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Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for OFSTED (ICASO)

Department for Education

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

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 has recently completed the procurement process for the "Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for OFSTED (ICASO)" under the reference number "068259-2025". The procurement was conducted using the open procedure, a method aimed at ensuring transparency and accessibility. The tender was aimed at finding a provider for services in the arbitration and conciliation industry category. Based in London, the project's scope involves supplying an independent adjudication service related to Ofsted's complaint management, including report generation and advice provision. The contract was awarded to CEDR Services Limited, with a total contract value of £149,400 and covers the period from 1st November 2025 to 31st October 2028, with an option for a 12-month extension.

This opportunity provides significant potential for business growth, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that specialise in arbitration and conciliation services. The tender process was inclusive, encouraging participation from diverse business types, including consortia and collaborative groups. With a strong emphasis on quality and performance evaluation through detailed reporting requirements, businesses with expertise in delivering high-quality adjudication services, particularly those already engaged in public sector projects, are well-suited to compete. The structured procurement process with a focus on technical and commercial criteria, alongside the option for contract renewal, offers sustainable business growth prospects.

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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/068259-2025
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details 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
24 Oct 202510 months ago
Submission Deadline
17 Sep 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
26 Sep 202511 months 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 Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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.

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