginalised, contributing to regional integration and narrowing of development disparities between ASEAN Member States (AMS) .
The emphasis in Phase 2 will be on the use of evidence to improve learning outcomes and inclusion, especially for priority countries in the region.
- How the procedure runs: The procurement process will be run as follows – Stage 1 = Participation phase - where suppliers will be assessed to determine that they have suitable legal and financial standing and demonstrate the required capabilities to be selected to submit a tender for the requirement. Intermediate Assessment - an intermediate assessment approach to reduce the number of potential suppliers invited to take part in the next stages of the procurement process. Stage 2 = Invitation to Tender – Submission of tenders by the top 5 (and ties) suppliers from the Participation phase, to ensure that they satisfy FCDOs requirements, are affordable and manage risks appropriately. Post tender clarification - post-tender clarification for the purposes of verifying the content of final tenders (if required). Stage 3 (optional) = Best and final offers (BAFO) - a BAFO stage providing potential suppliers a further opportunity to propose improvements to the final tender submission. This stage is optional and its use will be at the sole discretion of the Authority. Bidders may be given the opportunity to improve their Technical proposal, Commercial proposal, or both. Stage 4 (optional) = Post tender negotiation - post-tender negotiation to improve the content of tenders. This stage is optional and its use will be at the sole discretion of the Authority. Negotiations may focus on the bidder’s Technical proposal, Commercial proposal, or both. Preferred supplier - this stage will be used to develop and finalise the final contract with the most advantageous tenderer. Should the BAFO stage, Post tender negotiation or Preferred Supplier stages result in the preferred supplier no longer being the Most Advantageous, the Authority reserves the right to approach the 2nd placed bidder. This could be for reasons such as, but not limited to, in the sole opinion of the Authority: The bid being deemed abnormally low; The technical proposal no longer being deemed sufficient or of the same quality as initial bid stage; The contract terms not being agreed; Key personnel no longer being available.
CPV: Education and training services · Foreign economic-aid-related services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£9,000,000
- Economic & financial standing
- Proof of existing in country legal registration or legal capacity to operate in the countries in scope of the requirement. If not already in place, bidders must outline a credible and practical commitment for meeting any legal requirements to operate in the target countries before mobilisation. This may include their current registration document, future plans for obtaining one, using/establishing subcontractors/partnerships, or securing government agreements).
2)
D&B Rating FCDO Acceptable Risk Assessment FCDO High Risk Assessment
D&B Failure Score (best = 100, worst = 1) 50 or above 49 or below
D&B Delinquency Score (best = 100, worst = 1) 50 or above 49 or below
D&B Overall Business Risk “Moderate-High” or better “High”
D&B Risk Indicator “3 – Higher than Average Risk” or better “4 – High Risk”
D&B Risk Indicator of “Undetermined” is typically used in respect of very recently established new suppliers, or non-UK suppliers where only limited information is available. Such scores will be reviewed on a case by case basis in light of all available information.
(iv) Suppliers whose economic and financial standing is considered to be ‘High Risk’ according to the table above will be subject to further review. Such suppliers may be able to demonstrate adequate financial standing through other means, for example a Parent Company or Bank Guarantee.
Where a group of economic operators is bidding, the Potential Supplier must ensure that the Response includes the financial information requested for each of the organisations who intend to share joint and several liability if awarded the Contract either directly or through a joint venture. This will need to be uploaded to the portal as a separate attachment for each organisation and clearly named with reference to the relevant ITT number and the organisation name.
Where the Potential Supplier is relying upon any other organisation to meet the criteria set out in the Conditions of Participation; the FCDO reserves the right to request the financial information of such organisations that the Potential Supplier is reliant upon to meet the Conditions of Participation before finalising the evaluation.
Potential Suppliers (and any other organisation required to complete this section) must indicate in this section whether there is a parent company that is prepared to provide a guarantee in a form acceptable to the FCDO. Where there is no parent company the FCDO may request a guarantee from another entity (e.g. a bank) in a form acceptable to the FCDO.
