Scope
Reference
ACE01.76
Description
The Academies for Character and Excellence is a growing primary school Multi-Academy Trust currently comprising 20 schools, with anticipated growth to 25 schools during the tender period with future further growth anticipated in coming years. The Trust is undertaking pre-market engagement to inform a forthcoming procurement for a new Financial Management System to be deployed across the Trust and its schools. The solution will be required to support all core finance functions including general ledger, budgetary controls, accounts payable and receivable, bank and cash management, fixed assets, and statutory and management reporting in line with ESFA and DfE requirements. The Trust is seeking a modern, cloud hosted system that offers strong multi entity capability, enabling central Trust oversight alongside appropriate devolved access for individual schools. A key element of this procurement is the provision of an integrated purchasing and procurement portal for school based users. This is expected to support requisitioning, approval workflows, purchase ordering, goods receipting, supplier management, and budgetary controls. The Trust is particularly interested in solutions that improve visibility and control of spend, reduce manual processing, and support consistent processes across a growing Trust. The Trust currently uses IMP for budget planning and forecasting and would welcome engagement with suppliers whose solutions can integrate effectively with this environment. Scalability, automation, efficiency of transactions, and robust reporting will be central considerations, with a strong emphasis on reducing central administrative workload while improving access to timely financial information.
Total value (estimated)
- £250,000 excluding VAT
- £300,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030
- Possible extension to 31 August 2032
- 6 years
Main procurement category
Goods
Additional procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 48440000 - Financial analysis and accounting software package
Contract locations
- UKK - South West (England)
Engagement
Engagement deadline
6 February 2026
Engagement process description
https://uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=101610&TID=100106844&B= This pre-market engagement exercise is intended to help shape the Trust's detailed requirements, commercial approach, and implementation planning. Suppliers will be offered a 1-hour slot on the 4th or 5th of February for a brief meeting/demo focussed on specific areas of enquiry which will be provided in advance. If you wish to book in a slot, please message the request through the tendering portal EU Supply with your email address with your preferred date and time for the 4th or 5th February. Slots will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. Once all slots are booked out we will have to respectfully decline any further requests. However all information from these meetings will be shared within the tender pack, where it has been deemed as not commercially sensitive.
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
13 February 2026
Contracting authorities
PHP Law LLP
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PPRM-9434-VNYQ
Unit 3 The Brutus Centre Station Road Totnes
Totnes
TQ9 5RW
United Kingdom
Region: UKK43 - Devon CC
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government
Academies for Character & Excellence
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PYNM-4868-XBBN
Pathfields
Totnes
TQ9 5TZ
United Kingdom
Contact name: Claire Jones
Email: claire.jones@phplaw.co.uk
Region: UKK43 - Devon CC
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government