Award

DE - CURRICULUM REFORM - IMPROVING LITERACY IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

09 Mar 2026 at 10:17

Award

23 Feb 2026 at 13:49

Award

09 Feb 2026 at 10:46

Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education has successfully concluded a tender focusing on curriculum reform to improve literacy in primary schools across Northern Ireland. This procurement process, identified as DAC 84/25, falls under the Education and training services category and is a direct award due to the specialist nature and proprietary status of the programme. Ruth Miskin Literacy Limited, located in London, has been awarded the contract to provide their Read Write Inc. synthetic phonics programme. The contract, valued at £152,000 excluding VAT, commenced on 6th March 2026 and will run until 4th March 2029, supporting the Department's TransformED programme objectives.

This contract presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in educational services, particularly those with expertise in phonics and literacy initiatives. The direct award to Ruth Miskin Literacy Limited underscores the importance of a structured, evidence-based approach to early reading instruction, encouraging further research and development in effective educational programmes. Businesses that can offer innovative educational solutions and have the capability to support large-scale curriculum reforms stand to benefit from similar procurement initiatives by aligning their offerings with government priorities for improving literacy outcomes.

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Notice Title

DE - CURRICULUM REFORM - IMPROVING LITERACY IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Notice Description

Literacy provision in Northern Ireland primary schools currently varies widely, with no system wide standardised approach to early reading instruction. Although the curriculum provides support and schools implement their own interventions, significant attainment gaps persist, particularly in Communication at Key Stage 2. This research project is designed to address these gaps by evaluating the impact of a structured synthetic phonics programme, Read Write Inc., across a stratified and representative sample of schools. The aim is to generate robust, generalisable evidence to inform the new literacy strategy and curriculum reform. This initiative forms a core component of the Department's TransformED programme and directly supports the Minister's priorities for raising literacy outcomes system wide.

Procurement Information

The selection of this programme as the basis of research in NI is due to a combination of factors that make it the only viable option for delivering this project to the required specification and within the necessary timeframe: Single supplier - intellectual property or exclusive rights The selection of this programme as the basis of research in NI is due to a combination of factors that make it the only viable option for delivering this project to the required specification and within the necessary timeframe: * Specialist nature and proprietary status: RMT is the sole provider of the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme, which is a Department for Education (England) validated Systematic Synthetic Phonics model. The programme's intellectual property, training model, and assessment tools are exclusively owned and delivered by RMT. No other supplier is authorised to provide access to these materials or deliver the programme with fidelity.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-064ae1
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020753-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services


CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£152,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
£152,000 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
9 Mar 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
9 Feb 20262 months ago
Contract Period
6 Mar 2026 - 4 Mar 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
Additional Buyers

CPD - SUPPLIES & SERVICES DIVISION

DEPARTMENT OF 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
BANGOR
Postcode
BT19 7PR
Post Town
Northern Ireland
Country
Northern Ireland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLN Northern Ireland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLN0 Northern Ireland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLN06 Belfast
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Belfast
Electoral Ward
Sydenham
Westminster Constituency
Belfast East

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

RUTH MISKIN LITERACY

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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