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Matrix Standard administration and management

Department for Education

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

Tender

03 Aug 2026 at 13:04

UK4 - Tender Notice
PlanningUpdate

14 Jul 2026 at 17:25

UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
PlanningUpdate

23 Jun 2026 at 09:27

UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Planning

18 May 2026 at 13:10

UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education is procuring a nationwide service to manage, administer and deliver the Matrix Standard, the Government’s quality standard for information, advice and guidance on learning and work (CPV 80000000, education and training services). The requirement covers assessments, certification reviews and annual Continuous Improvement Checks for organisations seeking or holding Matrix Standard certification. The provider will manage the end-to-end service, including a network of qualified independent practitioners, the Matrix Standard website and digital services, the practitioner register, quality assurance, management information and reporting, promotion, marketing and stakeholder engagement. Delivery is required across England, with possible wider UK coverage. Assessments may be carried out on site, remotely or through hybrid methods. This is a concession service funded through fees charged to participating organisations and registration fees paid by practitioners.

The procurement has reached tender: the Department for Education has invited offers through an open, below-threshold competition. It is a single-lot concession contract, with electronic auction arrangements and electronic bid submission through Jaggaer. Enquiries must be submitted by 10 August 2026 at 12:00, and bids by 28 August 2026 at 12:00. The initial contract runs from 1 February 2027 to 31 January 2028, with up to two further one-year extensions, giving a maximum term to 31 January 2030. The estimated value is £3,000,000 excluding VAT and £3,600,000 including VAT. Bids will first undergo compliance and due diligence checks, then be scored against quality criteria, including social value. The contract will go to the highest-scoring compliant tenderer following approval.

This opportunity suits organisations experienced in delivering quality assurance, assessment and accreditation services at national scale, particularly in education, careers, learning, employment or information and advice services. Strong candidates will be able to recruit, train and support a network of qualified independent practitioners, maintain a reliable practitioner register and ensure consistent assessment and certification decisions. They will also need capability in digital service management, website administration, management information, reporting, stakeholder engagement and marketing to increase awareness and uptake. Experience of continuous improvement programmes and annual compliance checks would be directly relevant. Suppliers must demonstrate financial viability and satisfy the mandatory conditions and qualification requirements in the procurement documents. The requirement is expressly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Matrix Standard administration and management

Notice Description

The Department for Education is seeking to procure an organisation to manage, administer and deliver the matrix Standard, the Government's quality standard for the provision of information, advice and guidance on learning and work. The contract will cover the delivery of a nationwide assessment and accreditation service for organisations seeking certification against the matrix Standard, including initial assessments, certification reviews and annual Continuous Improvement Checks (CICs). As at December 2025, approximately 1,380 organisations are accredited, with several hundred assessments and checks undertaken annually. The successful provider will be responsible for the effective end-to-end management of the Standard, including: delivery of assessment and accreditation services through a network of qualified independent practitioners management and maintenance of the matrix Standard website and associated digital services management of the practitioner register, including recruitment, training and ongoing professional development quality assurance of assessment and certification processes to ensure consistency and integrity of the Standard provision of management information and reporting to the Department promotion and marketing of the matrix Standard to increase awareness and uptake stakeholder engagement across a range of sectors The service must be delivered across England and may include wider UK coverage, with assessments undertaken through a range of delivery methods including on-site, remote and hybrid approaches. This will be a concession contract, with the service funded through fees charged to organisations for assessments and continuous improvement checks, and registration fees paid by practitioners.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The contract shall commence on 1 February 2027 and shall run for an initial term of one (1) year until 31 January 2028. The Authority reserves the right, at its sole discretion and subject to satisfactory performance, to extend the contract for up to two further optional extension periods of one (1) year each: * Optional Extension Period 1: 1 February 2028 to 31 January 2029 * Optional Extension Period 2: 1 February 29 to 31st January 2030 The maximum possible contract term is three (3) years

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069af0
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/073161-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, 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
£3,000,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£3,000,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
3 Aug 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
28 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
3 Aug 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Feb 2027 - 31 Jan 2028 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

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

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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