Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
Telephone
+44 355844000
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Sole trader
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Strengthening the Teaching of Primary School Mathematics in Malawi
Reference number
PO 10025 ecm_3793
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 75211200 - Foreign economic-aid-related services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The Roll Out and Institutionalization of the National Mathematics Curriculum Reform (NMCR) is a core component of the Maziko a Maphunziro (Foundations of Learning) Programme, a programme that aims at strengthening the quality of foundational education in Malawi.
The UK is providing funding to support the Malawi government to improve the quality of early grade numeracy teaching, so all children are supported to learn more effectively.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £38,200,000
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 75211200 - Foreign economic-aid-related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance
Malawi
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) seeks to extend the contract for the Strengthening the Teaching of Primary School Mathematics in Malawi programme by 3.5 months, extending the remaining term from 12 December 2025 to 31 March 2026, and to increase the current contract value from £31.4 million to £38.2 million.
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Negotiated without a prior call for competition
- The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
- absence of competition for technical reasons
Explanation:
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) seeks to extend the contract for the Strengthening the Teaching of Primary School Mathematics in Malawi programme by 3.5 months, extending the remaining term from December 2025 to 31 March 2026, and to increase the current contract value from £31.4 million to £38.2 million.
Due to recent reductions in the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, the scope and budget of the National Mathematics Curriculum Reform programme (NMCR) has been reduced to £6.8 million for FY25-26. The bulk of the remaining work for this year consists of completion of the printing and distribution of textbooks for Term 2 (thus due before January 2026), and the training of Standard 3 and 4 teachers, which has to take place in December 2025. A detailed closure and exit plan will also be implemented during the period to March 2026. In the circumstances, given the time necessary for any new supplier to commence operations in the country, following a procurement process, in order to supply these deliverables, it would not be realistically possible for a new supplier to meet these immovable deadlines. Any delay would significantly disrupt the planned schedule for training and textbook distribution, which has to be aligned with the school calendar. It has not been possible to commence a procurement process any earlier owing to the need to comply with the ODA spend reduction processes.
In the event that budget is allocated for a second phase of this programme, a procurement will be run for a new contract.
Given the immediacy of the need to complete these main remaining tasks, which are necessary but were not included in the original procurement, as well as wind down the contract by March 2026, a change of contractor is not technically or economically possible within these timescales and would cause significant inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs for FCDO.
The proposed increase is within the 50% threshold permitted under Regulation 72(1)(b) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number: 2019/S 164-402972
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
PO 10025
Title
Strengthening the Teaching of Primary School Mathematics in Malawi
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
24 February 2020
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Mott MacDonald Limited T/A Cambridge Education
22 Station Road Cambridge
Cambridge
CB1 2JD
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £38,200,000
five.2.5) Information about subcontracting
The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) seeks to extend the contract for the Strengthening the Teaching of Primary School Mathematics in Malawi programme by 3.5 months, extending the remaining term from December 2025 to 31 March 2026, and to increase the current contract value from £31.4 million to £38.2 million.
Due to recent reductions in the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, the scope and budget of the National Mathematics Curriculum Reform programme (NMCR) has been reduced to £6.8 million for FY25-26. The bulk of the remaining work for this year consists of completion of the printing and distribution of textbooks for Term 2 (thus due before January 2026), and the training of Standard 3 and 4 teachers, which has to take place in December 2025. A detailed closure and exit plan will also be implemented during the period to March 2026.
In the circumstances, given the time necessary for any new supplier to commence operations in the country, following a procurement process, in order to supply these deliverables, it would not be realistically possible for a new supplier to meet these immovable deadlines. Any delay would significantly disrupt the planned schedule for training and textbook distribution, which has to be aligned with the school calendar. It has not been possible to commence a procurement process any earlier owing to the need to comply with the ODA spend reduction processes.
In the event that budget is allocated for a second phase of this programme, a procurement will be run for a new contract.
Given the immediacy of the need to complete these main remaining tasks, which are necessary but were not included in the original procurement, as well as wind down the contract by March 2026, a change of contractor is not technically or economically possible within these timescales and would cause significant inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs for FCDO.
The proposed increase is within the 50% threshold permitted under Regulation 72(1)(b) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Cabinet office
London
Country
United Kingdom