- Technical & professional ability
The Technical Evaluation Team will carry out an evaluation of the answers to the Project Specific Questions (section d) – Additional Questions), supplemented by the 3 x contract examples, for scoring to determine whether the Potential Supplier possesses sufficient technical ability to give the FCDO confidence that the Potential Supplier can deliver the requirements of the Terms of Reference. Questions will focus on:
- Foundational Learning Technical Assistance Track Record
- Multi-Country TA Programme Management
- Capability for ASEAN Delivery
- Operational Feasibility & Mobilisation
- Safeguarding, Duty of Care, Fiduciary & Data Protection Systems
For full details of questions, weightings, and scoring methodology please see Volume 1 - Invitation to Participate
- Condition of participationshortlisting
Conditions of Participation: Mandatory questions plus Project Specific Technical Questions. Top 5 (and ties) suppliers will be invited to submit tenders
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
- Strategic Leadership & Regional Collaboration: Please demonstrate your proposed strategy for leading a multi-country foundational learning technical assistance programme. Your proposal should cover your: Approach that will ensure coherence across all Outputs. Approach that will establish or strengthen partnerships to promote and accelerate foundational learning – with countries, other development partners, and regional bodies (prior ASEAN Secretariat experience not required). Approach that will ensure effective collaboration with FCDO/UK Mission to ASEAN. Demonstration of how UK/global evidence (e.g. GEEAP, WWHGE, SCALE and other relevant evidence programmes and partners) could be effectively utilised to inform strategy. Short examples (1–2 sentences) demonstrating relevant past application may accompany the narrative. What good looks like: A strong response presents a coherent multi‑country leadership approach, clear coordination across Outputs, and practical plans for engaging ASEAN bodies, governments, and partners. Weak responses provide generic leadership descriptions that don’t link to delivery. Relevant TOR sections: Introduction; Outcomes and Outputs; Scope of Work – Programme leadership & partnerships;.
- Technical Expertise & Delivery Methodology for Foundational Learning: Please demonstrate your proposed Technical approach to foundational learning, specifically structured pedagogy/early grade learning and targeted instruction/Teaching at the Right Level. Your proposal should cover your: Approach to supporting government-led reform pathways (design, adaptation, testing, institutionalisation, scale). Approach to embedding capacity building within ministries. Approach to evidence translation into tools, guidance, and decision-making aids for countries and region. Approach to embedding gender, disability, social inclusion. Approach to evidence-based use of technology for foundational learning. Short examples (1–2 sentences) demonstrating relevant past application may accompany the narrative. What good looks like: A strong response demonstrates understanding of foundational learning evidence (structured pedagogy, targeted instruction/TaRL), credible reform pathway support, realistic capacity‑building, and appropriate evidence translation. Weak responses restate concepts without showing how they will be delivered. Relevant TOR sections: Outputs 1–3; Background – GEEAP Smart Buys; Cross‑cutting priorities; Scope of Work – Technical Assistance & Evidence Translation.
- Programme Management, MEL, Risk, Safeguarding & Value for Money: Please demonstrate your proposed Programme governance, planning, delivery oversight, and reporting systems. Your proposal should cover your: Approach to downstream partner management and delivery chain compliance. MEL systems enabling adaptive management and learning loops (also providing ability to deliver against the learning output), and KPI linked reporting. Approach to safeguarding, duty of care, fiduciary risk, and fraud mitigation. VfM approach (efficiency, effectiveness, equity, and economy of processes). Short examples (1–2 sentences) demonstrating relevant past application may accompany the narrative. What good looks like: A strong response outlines practical governance, MEL, risk, safeguarding, fiduciary and VfM systems aligned to TOR and ToR Annex 1, showing how these will drive quality and adaptation. Weak responses provide generic statements not linked to TOR mechanisms. Relevant TOR sections: Contract Management; MEL; Annex 1 – Performance Management Framework; Compliance, Risk & Safeguarding.
- Vision for ASEAN & Contextualisation Capability: Please demonstrate your proposed Vision for improving foundational learning in ASEAN that is led by government reform priorities and needs within the parameters of the TOR. Your proposal should cover your: Approach to applying political economy and implementation analysis across countries. Approach to supporting reforms in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Timor Leste and Philippines (and regionally) Demonstrated understanding of ASEAN priority country contexts, drawing on direct organisational/partner experience where relevant; where such experience is absent, bidders may reference comparable contexts and must clearly explain how this informs a credible plan for engagement. Short examples (1–2 sentences) demonstrating relevant past application may accompany the narrative. What good looks like: A strong response shows credible understanding of ASEAN or comparable contexts, articulates a realistic reform vision, and sets out a clear contextualisation plan for priority countries. Weak responses lack country specificity. Relevant TOR sections: Background; Objectives for Phase 2; Priority Countries; Annex 3 – Phase 1 country summaries.
- Team, Deployment & Mobilisation: Please describe your proposed team structure, roles, expertise relevant to the requirements of the ToR, Deployment and mobilisation plans, including: Team structure (Organogram, with commentary where required) Core Team expertise (CV’s of all Core team, max 2 pages each – these do not form part of the page limit) Technical expertise of delivery personnel (please submit a representative sample of upto 6 CVs) Deployment plans for Jakarta and priority countries. Continuity planning, surge capacity, and staffing resilience. Short examples (1–2 sentences) demonstrating relevant past application may accompany the narrative. The information provided in the Personnel inputs in Section B will be used alongside this information to ensure consistency and aid evaluators gauge the proposed level of effort across all Job Families and individuals. What good looks like: A strong response proposes a capable core team with ASEAN or comparable country experience able to deliver on the TOR, including key roles outlined in the ToR page 10, provides a selection of sample technical CVs that match the requirements of the ToR, and sets out a feasible mobilisation plan (within 90 days) with continuity and surge capacity. Weak responses lack clarity on team capability or deployment, with a team structure that is not focused on delivery. Relevant TOR sections: Scope of Work – Programme leadership & TA; Timeline & Mobilisation; Budget; Contract Management.
- Financial Management, Reporting & Value for Money (Technical Approach): Please demonstrate your proposed financial management approach, including forecasting and financial control systems. Your proposal should cover your: Alignment of financial/reporting systems with the KPI/payment framework. Technical VfM approach across economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and equity. Short examples (1–2 sentences) demonstrating relevant past application may accompany the narrative. No costings, rates, budget allocations, or financial breakdowns should be included as part of your response to this question. Technical responses in breach of this requirement may be deemed non-compliant. What good looks like: A strong response explains financial controls, forecasting accuracy, KPI‑aligned reporting, and a clear VfM approach aligned to FCDO’s VfM approach. Weak responses introduce costings, don’t include or show a lack of understanding of FCDO’s VfM approach, or do not align with the TOR’s payment mechanism.
- Total of all Staffing Costs, plus Profit and NPAC
- Total of all other expenses and Frontline Delivery Costs
- Economic & financial standing
- Proof of existing in country legal registration or legal capacity to operate in the countries in scope of the requirement. If not already in place, bidders must outline a credible and practical commitment for meeting any legal requirements to operate in the target countries before mobilisation. This may include their current registration document, future plans for obtaining one, using/establishing subcontractors/partnerships, or securing government agreements).
2)
D&B Rating FCDO Acceptable Risk Assessment FCDO High Risk Assessment
D&B Failure Score (best = 100, worst = 1) 50 or above 49 or below
D&B Delinquency Score (best = 100, worst = 1) 50 or above 49 or below
D&B Overall Business Risk “Moderate-High” or better “High”
D&B Risk Indicator “3 – Higher than Average Risk” or better “4 – High Risk”
D&B Risk Indicator of “Undetermined” is typically used in respect of very recently established new suppliers, or non-UK suppliers where only limited information is available. Such scores will be reviewed on a case by case basis in light of all available information.
(iv) Suppliers whose economic and financial standing is considered to be ‘High Risk’ according to the table above will be subject to further review. Such suppliers may be able to demonstrate adequate financial standing through other means, for example a Parent Company or Bank Guarantee.
