Award

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Department for Education Period Products Scheme 2026

Department for Education

This public procurement record has 6 releases in its history.

Award

17 Sep 2026 at 14:04

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

08 Jun 2026 at 10:31

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
TenderUpdate

27 Feb 2026 at 09:44

UK4 - Tender Notice
TenderUpdate

18 Feb 2026 at 08:58

UK4 - Tender Notice
Tender

04 Feb 2026 at 10:09

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

29 Apr 2025 at 15:47

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education procured a national Period Products Scheme for schools and post-16 education providers across England. The requirement combines sourcing an appropriate range of period products, including reusable and environmentally friendly options, with user interfaces, support services and a national delivery service. The scheme is intended to ensure that girls and women can access period products free of charge, reducing barriers to education and supporting dignity, equality and reduced stigma in learning environments. The service is demand-led and designed to be accessible to approximately 21,000 organisations, which will need an easy-to-use ordering route. The wider offer may also include financial benefits, added value, awareness activities and materials. The Department for Education is the buying organisation, with delivery and service coverage across England.

This procurement has been awarded and the contract has been signed. It was run as an above-threshold open procedure using a competitive flexible process, with one lot and five valid final bids. Personnel Hygiene Services Limited trading as PHS Group plc was awarded the contract on 8 June 2026. The award value was £10,586,363.75 excluding VAT and £10,948,798.36 including VAT. The signed contract is valued at £10,586,363.65 excluding VAT and £10,948,798.36 including VAT, signed on 3 September 2026. The contract runs from 3 September 2026 to 31 August 2028, with a possible 12-month extension to 31 August 2029. Evaluation covered mandatory pass/fail requirements, quality at 70%, social impact and value at 30%, and price per quality point.

This requirement favours suppliers able to combine period-product sourcing with national fulfilment, customer service, digital ordering and operational support. Credible competitors would need experience delivering large goods and services contracts, evidence of successfully delivering similar requirements, and clear links between that experience and the proposed service. Financial viability evidence is also important. The evaluation shows that delivery planning, product sourcing, logistics, ordering processes, stock management and warehousing all matter, alongside sustainable procurement practices and activity to reduce stigma. A strong operating model would need reliable warehousing and distribution for a large education-sector customer base, accessible user interfaces and responsive support. Contract performance expectations include delivering 95% of orders by the promised date, all orders within five business days, and restoring complete ordering-system outages within three hours.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Department for Education Period Products Scheme 2026

Notice Description

The Department for Education (DfE) is looking to provide free period products to schools and post-16 education providers across England through a procurement to appoint a national provider. The Period Products Scheme ensures that period products are available and accessible, free of charge, to girls and women who need them in schools and colleges. The scheme aims to reduce periods as a barrier to education, promote dignity and equality in learning environments and tackle stigma associated with periods. The scheme was introduced after a 2018 Omnibus Survey suggested that 14% of female college students and 6% of female school pupils has been unable to access period products in the last 12-months due to affordability and 83% of secondary school leaders made free period products available in their school. Tackling this problem remains a key priority and is part of DfE's strategy to support the Government's mission to break down the barriers to opportunity; one of the six missions which form the centrepiece of our plan for change. This mission-led approach drives coordination between different programmes and workstreams by setting ambitious shared goals. The Department has published a competitive flexible tendering opportunity to find a single national supplier who can from September 2026: * Source an appropriate range of period products including reusable and environmentally friendly products * Design and implement user interfaces and support services * Plan and execute a national delivery service We require a 'demand-led' service which must be available to approximately 21,000 organisations across England, with an accessible and easy to use means of interaction and product ordering. The Department is also seeking to maximise the value of the scheme beyond the core offer through financial benefits, added value, and/or awareness activities and materials. In return, the Department proposes to offer a package of rights to the lead supplier and/or key sub-contractors/supply chain members.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: An addiional 12 months extension clause is inlcuded in the contract ( the maximum value given is inclusive of this possible extension)

Planning Information

The DfE shall be hosting a virtual event on Tuesday 20th May 2025 at 10:00 to discuss the vision for the scheme from the start of the 2026/27 academic year onwards and would like to encourage any parties who are interested in contributing to the success of a future scheme to register for this event. To do so, please contact Period.PRODUCTS@education.gov.uk by COP on Thursday 15th May 2025.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05096c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/088255-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

33 - Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products

63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services

64 - Postal and telecommunications services

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

33771100 - Sanitary towels or tampons

63120000 - Storage and warehousing services

64121200 - Parcel delivery services

79342300 - Customer services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£19,800,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
£19,800,000 £10M-£100M
Awards Value
£10,586,363 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
£10,586,363 £10M-£100M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Sep 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
16 Mar 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
1 Sep 2025Expired
Award Date
8 Jun 20264 months ago
Contract Period
3 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2028 1-2 years
Recurrence
2028-09-03

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Department for Education
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 3BT
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Personnel Hygiene Services Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

Loading OCDS record...