Official UK procurement notice
Educational Standard Reviews for a Multi Academy Trust
Authority: BRADFORD DIOCESAN ACADEMIES TRUST (Education)
What is being bought2 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionBradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT) is seeking to procure school improvement review services to lead 1-day onsite education quality assurance reviews (assisted by BDAT senior colleagues) across the 21 BDAT academies, all of which are located within the Bradford Local Authority area. The purpose of the reviews are:
- To provide independently verified education insights into the progress and performance of each of our academies and to give support and challenge to enable further school improvement.
- To ensure appropriate support & challenge, which drives holistic improvement in relation to the school and MAT professional challenge and feedback.
- To provide a professional development opportunity for BDAT school leaders to undertake external reviews to support development of wider educational knowledge and experience and to share effective practice across the MAT.
- The reviews form a pillar of the MAT Quality Assurance and Evaluation oversight providing independent education insight.
The service will commence from 1st Jan 2027. The initial contract will be for 3 years with the option to extend for another 2 years.
The service is to run on-site school improvement reviews for each location. The focus of the reviews will be agreed in advance for each academy based on the school's own self-evaluation, school development plans and feedback on areas for improvement in previous external reviews. The reviews are not designed to be "mocksted" inspections, although inevitably areas for scrutiny will often mirror areas within the Ofsted inspection framework.
Each review is anticipated to take approximately two days including half a day preparation, one day on site conducting the quality assurance review and half a day to produce a summary report for the school, Trust leaders, governors and Trustees.
Cross phase tender submissions for all 21 academy reviews are encouraged. However, BDAT reserves the right to award the contract as a single requirement or to divide the requirement into Lots structured by school phase, comprising a Primary Schools Lot and a Secondary Schools Lot. Tenderers may submit bids for either Lot individually, or the full requirement. Tenderers should be clear which Lots there are bidding for.
CPV: Primary education services · Secondary education services
Lots and requirements (2)Procurement structure
2 lots · all with a published value (£180,000 together) · same conditions of participation on every lot · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Educational Standard Reviews - Primary phaseRenewalPublished value£130,000
This lot focuses on the Primary phase, with 16 primary schools across the Bradford local authority area.
Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT) is seeking to procure school improvement review services to lead 1-day onsite education quality assurance reviews (assisted by BDAT senior colleagues) across the 16 Primary Schools, all of which are located within the Bradford Local Authority area. The purpose of the reviews are:
- To provide independently verified education insights into the progress and performance of each of our academies and to give support and challenge to enable further school improvement.
- To ensure appropriate support & challenge, which drives holistic improvement in relation to the school and MAT professional challenge and feedback.
- To provide a professional development opportunity for BDAT school leaders to undertake external reviews to support development of wider educational knowledge and experience and to share effective practice across the MAT.
- The reviews form a pillar of the MAT Quality Assurance and Evaluation oversight providing independent education insight.
The service will commence from 1st Jan 2027. The initial contract will be for 3 years with the option to extend for another 2 years.
The service is to run on-site school improvement reviews for each location. The focus of the reviews will be agreed in advance for each academy based on the school's own self-evaluation, school development plans and feedback on areas for improvement in previous external reviews. The reviews are not designed to be "mocksted" inspections, although inevitably areas for scrutiny will often mirror areas within the Ofsted inspection framework.
Each review is anticipated to take approximately two days including half a day preparation, one day on site conducting the quality assurance review and half a day to produce a summary report for the school, Trust leaders, governors and Trustees.
Whilst this lot focuses on the Primary phase, cross-phase tender submissions for all 21 academy reviews are encouraged. Tenderers should be clear which Lots there are bidding for.
- Condition of participation
As an Employer of Choice and aligned to BDAT's commitment to fairness and social responsibility, we expect that all staff that form part of this Contract will receive the Real Living Wage as a minimum. For further information please visit - www.livingwage.org.uk ↗
Compliance with relevant safeguarding procedures for schools (including, but not limited to, enhanced DBS checks).
Allow a mechanism for potential future schools to join the Contract.
Lot #2Educational Standard Reviews - Secondary PhaseRenewalPublished value£50,000
This lot focuses on the Secondary phase, with 16 primary schools across the Bradford local authority area.
Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT) is seeking to procure school improvement review services to lead 1-day onsite education quality assurance reviews (assisted by BDAT senior colleagues) across the 5 Secondary Schools, all of which are located within the Bradford Local Authority area. The purpose of the reviews are:
- To provide independently verified education insights into the progress and performance of each of our academies and to give support and challenge to enable further school improvement.
- To ensure appropriate support & challenge, which drives holistic improvement in relation to the school and MAT professional challenge and feedback.
- To provide a professional development opportunity for BDAT school leaders to undertake external reviews to support development of wider educational knowledge and experience and to share effective practice across the MAT.
- The reviews form a pillar of the MAT Quality Assurance and Evaluation oversight providing independent education insight.
The service will commence from 1st Jan 2027. The initial contract will be for 3 years with the option to extend for another 2 years.
The service is to run on-site school improvement reviews for each location. The focus of the reviews will be agreed in advance for each academy based on the school's own self-evaluation, school development plans and feedback on areas for improvement in previous external reviews. The reviews are not designed to be "mocksted" inspections, although inevitably areas for scrutiny will often mirror areas within the Ofsted inspection framework.
Each review is anticipated to take approximately two days including half a day preparation, one day on site conducting the quality assurance review and half a day to produce a summary report for the school, Trust leaders, governors and Trustees.
Whilst this lot focuses on the Secondary phase, cross-phase tender submissions for all 21 academy reviews are encouraged. Tenderers should be clear which Lots there are bidding for.
- Condition of participation
As an Employer of Choice and aligned to BDAT's commitment to fairness and social responsibility, we expect that all staff that form part of this Contract will receive the Real Living Wage as a minimum. For further information please visit - www.livingwage.org.uk ↗
Compliance with relevant safeguarding procedures for schools (including, but not limited to, enhanced DBS checks).
Allow a mechanism for potential future schools to join the Contract.
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).
Published sub-criteria (7)
- Quality Assurance experience: 10%
- Expertise and Qualifications: 10%
- Ofsted inspection experience: 10%
- Relevant phase experience: 10%
- Alignment with BDAT values: 10%
- Quality of Report writing: 10%
- Price: 40%
Published award criteria (7)
- Price: Clear cost breakdown or price per review and total cost for each academic year, inclusive of any anticipated expenses.
- Quality Assurance experience: Please provide details of your experience leading school improvement quality assurance reviews in comparable educational settings
- Expertise and Qualifications: Please provide details of your credibility, expertise and professional standing of the proposed review team, including relevant qualifications and track record.
- Ofsted inspection experience: Please provide details of your current and relevant experience of Ofsted inspection activity and/or senior leadership experience in school improvement.
- Relevant phase experience: Please provide details of your proven knowledge and experience of working within the relevant educational phase(s) and context.
- Alignment with BDAT values: Please provide details of the compatibility of your vision, value and ethos with the BDAT culture, values, ethos and ways of working
- Quality of Report writing: Please provide details of the quality, clarity and impact of report writing, evidenced through submitted examples of previous review reports.
- Condition of participation
As an Employer of Choice and aligned to BDAT's commitment to fairness and social responsibility, we expect that all staff that form part of this Contract will receive the Real Living Wage as a minimum. For further information please visit - www.livingwage.org.uk ↗
Compliance with relevant safeguarding procedures for schools (including, but not limited to, enhanced DBS checks).
Allow a mechanism for potential future schools to join the Contract.
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Below threshold - open competition
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Below threshold
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 1 Sept 2026, 11:05 BST
- Last source update
- 1 Sept 2026, 11:05 BST
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-082533- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ef48Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 25 Sept 2026, 10:00 BST
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
Bids should be submitted by email to [email protected] (PA to Education Directors)
Website - www.bdat-academies.org ↗
Timeline
1 Sept 2026 → 1 Jan 2027 · 3 dates- Tender notice published50 days ago1 Sept 2026, 11:05 BST
- Submission deadline26 days ago25 Sept 2026, 10:00 BST
- Today21 Oct 2026
- Contract startsin 72 days1 Jan 2027
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Tender notice published1 Sept 2026, 11:05 BSTUK4
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender