Official UK procurement notice
Reception Early Language Monitoring and CSCOT Observation Programme
Authority: Department for Education (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Department for Education intends to directly award a contract to Speech and Language UK for the provision of the Reception Early Language Monitoring and CSCOT Observation Programme.
The requirement is for the provision of integrated services to support Reception early language monitoring within the English Hubs programme. The service will utilise the Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool (CSCOT) and include:
- Access to the CSCOT digital platform
- Delivery and coordination of CSCOT observations
- Observer training and quality assurance
- Data collection, storage and management
- Access to historical and future CSCOT datasets
- Reporting and analytical functionality
- Programme governance and coordination arrangements
Contract Arrangements:
- Initial term: 3 years
- Extension option: Up to 12 months
- Break clauses: Annual break clauses
- Maximum term: 4 years (3 + 1)
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Direct award
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 15 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST
- Last source update
- 15 Oct 2026, 12:47 BST
- Authority reference
10723- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-097451- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Delivery area
- Not published
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-078839Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights
- Published justification
The Department has undertaken a market assessment and concluded that while alternative organisations may be capable of undertaking classroom observations, no alternative supplier was identified that could provide the Department's complete integrated requirement. Speech and Language UK is currently the only identified supplier able to combine ownership and operation of the digital CSCOT platform, access to historical and future datasets, reporting functionality, observer training and accreditation arrangements, and national programme coordination.
The direct award is made pursuant to Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023 on the grounds of exclusive rights and technical reasons, as no reasonable alternative supplier has been identified that can provide the Department’s complete integrated requirement through a single service model.
- Risks
Risk of delays or issues in mobilisation, observer training, school engagement, CSCOT observation delivery, data management, or supplier resourcing, affecting successful delivery of the programme and the availability of timely, reliable monitoring data.
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- —
Timeline
15 Oct 2026 → 26 Oct 2026 · 2 dates- Notice published5 days ago15 Oct 2026, 12:47 BST
- Today20 Oct 2026
- Standstill endsin 6 days26 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
Notice history
4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 15 Oct 2026- Transparency notice published15 Oct 2026, 10:37 BSTUK5
- Transparency notice published15 Oct 2026, 12:06 BSTUK5
- Contract award notice published15 Oct 2026, 12:47 BSTUK6
- Contract signature expected28 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| I CAN Charity (trading as Speech and Language UK)SMEVCSE2 Nov 2026 – 31 Mar 2029 · up to 31 Mar 2030Extensions: 3 + 1 = 3 Years & 1 (12month Optional Extension) · Options: The Department may extend the contract by up to 12 months where continued delivery of the CSCOT Observation Programme is required and funding, performance and programme requirements support continuation. Any extension will be subject to DfE governance approvals and compliance with the Procurement Act 2023. The extension may be exercised where continued delivery is required and where the statutory conditions and approvals applicable at the time are satisfied. · Amended: The notice has been amended to remove the reference to the operation of the CSCOT digital platform from the description of services. This amendment ensures the notice accurately reflects the scope of the Department's requirement. No other material aspects of the procurement have changed. | £445,356 | 3 Sept 2026standstill to 26 Oct 2026 | Standstill |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- I CAN Charity (trading as Speech and Language UK)Awarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- Transparency notice Transparency notice on Find a Tender