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Pre-Procurement Engagement for a TechFirst Technology Education Platform

Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

06 Aug 2026 at 15:41

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

12 Feb 2026 at 14:59

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

07 Nov 2025 at 11:35

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology procured a UK-wide online technology education platform for TechFirst, the successor to Cyber Explorers. The service is intended for students aged 11 to 18 and must support teachers delivering Computing and Computer Science lessons as well as independent learning. It covers separate needs for ages 11–14, 14–16 and 16–18 within one platform. Required content includes national curricula, cyber security, artificial intelligence and careers in frontier technologies, including advanced connectivity, engineering biology, quantum technologies and semiconductors. The service also includes annual national online challenges and competitions, promotion of diversity in technology, and a smooth transition from the existing platform. Delivery is across the United Kingdom.

This procurement is complete and was awarded to Raspberry Pi Foundaation on 17 April 2026. The open procedure used a competitive flexible process, with the tender stage limited to suppliers that had responded to the earlier PQQ. Three bids reached the final stage, all from SMEs. There was one lot. Its estimated value was £1,500,000 excluding VAT (£1,800,000 including VAT). The award value is £1,082,775 excluding VAT (£1,299,330 including VAT). The awarded service contract runs from 18 August 2026 to 31 March 2029. Evaluation weighted technical quality at 80% and price at 20%. The tender deadline was 11 March 2026, enquiries closed on 20 February 2026, and the award period ended on 30 March 2026.

This award demonstrates demand for a substantial, UK-wide digital education service that combines platform development or operation with curriculum-led content and sustained programme support. Credible competitors would need to provide a secure, engaging online learning environment for secondary-age pupils, with distinct experiences for different age groups and tools that work for both classroom teaching and independent study. Relevant capability includes producing Computing, Computer Science, cyber security and AI content, alongside careers guidance covering frontier technologies. Suppliers should be able to run national online challenges and competitions, manage transition from an incumbent platform, and support inclusive design and participation by girls and underrepresented groups. The buyer’s evaluation shows that technical quality is more important than price, and the successful supplier was an SME.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Pre-Procurement Engagement for a TechFirst Technology Education Platform

Notice Description

TechFirst is the government's flagship programme opening pathways into the UK's fast-growing tech sector. It builds on the success of CyberFirst, expanding out to new areas of technology and growing its impact. Our ambition is to reach 1 million students in all secondary schools across the UK by 2029. CyberFirst has already reached 415,000 young people since 2016, developing relevant skills and opening eyes to the career opportunities that exist in cyber security across the economy. The programme targets young people aged 11-25. The CyberFirst programme consists of events delivered by local delivery partners, an annual competition for girls aged 12-13, summer courses, an undergraduate programme, a selection programme to choose team members to represent the UK in international cyber competitions, and the Cyber Explorers online platform. Cyber Explorers is an online platform for children aged 11-14 providing gamified cyber security content. At the end of June 2025, it had 128,893 registered learners in 3,375 schools across the UK. It is used by teachers in a variety of ways, including within Computing lessons and as engaging content for after school clubs. It is designed to support the Computing curriculum in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as the Scottish Technologies curriculum. Cyber Explorers is accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). While the objective of Cyber Explorers is to drive participation in Computer Science at age 14, with a view to encouraging decisions that support pathways towards employment in the cyber sector, the content of the programme supports other government tech objectives. Cyber Explorers helps young people understand the threats and harms that exist online and develop strategies to mitigate these risks. The content also introduces students to how AI systems are engineered. The new TechFirst programme will continue to support education aligned with career pathways into cyber security, but it is also designed to support career pathways for all the frontier technologies in the Digital and Technologies Sector of the Industrial Strategy. These include, in addition to cyber security: AI, advanced connectivity technologies, engineering biology, quantum technologies and semiconductors. As CyberFirst transitions into TechFirst, we are looking to evolve the Cyber Explorers platform into a resource that offers engaging content aligned to the Computing curriculum and beyond into the frontier technologies. Ultimately, we want to: * Spark young people's interest in technology * Improve young people's awareness of - and interest in pursuing - the varied careers available within the UK technology sector * Increase the number of young people who choose to pursue Computer Science or other computing and digital related qualifications at 14 years old This initiative aims to reach all students in the classroom, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that content is both inclusive for underrepresented groups and accessible. 2. Requirement The requirement for this technology education platform will be to provide: * Commitment to supporting this project for a minimum of 3 years, including enablement of a smooth transition from the current Cyber Explorers platform and in future to any successive version of the platform * An online tech learning platform for students from 11 to 18 years old, either pre-existing or newly created, that can be used both by teachers to facilitate Computing and Computer Science lessons, and by young people to learn independently. It must be structured in a way that caters separately to the differing needs of students in the 11-14, 14-16, and 16-18 age cohorts, but under a single platform to simplify engagement for teachers working across year groups and students throughout their entire secondary school journey * Learning content that engages students on the topics within the national Computing and Computer Science curricula, as well as cyber security and AI * Careers inspiration content that introduces students to the diverse careers available in tech and stories of professional 'role models' from underrepresented backgrounds. Content will have a particular focus on the frontier technologies outlined in the Industrial Strategy: Advanced Connectivity Technologies, AI, Cyber Security, Engineering Biology, Quantum Technologies and Semiconductors * Annual national level online challenges and competitions to generate greater engagement with the platform and further the intended wider aims of the project * Overarching promotion of diversity in tech across the platform, particularly supporting increased participation from girls and those from currently underrepresented backgrounds The Arrangement is signed for the Secretary of State for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, as the new office of Secretary of State for [Business, Innovation, Science and Trade / Digital, Culture, Media and Sport] has yet to be constituted as a corporation sole. The rights and liabilities of the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, including those under this Arrangement, will in due course be transferred to the Secretary of State for [Business, Innovation, Science and Trade / Digital, Culture, Media and Sport] by an Order in Council (secondary legislation) under section 2 of the Ministers of the Crown Act 1975."

Planning Information

PQQ https://beisgroup.ukp.app.jaggaer.com/go/21354739019A597D606C

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05dc9a
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/074890-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72222300 - Information technology services

72590000 - Computer-related professional services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,500,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,500,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£1,082,775 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
6 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
11 Mar 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
2 Feb 2026Expired
Award Date
17 Apr 20264 months ago
Contract Period
18 Aug 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
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
SW1A 2EG
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

Raspberry Pi Foundaation

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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