Where a group of economic operators is bidding, the Potential Supplier must ensure that the Response includes the financial infor…
- Technical & professional ability
The Technical Evaluation Team will carry out an evaluation of the answers to the Project Specific Questions (section d) – Additional Questions), supplemented by the 3 x contract examples, for scoring to determine whether the Potential Supplier possesses sufficient technical ability to give the FCDO confidence that the Potential Supplier can deliver the requirements of the Terms of Reference. Questions will focus on:
- Foundational Learning Technical Assistance Track Record
- Multi-Country TA Programme Management
- Capability for ASEAN Delivery
- Operational Feasibility & Mobilisation
- Safeguarding, Duty of Care, Fiduciary & Data Protection Systems
For full details of questions, weightings, and scoring methodology please see Volume 1 - Invitation to Participate
- Condition of participationshortlisting
Conditions of Participation: Mandatory questions plus Project Specific Technical Questions. Top 5 (and ties) suppliers will be invited to submit tenders
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Light touch regime
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 30 Sept 2025, 10:43 BST
- Last source update
- 14 Sept 2026, 09:58 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 13 Jul 2026
- Authority reference
PROJ 12986- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-034426- Accelerated
- Qualifying planned procurement notice
- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area in notice
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05a4adFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
Monthly Invoicing and Payment, with 25% of payment subject to KPI performance
- How it runs
The procurement process will be run as follows –
Stage 1 =
Participation phase - where suppliers will be assessed to determine that they have suitable legal and financial standing and demonstrate the required capabilities to be selected to submit a tender for the requirement.
Intermediate Assessment - an intermediate assessment approach to reduce the number of potential suppliers invited to take part in the next stages of the procurement process.
Stage 2 =
Invitation to Tender – Submission of tenders by the top 5 (and ties) suppliers from the Participation phase, to ensure that they satisfy FCDOs requirements, are affordable and manage risks appropriately.
Post tender clarification - post-tender clarification for the purposes of verifying the content of final tenders (if required).
Stage 3 (optional) =
Best and final offers (BAFO) - a BAFO stage providing potential suppliers a further opportunity to propose improvements to the final tender submission. This stage is optional and its use will be at the sole discretion of the Authority. Bidders may be given the opportunity to improve their Technical proposal, Commercial proposal, or both.
Stage 4 (optional) =
Post tender negotiation - post-tender negotiation to improve the content of tenders. This stage is optional and its use will be at the sole discretion of the Authority. Negotiations may focus on the bidder’s Technical proposal, Commercial proposal, or both.
Preferred supplier - this stage will be used to develop and finalise the final contract with the most advantageous tenderer.
Should the BAFO stage, Post tender negotiation or Preferred Supplier stages result in the preferred supplier no longer being the Most Advantageous, the Authority reserves the right to approach the 2nd placed bidder. This could be for reasons such as, but not limited to, in the sole opinion of the Authority: The bid being deemed abnormally low; The technical proposal no longer being deemed sufficient or of the same quality as initial bid stage; The contract terms not being agreed; Key personnel no longer being available.
- Risks
Budget Volatility & VfM: ODA cuts could affect procurement process, programme scope and delivery.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 11 May 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 11 May 2026, 17:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 4 May 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
30 Sept 2025 → 14 Sept 2026 · 10 dates- Planning notice published388 days ago30 Sept 2025, 10:43 BST
- Market engagement312 days ago · met15 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
Draft Terms of Reference shared; Market Engagement event advertised publicly via PIN notice and FCDO comms channels; Event held on 23rd October; All questions, answers and EME materials subsequently distributed via email on 27 November, including confirmation of route to market decision of a Competitive Flexible Procedure.
