Award

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for OFSTED (ICASO)

Department for Education

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

ContractAmendment

26 Oct 2026 at 10:41

UK10 - Contract Change Notice
Award

24 Oct 2025 at 14:59

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

02 Oct 2025 at 12:49

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

19 Aug 2025 at 14:50

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education bought an independent complaints adjudication service for Ofsted. The service reviews Ofsted’s handling of complaints about its work, including individual complaint referrals, advice, regular reporting on complaint volumes and themes, and an annual report. It operates independently of Ofsted, with conclusions and recommendations independent of both Ofsted and the Department for Education. The provider must identify itself as the Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for Ofsted and maintain a webpage that Ofsted can refer to. The contract was later modified to extend the service to school-related referrals, using the existing arrangements. The work is an adjudication and complaints review service (CPV 79422000), delivered in the United Kingdom.

The procurement is complete: CEDR Services Limited was awarded the contract on 26 September 2025, and it was signed on 22 October 2025. The original award and contract value was £124,500 excluding VAT (£149,400 including VAT). The contract runs from 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2028, with an option to extend for up to 12 months. The contract was subsequently modified to add school-related referrals; the modification is valued at £186,750 excluding VAT (£224,100 including VAT), with the additional service period starting 6 November 2026. The tender used an open procedure. Bids were assessed on technical quality, weighted at 80%, and commercial price, weighted at 20%. There was one lot, and two bids reached the final stage; both were from SMEs.

For suppliers that did not win, this award shows demand for an independent complaints adjudication service spanning referral assessment, advice, reasoned adjudication and recommendations, performance reporting, and public annual reporting. Credible competitors would need to demonstrate independence from the organisation whose complaint handling is reviewed, and the ability to maintain that independence from the commissioning department as well. Delivery calls for robust complaint referral pathways, capacity to check eligibility promptly, and staff able to produce timely, scoped adjudication reports. The provider must also handle regular performance reporting and publish an annual report through a dedicated service webpage. The extension to school-related referrals shows the buyer’s preference for an integrated service that can expand its scope without creating parallel operating arrangements. Technical quality carried substantially more evaluation weight than price, so evidence of sound methods, independence and reliable delivery would be central to a future competition.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for OFSTED (ICASO)

Notice Description

The Department for Education (DfE) requires a supplier to provide an independent adjudication service in relation to Ofsted's handling of complaints about its work including: handling individual complaints, the provision of advice, regular reporting regarding the volume and nature of the complaint, and publication of an annual report. The adjudication service is independent of Ofsted. Conclusions and recommendations are independent of both Ofsted and DfE. The supplier will refer to the service as the Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for Ofsted (ICASO) and is required to identify themselves as the supplier of this service and provide information regarding the service with a webpage that can be referred to on Ofsted's webpage. The DfE is keen to maximise opportunities to participate in procurement for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs). Consideration will also be given to consortia and collaborative bids from all forms of organisations.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The contract shall run from the effective date for an initial period of 3 years (the contract period) with an option to extend for up to 12 months reviewed at the end of the 3 year period if required.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-058a9f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100882-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK10 - Contract Change Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

79422000 - Arbitration and conciliation services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£125,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£125,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£124,500 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£124,500 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Oct 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
17 Sep 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
26 Sep 20251 years ago
Contract Period
1 Nov 2025 - 31 Oct 2028 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

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
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

CEDR Services

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...