Scope
Reference
ID 6200345
Description
The Department of Education, wishes to appoint an external supplier to develop and deliver a replacement programme for the Professional Qualification for Headship (PQH), in line with the stated commitment in the TransformED Strategy . This is a Ministerial priority with a defined timeline for the development, piloting and delivery of the replacement programme which has been crafted to deliver the Minister’s stated objective and work within the confines of each academic year. The contract duration is anticipated to be from May 2026 until June 2029 with one optional extension until June 2031. The supplier will be required to develop the programme from Contract Award until December 2026, with delivery of the pilot to commence in January 2027 to the end of December 2027(excluding Northern Ireland school holidays), running over 12 months with a cohort of 40 participants(cohort split in two, to allow the two modules to run concurrently and the pilot to be completed within this timeframe. The programme will officially launch January 2028 which will run over an 18-month period. Delivery in subsequent years through agreement with DE, could be split into separate January and September entry points (combining to a total of 100 participants) each year which will provide practical preparation as a key component in the pathway to Principalship through a comprehensive and tailored programme for recently appointed and aspiring Principals. Suppliers should refer to the Specification Schedule for full detail on the deliverables of this Contract
Total value (estimated)
- £2,150,000 excluding VAT
- £2,580,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 27 April 2026 to 30 June 2029
- Possible extension to 30 June 2031
- 5 years, 2 months, 4 days
Description of possible extension:
1 optional extension of 2 years to complete cohorts who start in January 2029 and January 2030
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 80000000 - Education and training services
Participation
Technical ability conditions of participation
As per Tender documentation
Submission
Enquiry deadline
10 March 2026, 3:00pm
Tender submission deadline
23 March 2026, 3:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders must be submitted electronically via the relevant Call for Tender (CfT) opportunity on eTendersNI, website details immediately below.
Paper submissions will not be accepted or considered and will be rejected by the Contracting Authority / Buyer.
The tender documents are available with unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: URL https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
20 April 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| AC1 Content | Content - 31.5 percent |
Quality |
| AC2 Implementation | Implementation - 28 percent |
Quality |
| AC3 Social Value | Social Value - 10.5 percent |
Quality |
| AC4 Price | Price - 30 percent |
Price |
Weighting description
70 percent quality and 30 percent price
Other information
Payment terms
For further details on invoicing procedures please see : https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/ar ticles/account-ni-good-invoicing-practice
The estimated value figure indicated in the Scope Section represents an overall estimated contract value. This value reflects the potential scale of the contract and takes into account potential optional extension periods and the uptake of potential optional services as detailed in the tender documents. This figure does not however take into account the application of indexation or increases to charges due to increases in the Real Living Wage. Neither CPD nor the contracting Authority can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this contract. The Contracting Authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender. Suppliers remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from the Supplier in connection with taking part in this procurement process regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence, directly or indirectly of any amendments made to the procurement documents by the Contracting Authority at any time. No legally binding contract shall arise (and a Supplier shall have no legitimate expectation that a contract will be entered into) until such time as entry into the Contract has been confirmed by the Contracting Authority.
Applicable trade agreements
- Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Contracting authority
Department of Education
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PTYH-9512-JWZZ
43 Balloo Road, Rathgill
Bangor
BT19 7PR
United Kingdom
Email: SSDAdmin.CPD@finance-ni.gov.uk
Website: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/
Region: UKN09 - Ards and North Down
Organisation type: Public authority - central government
Devolved regulations that apply: Northern Ireland
Other organisation
These organisations are carrying out the procurement, or part of it, on behalf of the contracting authorities.
CPD - Supplies & Services Division
Summary of their role in this procurement: Construction and Procurement Delivery - Supplies and Services Division, is a Centre of Procurement Expertise and provides a central procurement function for central government in Northern Ireland
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVWG-8426-YWXV
303 Airport Road West
Belfast
BT3 9ED
United Kingdom
Region: UKN06 - Belfast