- Next notice expected205 days ago1 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
- Tender notice published191 days ago15 Apr 2026, 17:25 BST
- Clarification questions by172 days ago4 May 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline165 days ago11 May 2026, 17:00 BST
- Award decision expected by102 days ago13 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts84 days ago1 Aug 2026, 00:00 BST
- Assessment summaries sent74 days ago11 Aug 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published39 days ago14 Sept 2026, 09:58 BST
Notice history
16 events · 9 releases on Find a Tender · since 30 Sept 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published30 Sept 2025, 10:43 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published8 Dec 2025, 15:12 GMTUK2
- Published value updated to £6,000,0008 Dec 2025, 15:12 GMTwas £9,000,000
- Planned procurement notice published8 Dec 2025, 15:28 GMTUK3
- Status changed to planned8 Dec 2025, 15:28 GMT
- Procurement method changed8 Dec 2025, 15:28 GMT
- Planned procurement notice published18 Mar 2026, 12:20 GMTUK3
- Tender notice published15 Apr 2026, 17:25 BSTUK4
- Published value updated to £9,000,00015 Apr 2026, 17:25 BSTwas £6,000,000
- Status changed to active15 Apr 2026, 17:25 BST
- Tender notice published16 Apr 2026, 10:58 BSTUK4
- Contract award notice published11 Aug 2026, 10:57 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete11 Aug 2026, 10:57 BST
- Contract signature expected21 Aug 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
- Contract details notice published14 Sept 2026, 09:34 BSTUK7
- Contract details notice published14 Sept 2026, 09:58 BSTUK7
Published amendments (1)
Updated anticipated dates for publication and award, due to ongoing project refinement.
Routine re-releases (9)
- 2026-04: 2 releases · 15 Apr 2026, 16 Apr 2026
- 2026-03: 1 release · 18 Mar 2026
- 2025-12: 2 releases · 8 Dec 2025, 8 Dec 2025
- 2025-09: 1 release · 30 Sept 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Smith International LimitedASEAN UK SAGE224 Aug 2026 – 31 Mar 2029 · up to 31 Mar 2030Extensions: Optional 12 month extension with an additional value of upto £3,000,000 should additional time and/or services be required | £8,669,631 | 10 Aug 2026 | Awarded |
| Adam Smith International Limited | £8,699,631 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
ASEAN UK SAGE · Adam Smith International Limited
- Signed
- 11 Sept 2026
- Value
- £8,699,631
- Period
- 14 Sept 2026 – 31 Mar 2029 · up to 31 Mar 2030 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- OPTIONAL 12 MONTH EXTENSION WITH MAXIMUM VALUE OF £3,000,000 SUBJECT TO BUDGET AVAILABILITY AND SHOULD ADDITIONAL SERVICES BE REQUIRED
5 agreed KPIs: KPI1 - TIMELY AND QUALITY REPORTING · KPI2 - FINANCIAL FORECASTING AND ACCURACY · KPI3 - DELIVERY AGAINST WORKPLAN …
- KPI1 - TIMELY AND QUALITY REPORTING, 100% of quarterly and annual reports submitted on time and meeting agreed quality standards.
- KPI2 - FINANCIAL FORECASTING AND ACCURACY, Quarterly forecast variance within ±5% and no material financial management issues.
- KPI3 - DELIVERY AGAINST WORKPLAN, At least 90% of activities scheduled for the quarter completed on time and to required quality, demonstrating alignment to and progress across Outputs 1-4
- KPI4 - GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS, Governance meetings held on schedule; actions tracked and completed; delivery partners effectively managed.
- KPI5 -R RISK AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT AND VFM, Risks proactively identified and mitigated; safeguarding and compliance standards met; VfM demonstrated across programme delivery.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5final-stage tenders | 2 | 2 | — |
Who bid
- did not winThe British CouncilVCSE · Greater London
- did not winCognition Education UK LtdVCSE · North West England
- did not winDAI Global UK Ltd · Greater London
- did not winFHI 360 UK Ltd · Greater London
- wonAdam Smith International Ltd · Greater London
Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
6 commercial parties on the notice · 2 awarded- ADAM SMITH INTERNATIONAL LTDAwarded supplier
- Adam Smith International LtdAwarded supplier
- Cognition Education UK LtdBidder / tenderer
- DAI Global UK LtdBidder / tenderer
- FHI 360 UK LtdBidder / tenderer
- The British CouncilBidder / tenderer
Official documents & specifications (11)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Signed contract
- Bidding documents and specificationsAccess: Final versions of ITT documents for award phase will be published via the Jaggaer platform
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender
- Planned procurement notice Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender