Tender

Entrance Test for Trafford Grammar School Consortium

BRIGHT FUTURES EDUCATIONAL TRUST

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

28 Apr 2026 at 08:50

Summary of the contracting process

Bright Futures Educational Trust is inviting tenders for the provision of an Entrance Test for the Trafford Grammar School Consortium, encompassing five schools in Manchester, UK. This educational procurement, classified under the "services" category, necessitates an active participation in the tender stage, concluding on 18th May 2026. The process will adhere to the "open procedure" under the "light touch" regime due to its below-threshold status, with a total estimated contract value of £550,000 excluding VAT. The contract will extend over three years, with potential renewals, and services are expected to commence on 1st January 2027.

This tender presents an excellent opportunity for SMEs and VCSE organisations to engage in business growth by offering specialized educational and testing services. Ideal candidates would possess demonstrable experience, strong financial and technical capabilities, and the ability to ensure quality delivery. With procurement led by a sub-central government authority, interfacing with multiple schools, bidders will benefit from significant exposure and a chance to cement relationships within the educational sector, thereby expanding their service portfolio. Interested suppliers should ensure registration and compliance via the Central Digital Platform for prompt submission.

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Notice Title

Entrance Test for Trafford Grammar School Consortium

Notice Description

Bright Futures Educational Trust is inviting you to tender for the provision of an Entrance Test and associated services to be delivered the Trafford Grammar School Consortium. The Trafford Grammar School Consortium comprises 5 schools: Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Sale Grammar School, Stretford Grammar School and Urmston Grammar School. Whilst the schools share the same entrance examination, each is its own admissions authority and would be a separate signatory to the contract. One of the schools in the Consortium; Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, is part of Bright Futures Educational Trust. The Trust is acting as the lead contracting authority for this procurement. The full scope of the services required is detailed in the Specification which is included as Appendix A within the Tender Pack. The contract will be for 3 years with the option to extend for 2 further periods of 1 year up to a maximum of 5 years in total. The Contract has a total maximum estimated value of PS550,000 excl VAT A conflicts assessment has been prepared and revised PROCUREMENT PROCESS In respect of application of the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 the Customer considers that the object of the contract is concerned with 'light touch services' and due to the estimated value falling below the current statutory threshold of PS663,540 (inc. VAT) for light touch contracts, the procurement is 'below threshold'. Subsequently, the Customer's position is that the procurement process is not classed as a 'covered procurement' and the contract is not classed as a 'public contract' under the Procurement Act 2023. Please note that schools are exempt from the rules governing regulated below-threshold contracts within the Procurement Act 2023. The Customer has therefore included for 'conditions of participation' which require tenderers to meet defined legal & financial standing and technical ability requirements pertaining to previous experience. To achieve this the Customer has reviewed and amended the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) developed by the Government Commercial Function for use on below threshold procurement processes. In order to complete and return the PSQ, the Customer requires interested suppliers to register their details on the Central Digital Platform and upload and/or check that their core Supplier information on the Central Digital Platform is all up to date and accurate. Further details regarding how to access and complete the PSQ are provided within the documentation provided. Whilst the procurement is not a 'covered procurement', the Customer is undertaking the procurement process in general accordance with the 'open procedure', however this does not imply that the Customer is bound by any legal requirements of the Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement Regulations 2024 which only apply to 'covered procurements' and 'public contracts'. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Manchester:-Education-and-training-services./6795EWT8AN To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/6795EWT8AN

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Option to extend for 2 further periods of 1 year up to a maximum of 5 years in total.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-068c3a
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038328-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services


CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£550,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£550,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Apr 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
18 May 20263 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
BRIGHT FUTURES EDUCATIONAL TRUST
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
MANCHESTER
Postcode
M41 6NA
Post Town
Manchester
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD3 Greater Manchester
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD34 Greater Manchester South West
Delivery Location
TLD3 Greater Manchester, TLD33 Manchester, TLD34 Greater Manchester South West

Local Authority
Trafford
Electoral Ward
Davyhulme
Westminster Constituency
Stretford and Urmston

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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